Photos from the Jane Austen Festival in Mt. Dora, Florida
This past February, I traveled down to Mt. Dora, FL, for their fantastic annual Jane Austen Festival. My lovely friend and fellow costumier, Audrey Russell, and I put on a presentation on Regency fashion the first Friday afternoon of the festival, discussing the shift in women’s (and men’s!) clothing from the 1780s into the 1790s and 1800s. Audrey obligingly modeled her Regency underthings to begin, and I dressed her in each subsequent layer, explaining as I went along:
One of our goals for this demonstration was to show the importance of correct underpinnings for Regency gowns. Audrey made a beautiful spotted muslin day dress, and we photographed her wearing it with a modern bra (left two images) and correct chemise and stays (right two photos). Vive la difference!
After this demonstration of women’s clothing, I brought my husband up, looking like a rather bedraggled “Mr. Martin,” and gave him a makeover into a dapper “Darcy” ready to attend a ball. I had a lot of fun sharing some of the funnier spoofs of men’s fashion drawn for the periodicals of the day as well:
The entire weekend was an absolute blast. February in central Florida is simply ideal, and Mt. Dora is incredibly charming and worth the visit. We enjoyed walking all over in our Regency outfits, taking afternoon tea at a beautiful historical house, and even getting scared to death by the Orlando Bush Man!
The festival concluded with a grand masked ball, including a fantastic Regency photo booth just begging for poses.
We had a fabulous time and highly recommend this delightful festival for both Jane Austen fans and Regency fashion enthusiasts as well. Mark your calendar for next year’s festival, and we will hope to see you there! Audrey and I also have plans to host an in-person Regency underpinnings workshop in the Orlando area this July, complete with a kit for a set of short stays that you will make during the workshop with fitting assistance from the two of us. If you are interested in attending, please drop a line through my contact form.
