May’s wallpaper, in all its springtime green glory, is now available for download from Solitary Elegance. In this month’s installment of General Observations, a party of young ladies take the Arbiter Elegantiarum to task for his April snark. The Arbiter also alludes to “Coelebs”; earlier, in January 1809, Jane Austen had mentioned Hannah More’s novel in two letters to Cassandra (more specifically, her lack of interest in reading it: “Of course I shall be delighted when I read it, like other people, but till I do, I dislike it.”).

The two May fashions are an 1809 ball dress (on the left), and an 1810 promenade dress (on the right). The Editrix has already noted that the ball dress looks rather familiar, and other attendees of the 2007 AGM held in Vancouver may recognize it from the banquet and ball as well. A link to a photo from the AGM, an 1809 dress description, and the General Observations are all part of this month’s collection. Enjoy!