Clothing of Austen’s era evokes sighs and swoons

BARKHAMSTED — Kandie Carle channeled her inner Jane Austen Friday evening, April 12, as she mingled theatrics, facts and humor into a lively program sponsored by the Barkhamsted Historical Society.

During the one-woman show “Fashion in Fiction: Jane Austen Regency,” Carle presented a “show and tell” of the clothing that was in style at the time of Austen’s novels. 

She shared excerpts from some of the writer’s novels and her letters while demonstrating the proper dress for ladies and gentlemen of the early 1800s. The event, held at the Barkhamsted Senior Center, drew about two dozen attendees.

“The beauty of someone like Jane Austen is that she was writing of her time, in her time. She created such fabulous characters, like a cranky pastor, or giddy 15 year old, and we can really see in these stories commonalities,” said Carle, a professional actress from East Haddam.  

Carle travels around the state presenting three different garment-centric programs “where I dress from the inside out.”

A lifetime member of the Jane Austen Society of America, the speaker said her presentation focusing on the writer came out of a request to find a way to lure young people to the world of literature. 

“We needed to cast a net and bring them in, and fashion is one of the ways to get young people interested.”

She used as props two dress forms, one which she hugged and referred to as “Mr. Darcy,” one of the central figures in Austen’s novel, “Pride and Prejudice,” eliciting laughter from the crowd. Before the evening was over, the two forms would be dressed in men’s and women’s fashion appropriate to 1810.

“They loved nautical and military jackets,” said Carle, who started the show wearing a navy double-breasted Spencer jacket with gold braid trim over a lemon yellow empire waist dress and delicate steel spectacles. A plush, velvet bonnet completed the outfit.

This look was particularly popular with the Austen family, as two of Jane’s brothers were in the navy and three became captains of their own ships, said Carle. 

“She was a prolific letter writer and her interest in clothing was something she incorporated not only into her stories, but into her own life.”

Carle eventually removed the jacket and bonnet, and put on a necklace, cameo earrings and a hair comb, all of which complemented her softly flowing empire waist dress. Gloves, too, would have been a key accessory. 

“This time period was most user friendly to ladies.”  Not so much for the men, however.

The gentlemen actually had to start getting dressed long before the women, as they had many more layers to wear, a process that took up to 45 minutes, said Carle. 

Padded wool stockings accentuated the men’s legs. “It made them look like they had shapely calves. These days it’s silicone breast implants; well, for guys at that time it was all about padding the legs,” she said, particularly when wearing stirrups or knee britches that were “yoga pants tight.”

She proceeded to dress “Mr. Darcy” in a ruffled shirt, stand-up collar, black wrap tie, satin knee britches, a silk vest, fitted velvet tail coat and a watch with fob placed in a hidden watch pocket of the vest.  

“This is such a great look for men,” said Carle, to which a female in the audience responded, “I’m in love!”

Following the lively presentation, which also included a brief talk about Dolly Madison, another famous character whom she often gives talks about, attendees had a chance to study the clothing, chat with Carle and Historical Society President Noreen Watson, and enjoy an assortment of sweet treats and refreshments.