Read The Jane Austen Handbook Online
Authors: Margaret C. Sullivan
The Jane Austen Handbook (10 page)
(IF NECESSARY)
J
ANE
F
AIRFAX
:
“I am not at all afraid of being long unemployed. There are places in town, offices, where inquiry would soon produce something—Offices for the sale—not quite of human flesh—but of human intellect.”
M
RS
. E
LTON
:
“Oh! my dear, human flesh! You quite shock me; if you mean a fling at the slave-trade, I assure you Mr. Suckling was always rather a friend to the abolition.”
—
E
MMA
It is a truth universally acknowledged that in this world there are haves and have-nots. Some are born to marry a man with ten thousand a year and have jewels and pin money second to none; some are destined to teach that woman’s children and be patronized by her servants. In the sad event that you are forced to seek employment, here are a few acceptable ways for you to do so. All are ill-paid and unpleasant in their own way and should be avoided if at all possible.
•
Governess
. You will have the charge of the daughters and sometimes the very young sons of the house, acting as their teacher, chaperone, psychologist, and older sister. If you are very fortunate, you will be treated as a member of the family, but in most cases you will be ignored by the adults of the household and treated with affectionate disrespect by the children. The servants will say that you “put on airs” and want nothing to do with you, so unless the daughters are a little older and good companions, this can be a lonely proposition.
•
School
teacher
. Rather like being a governess. Your living arrangements might be less comfortable, but teaching at a school offers more autonomy than living in someone else’s home.
•
Companion
. Because it is unseemly for unmarried females to live alone, a single lady might hire another woman to live with her. Sometimes these females in search of a companion are very young ladies, not yet out in society; sometimes they are older ladies, who never married and whose parents have passed away. This position is not unlike being relegated to the status of “poor relation”—one is never allowed to forget that one is dependent and must put up with the whims and megrims of one’s employer without comment. A companion to a very young lady will act as a sort of governess, who will be held responsible for her behavior.
•
Lady’s maid
. If one has a good sense of style, one might become a personal maid to a fine lady. You will help her choose her wardrobe to suit her figure and coloring, and sometimes make up the clothes for her, or at least update older pieces to suit changing fashions. You should be able to sew a fine seam, make over clothes, and style hair. You will be allowed to keep your mistress’s discarded clothing, which you either can wear yourself or sell for extra money.
•
Authoress
. A risky undertaking, because if your book does not sell well, you will be responsible for the cost of printing. Also, depending on the sort of book one writes, this is not the most respectable profession for a lady. You can publish anonymously, to keep your privacy, but the secret may get out eventually, especially if you have proud family members who want to tell the world. Despite the potential drawbacks, this profession will give one the most autonomy.
THE SMELL OF THE SHOP
The gentry of Jane Austen’s novels were in a sort of half-world between the aristocracy and the bourgeois middle class. If one earned a fortune in trade, or better yet, if one’s ancestors had, one’s manners and lifestyle could gain one acceptance into good society, and personal connections counted for even more.
In
Emma
, Mr. Weston had made his fortune in trade, but the snobbish Emma Woodhouse was happy to invite him to her home, probably because he was married to her former governess. She was a little more particular about accepting an invitation to dine with the Coles, a local family who had made a fortune in trade but were still clawing their way up the social ladder. Someone like Mr. Gardiner in
Pride and Prejudice
, who lived “within sight of his warehouses,” was right on the edge. When he first thought of marrying Elizabeth Bennet, Mr. Darcy considered the Gardiners beneath his notice, but when he met them and saw that they had well-bred manners, he was happy to welcome them into his family. (Elizabeth’s scolding after he first proposed marriage might have had something to do with that, too.)
ACCEPTABLE MEN’S PROFESSIONS
•
The church
. After attending one of the universities, a man was ordained as a deacon at age twenty-three, assisting an ordained priest, then fully ordained at twenty-four, allowing him to administer sacraments. He still had to secure a “living,” or a position in a parish. As rector of a parish, he collected both great tithes (10 percent of the cereal crops grown in the parish) and small tithes (10 percent of the parish’s produce and livestock). Vicars were entitled only to the small tithes. Rectors also received glebe land, farmland that he either worked himself or rented out.
