Elegant Economy – the clothes of Cranford
The 1830s are simply bursting with outrageous fashions. While the clothes are lovely to look at, they also give fascinating clues about how costume reveals character in the novels of Elizabeth Gaskell.
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Gillian: What a fantastic writer Mrs Gaskell is! She has just the right amount of detail about everything, including clothes, which is perfect for us. The 1830s are the last raffish gasp of exuberance before things are toned down somewhat in the mid nineteenth century. |
Lucy: Cranford is a perfect novel. To be quite frank, we were planning a talk on Gaskell and Dickens, but Dickens is lousy at costume clues for female characters – with the exception of Miss Havisham's decrepit wedding dress – so we jettisoned him to concentrate on the revealing details in Cranford and Wives and Daughters. Just don't start Gillian on the three million varieties of Gigot sleeves... you'll get more than you bargained for! |
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