Better late than never: Although it appeared more than a month ago, I’ve only just stumbled across a cogent and fascinating analysis of the costuming in Autumn de Wilde’s recent feature-film adaptation of Emma, by the fashion and culture writers Tom Fitzgerald and Lorenzo Marquez.
The film has already been widely praised (and occasionally disparaged) for its striking and self-conscious visual style, all pastels and florals and mouthwatering hats. It’s the most eye-candy-laden Jane Austen adaptation since Clueless—and with reason, since costume designer Alexandra Byrne apparently intended some of her choices as an homage to Amy Heckerling’s 1995 masterpiece.
Or so I learned from T Lo’s post at their blog Tom + Lorenzo: Fabulous & Opinionated, in which they unpack the meanings conveyed in the costumes of Harriet Smith, Jane Fairfax, Mrs. Elton, and especially Emma Woodhouse—the class distinctions and character clues encoded in pearl necklaces, lace collars, fur-trimmed cuffs, and yellow gloves.
Their insightful analysis helps explain why the newest Emma was, in my opinion, a delightful and effective adaptation. Plus T Lo supply lots of close-up stills featuring beautiful people wearing beautiful clothes—and that can’t be a bad thing.