By Elizabeth Jewell and Sara Tavela
JASNA-NC met both in-person and online for our December 2022 meeting, with grateful success for our first fully hybrid gathering! In person, folks mingled, got nibbles, and said hi again. At the online meeting, members had conversation and personal nibbles, talking about how they first encountered Jane Austen’s works or what traditions around Austen’s big days or theirs they have.
Online, we learned: Laine, our new Membership Officer, is related to Jane Austen! Many of us encountered Jane Austen later in life, whether college-aged or beyond. So many online members had wonderful stories of how they first began with Jane Austen, and it was a pleasure getting to know one another more. For all of us, there’s no turning back: we are lovers of Jane Austen for life!
The in-person gathering at Gisele’s featured many tasty treats for guests before and after the costuming talk. A special shout-out goes to whomever prepared the little scones with jam and clotted cream! It was great to see some folks we hadn’t seen in a while; Jane’s birthday really brings us together.
Costuming 101 with Tracy Mahl and Her Lady’s Maid Tim
Tracy demonstrated her discussion of costuming with a number of clothing and accessory pieces. She pointed out the typical feature of the seams in the back of the bodice that slant from the neckline to the sleeve. In addition to dresses, she discussed stays, which come in both long and short versions, and are worn instead of (not with) a modern bra. They’re more appropriate for the period but may be much less comfortable! However, Tracy also noted that a push-up bra could do in a pinch to get a similar look (and can be put on fully on one’s own, unlike the Regency stays; a balconette-style bra like this one most mimics the Regency stays look). A spencer, or short jacket, is typically shorter in the back than front.
She noted that she’s bought inexpensive straw hats and then decorated them with flowers and feathers and ribbons; one hat she lined under the brim. When she supplemented her own hair with a hairpiece on top of her head, she found a hat with a higher crown worked better; she secured it with a hatpin (doubles as a self-defense weapon if needed!). Short or medium-length gloves are suitable for daytime wear; long white gloves for balls are appropriate, and she shopped for gloves that were mostly cotton and thus not shiny, as many long gloves can be.
Reticules are fairly easy to make and a pattern was provided; to see and print a similar pattern, see here. For shoes, a flat pair of plain black shoes can work; Tracy’s also bought dance shoes to wear. To get that Regency slipper look with greatest ease, take a length of wide ribbon and begin by looping it underneath the sole of your shoe (with it on your foot) and then cross the ribbon around your ankles and tie off (this method enables you to keep your shoes modern while preventing extra sewing to affix the ribbon to your shoes Regency-style!).
Tracy’s husband was her visual aid as she described men’s wear; she noted that his dark camel-colored trousers were a typical color. Tim recommended suspenders to help keep the trousers in place (no belt loops on Regency trousers). His vest had pockets on each side, and he was able to put his great-grandfather’s pocket watch in one pocket and the end of the chain in the other pocket–weighted down to keep it in place. The chain can be threaded through a buttonhole so that the watch is really secure (and can’t be stolen easily). A seamstress tailored the pocket that the fob was kept in to be shallower so that the Tim wouldn’t have to dig too far to check the time (much more refined-looking that way). A jacket—short in front, long in back—along with a top hat and walking stick completed Tim’s Regency look. Tracy noted that when they were in Bath, her husband attracted more attention than she did because so many women were in costume but men were rarer to see.
Patterns and clothing are available from a number of sources, including Etsy and Amazon, among other online sources. Tracy did her first gown sewing project using a pattern from Sense & Sensibility Patterns. She recommends Austentation for bonnets, and they also sell other accessories like reticules. For all resources, see our Regency Fashion Resources blog post to get started.
An Impromptu promenade
A delightful addition to our meeting was a promenade of Regency fashions attendees wore, both in-person and online. Members who came in costume each showed their costume and explained where they had gotten the items: Amazon was a frequent mention as a source! The Scrap Exchange in Durham also received a shout out as a wonderful resource for fabric and notions for projects.
A Toast to Jane
Our meeting closed with our traditional toast to Jane Austen, led by our Janeite-at-large and host, Gisele. We all raised a glass (or mug), and toasted Jane’s birthday: huzzah! We highly recommend watching the video of the discussion for anyone who missed it who has an interest in costuming–it’s rather more complicated than it might appear on the surface (the video of the meeting is available to members only and can be found linked in their inboxes; the meeting recording is available until January 11, 2023).
Our Year in Review
2022 was a big year for JASNA-NC. This year, we:
- Had our first filmed live event at the JC Raulston Arboretum. Many members have commented on how great the video turned out, and you can see it here.
- Developed and began putting into action an accessibility statement and plan. You can read all about it here.
- Hosted fabulous speakers like Brenda S. Cox, Gretchen Gerzina, and Robert Morrison.
- Supported the North American Friends of Chawton House
- Had two theatre outings: one to Pride and Prejudice and one to Emma!
- Played games and had conversation in the best of company!
JASNA-NC affirmed continuing and new leaders at the December meeting. Sara Tavela and Karin Wiberg continuing as co-regional coordinators, Dan Read is continuing as treasurer, Katie Allen continues as social media staffer, and Gisele Rankin will continue as Janeite-at-large. New additions to the leadership team include: Laine Wood as membership officer (to operate out of the email address membership.jasnanc@gmail.com (do note the slight difference from the regional coordinators’ address), and Elizabeth Jewell will serve as coordinator for meeting notetakers. Thank you to all who have volunteered and offered time with JASNA-NC this year and for the next; we are grateful for you!
up next
Our January 2023 meeting will be “Personality Types in Austen Literature” with Kim Guyer. Our monthly meetings will largely remain on Zoom , and we have several outings in person to look forward to. It looks like we also will start a new December tradition with a hybrid celebration!