Happy Birthday, Jane Austen!

For those unknowing, today is Jane Austen's birthday! In celebration, I have decided to watch the 2009 BBC series of "Emma", starring Romola Garai. Whilst not many people seem to like this version, I adore it. It is true that some of the best bits of the novel have been missed in this version, but I just love the costumes - and I think the actors and actresses are close to perfectly chosen for the parts.

Romola Garai as Emma, and Louise Dylan as Harriet Smith

I have decided to make a post about Jane Austen not only because it is her birthday, but because I have so much to thank her for - despite the fact she hasn't been around for quite a while.

A 10-year-old me was in the airport, waiting to go to Turkey with her family for the summer. I had nothing to read on the aeroplane, and so my mum took me to WHSmith in duty free. I didn't know what to pick, so she took me to the Classics section, and I decided I wanted to read Pride and Prejudice. I only read a little on the aeroplane, and didn't come back to it until the school year began. And so my obsession for all things Jane Austen began!
After reading the novels, I started finding out about, and watching, multiple adaptations. Seeing the Empire-line gowns made me really fall in love with the era, in terms of fashion. From that point I looked at other time periods, and I really loved the clothes! It was then I realised I wanted to have a career where I could be around beautiful clothing every day.
A year ago, I started textiles GCSE when I moved schools. And so I decided costuming was the route I wanted to take. If it hadn't been for Jane Austen, I would never have had such a deep appreciation for historical costuming!

Another thing I have to thank Jane Austen for is my love of reading. I have always loved reading, but discovering Jane Austen pushed me towards classics, and I now adore reading classic fiction (I do love reading modern fiction too, but not quite as much).

The first costume I ever put together was for October MCM Expo of 2011, and it was a cosplay of Emma Woodhouse. The first costume I ever made - for a textiles practice project - was a white cotton Regency gown, using the Sense & Sensibility pattern. After doing that, I made an undergarment that was like a cross between short stays and a bodiced petticoat, completely from scratch. All of this was done for my love of all things Jane Austen!