Anya Taylor-Joy in *EMMA* (Focus Features 2020), fashion plate ca. 1815, Jane Austen (colorized version of an 1869 engraving by William Holm Lizars), fashion plate ca. 1811-1813, Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle in *PRIDE & PREJUDICE* (BBC 1995)

Ever wondered what it took to be a fashionista during Jane Austen’s Regency era or in the early days of a newly independent America across the ocean?

In episode 80, the first of our 3-part mini-series JANE AUSTEN ADAPATED, we talk with costume historian and curator, Alden O’Brien and explore the fascinating elements of style in Regency and Federal era clothing, the sources for materials, inspirations, and the fashion clues that bring Jane Austen’s characters to life.

GUEST

The Regency looks relatively normal, and relatively natural, and relatively modern. I think it’s a whole lot more relatable to the modern eye…,that’s one reason that you get way more people dressing up for the Jane Austen kind of thing than if you went to a [Charles] Dickens thing.
Alden O’Brien

Alden O’Brien

Alden O'Brien is the curator of costume and textiles at the **DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution Museum)** in downtown Washington, DC. She earned her Bachelor's in Art History from Barnard College and a master's in museum studies focused on costume and textiles from the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC.

After a year with the First Ladies Collection at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, Alden O’Brien found her home at the DAR Museum, curating its remarkable costume collection.

O’Brien has curated ten exhibitions on costume, quilts, childhood, toys, and needlework, and has collaborated on many more. She plans to retire in January 2026 to delve into her own research projects that center around the Regency and Federal eras, as well as, of course, Jane Austen.

Connect with Alden O’Brien: LinkedIn

Download a Transcript for Episode 80

**AN AGREEABLE TYRANT: Fashion After the Revolution**
**Curated by Alden O’Brien**

Virtually visit the DAR Museum exhibit, *An Agreeable Tyrant: Fashion After the Revolution* (mentioned in this podcast)

SHOP THE PODCAST

Purchase books from the MBGLtd affiliate page on bookshop.org. Your book purchases support production of the Historical Drama with The Boston Sisters podcast (with a small commission), and independent booksellers.

We created a special bookshelf for the *JANE AUSTEN ADAPTED* 3-part podcast series in our affiliate book store. Find books by **Jane Austen**, and **Vanessa Riley (Part 3 - Episode 82)**, and **Alden O’Brien**’s recommended titles.

JANE AUSTEN (1775 - 1817)

2025 marks the 250th anniversary year of English author Jane Austen’s birth. Jane Austen is beloved for her novels that capture English country life, societal norms, and romances that hinge on the quest for a financially advantageous marriage.

Jane Austen was born December 16, 1775 in Stevenson Rectory in Hampshire, England, the seventh child of a country clergyman and his wife, George and Cassandra Austen. Her closest friend and artistic champion was her only sister, Cassandra. Jane Austen died July 18, 1817 at age 41, leaving behind an unfinished manuscript, “Sanditon,” and named Cassandra as her only heir.

Persuasion and Northanger Abbey were published together posthumously. Jane Austen’s brother Henry wrote a “biographical notice” that for the first time identified his sister as the author of “Sense and Sensibility,” “Pride and Prejudice,” Mansfield Park,” and “Emma.”

Though Jane Austen never received the public acknowledgement she deserved during her lifetime, her popularity continues to soar to this day, especially through series and film adaptations of her novels including “Clueless,” a contemporary twist on “Emma.” And of course, the classic, “Pride and Prejudice,” which has not only introduced many to Jane Austen’s world but has served as a romantic blueprint for navigating the complexities of love, expectation, and miscommunication.

Learn more about Jane Austen, her world and writings from the Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) website: https://jasna.org/austen/