Saw Becoming Jane a couple of weeks ago and quite enjoyed it. I found some very interesting articles about Jane and Tom on the web, but can’t seem to get back to at least one of them!

Anyway, what I hope you folks can help with is: in some biography of Jane, I read that there was a sequel to “Pride and Prejudice” that was supposedly based on some ideas she told her family. Of course I didn’t write this down… help, anyone?

Thanks!

ETA from the Editrix — discussion continued here.

Also, the silk industry in France was virtually defunct from 1792-1802, so anyone wanting (heavier) luxury fabric had to recut pre-Revolutionary garments when the old stock ran out. Tangential but cool: Vivienne Westwood’s merveilleuse revival collection. I can’t find a link, but if you can find the book (“Vivienne Westwood”) in the library, take a look. She studied period garments in museums to get the right cut.

I concede the point about Jane; my collection of period fashion plates is French, and as we know that Channel crossing can be a little slow. Post-1804, French gowns are much fuller in the skirts, by imperial edict to sell more fabric. Under “website” I have pasted in a link to 1797 and 1799 gowns. Regarding Eliza, as an older, post-partum woman she may have preferred a more structured look. The merveilleuse thing is even harder to bring off than the chemise. As a child in the early 60′s I noticed the same phenomenon keeping my older aunts in 50′s corsetry and out of those little dresses my mother wore. I agree with you about the studio’s attitude, which is one reason why historical films always look so dated later on.

And I wonder if Eliza’s political leanings were so strong as to prevent her from being in the latest fashion! Which in England, at that time, was more the chemise-dress-with-a-sash look, higher waists and the pouter-pigeon bodice and big floofy gathered skirts. But of course the studio would have nixed them because they would make the girls look “fat.”

I expected Judge Langlois and Mme. la Comtesse to be out of fashion, the former because of his conservatism, and the latter from political opposition to the Directoire. Mrs. Radcliffe was quite well dressed. I also appreciated that few seemed to have the endless wardrobes of more spectacular productions; sadly, in real life only someone like Eliza de Feuillide could have afforded it. When I write my novel, I’ll multiply my father’s income by five and give myself a larger nose and a better wardrobe, too (smile).

I knew going in most of this was made-up, but being used to the quality production of BBC’s Pride & Prejudice and Emma Thompson’s Sense & Sensibility, it just fell short.

It was slightly more than entertaining and in fact received only a 2 1/2 star rating-about right. Probably not a movie I will buy and watch over and again.

In fact, the movie was exactly what I expected.