This year marks the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth in 1775. Among the celebrations is the re-release of Joe Wright’s 2005 adaptation of Pride & Prejudice. Its return to theaters inspired me to explore the Vogue Runway archive to see how modern designers are drawing from Austen’s era.
In her time, neoclassical fashion favored light, straight-lined garments with empire waists (a nod to Napoleon). These high-waisted dresses, often with open necklines, highlighted the décolleté—sometimes called the “Regency shelf.” While this silhouette contrasts with today’s bustier beauty standards, its appeal lies in its natural fit.
Austen’s Bennett sisters may have worn corsets, but they weren’t tightly laced, and they moved freely without the constraints of crinolines or panniers. Austen’s focus wasn’t on reshaping the body but on transformations of the mind and heart—particularly those that open us to love.
### White Neoclassical Dresses
### Color and Print
### Daring Dames
### The Embonpoint
### Spencers
### Empresses and Empire Lines
### Dashing Darcys