•
The military
. The military, especially the navy, was excellent for younger sons or those in need of discipline. Until they achieved high rank, however, they still needed some support from their families; their pay was unlikely to cover their expenses, and they needed assistance in purchasing commissions or obtaining influence for higher-ranking positions.
•
The law
. An aspiring attorney studied at one of the Inns of Court in London, apprenticing with members of the bar and eventually taking cases of his own as he worked toward becoming a barrister.
•
Medicine
. Physicians received a degree from one of the universities and served an apprenticeship with an established medical man. Some of the more dedicated attended the medical school in Edinburgh, but it was generally thought an unnecessary step.
Dress was her passion. She had a most harmless delight in being fine
. —
N
ORTHANGER
A
BBEY
Purchasing
clothing is not as easy as going into a shop and choosing something off the rack, and with two or three clothing changes called for daily, dressing properly is a subject that requires close attention.
•
Morning dress
(
Fig. A
)
.
Simple styles and sturdier fabrics are best for morning wear, which is worn from the time one gets up until dinner. Plain or sprigged muslins in light colors or darker-colored calico or wool are best for your morning gowns. Because showing your bosom is inappropriate during the day, wear a chemisette, a half shirt rather like a dickey, under your gown, or tuck a fichu, a triangular piece of lace, netting, or gauze, around your neck and into your bodice
(
Fig. A-1
)
. Either can later be switched out, giving an old dress a fresh new look. If you are married or do not wish to fuss with your hair, wear a cap, but be aware that it telegraphs that you are unavailable for marriage.
Fig. A
•
Evening dress
(
Fig. B
)
.
For dinner and afterwards, change into something truly elegant and perhaps even a little daring. Evening is the time for your flimsiest muslins, prettiest trimmings, and whatever family jewelry you can wheedle out of your mother. Low-cut bodices are perfectly acceptable, and a pretty headdress or some beads or flowers woven into your hair will add just the right touch. Younger ladies should stick with muslin gowns, while married or older
ladies can wear gowns made of light silk. And remember—a woman can never look too fine when she is all in white.
Fig. B
•
Undergarments
(
Fig. C
)
.
Wearing the correct undergarments is important to give your gowns the proper fit and shape.
• First layer—the shift (
Fig. C-1
)
.
Next to your skin, wear a shift, a basic sack dress with a drawstring neckline and that falls to just above the knee. In addition to providing warmth and modesty, shifts keep clothing cleaner by keeping finer fabrics off the skin.
• Second layer—stays (
Fig. C-2
)
.
On top of the shift, wear
your stays, or corset, to give support to the bust and smooth the torso. Your maid will tie your laces in the back. They should be firmly tied but not so tight that you cannot breathe. Insert the busk, a long, thin strip of bone, wood, or ivory, in the opening that runs along the breastbone to improve your posture.
• Third layer—petticoat
.
A “waist petticoat” (like a long half-slip), made of muslin or wool, might be worn under a sturdier gown for warmth or modesty
(
Fig C-3
)
. A petticoat can look like a gown by itself, and is worn as part of an outfit—for instance, a sleeveless gown in a complementary color worn under a transparently gauzy overdress or an open-front robe can be referred to as a petticoat. Such petticoats can be made of muslin or even silk, just like a regular gown.
Fig. C
WOMEN’S UNDERWEAR
Ladies generally did not wear drawers in Jane Austen’s day. After all, what would a well-bred lady be doing that required more coverage for her private parts than a close-fitting floor-length gown provided? Drawers did not come into wide use until crinolines became fashionable in the 1850s, when a gust of wind easily could blow a lady’s skirt up over her head. Some of the very fast and fashionable set did wear various kinds of drawers in the Regency, but they were considered a bit risqué.
That means we may indeed assume, with a high degree of probability, that Jane Austen went commando.
•
Outerwear
(
Fig. D
)
.
Outerwear will not only keep you warm, but it is also as much of a style statement as your gowns.
•
Pelisse
.
A long coat that can completely cover a gown, be cut away in front, or only reach to the knees.
•
Spencer (
Fig. D-1
)
.
A coat covering the sleeves and bodice of a high-waisted gown.
•
Cloak
.
Hooded cloaks are usually worn over a skimpy ball gown for warmth, but woolen cloaks are also worn for daytime.
