THE FASHIONS OF
Georgiana and Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley spans a period of about 20 years, from shortly after the time of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, published in 1813, to 1835. During that time, women’s fashion changed dramatically, as the Regency period—with its simple, close-fitting dresses with Empire (high) waistlines—gave way to the dawn of the Romantic era.
Costume designer Fumiko Bielefeldt traces this history in gorgeous gowns created for this production. In Act One of the play, which takes place in 1815, we see the Bennet sisters attired in Regency-style dresses, like Georgiana’s gown shown below in Fumiko’s costume sketches, with its simple lines and relatively sparse decoration.
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