What was the clothing style in the novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen?

Answer 1

Pride and Prejudice is written in free indirect speech. This has been defined as "the free representation of a character's speech, by which one means, not words actually spoken by a character, but the words that typify the character's thoughts, or the way the character would think or speak, if she thought or spoke".

Answer 2

The clothing style in Pride and Prejudice reflects the Regency fashion of early 19th-century England. Women wore empire-waist dresses with simple lines, light fabrics, and delicate embroidery. Men wore tailored suits with high collars, long coats, and knee-length breeches. The clothing was elegant, emphasizing modesty and refinement.

Answer 3

We do not have a precise date for Pride and Prejudice, though in any case an Empire dress or a top hat of some form would have been in style. The precise style period might have been as early as the late 1790's, or as late as a couple years before the novel was published in 1813. Dress of the former period can be seen in the film of 2005 film staring Kiera Knightley, and that of the later can be seen in the 1995 miniseries starring Jennifer Ehle. The film starring Grier Garson portrays the novel as happening in a much later period, perhaps 1830.