Jane Austen Movie Adaptations with Great Costume Design

Following Netflix’s Persuasion, it’s plain to see that beloved author Jane Austen’s legacy and work are living on even in contemporary times. Dakota Johnson’s portrayal of Anne Elliot in Persuasion (2022) was clearly one for the modern audience — with the actress breaking the fourth wall (during which an actor addresses the audience directly by looking and speaking to the camera), and peppered with colloquial language wildly different from Austen’s original lines.

As for the costume design for the film, costume designer Marianne Agertoft (who also did the costumes for 2019’s Les Misérables) definitely took some liberties with the looks for Anne Elliot, taking cues from the Regency era as well as some more contemporary influences like Audrey Hepburn and Patti Smith. In creating the Anne Elliot that director Carrie Cracknell wanted, Agertoft used a colour palette different from other Austen adaptations — with blues, muted jewel tones and black (even when Anne wasn’t mourning a death).

Whether you’re a fan of the Anne portrayed in 2022’s Persuasion or not, the film is not the first (or the last, we’re sure!) to take from the pages of the distinguished novelist. Below, we gather four of the best Austen adaptations with notable costume design.

Directed by Autumn de Wilde, with costumes by Alexandra Byrne, Emma was masterfully crafted. The narrative of Emma follows the eponymous main character who fancies herself a matchmaker meddling in the love lives of her friends. The iconic yellow jacket that Emma Woodhouse, as played by Anya Taylor-Joy, dons is a period-accurate dream — with the vibrant yellow indicating Emma as the “queen bee” of her crowd. Emma is well-to-do, well-loved and beautiful, and the costumes (and the numerous bonnets) in the film largely help to assert her position in society to us, as the viewers. The pastel colours in the film brought a candy-coloured, fantastical element to the world through Emma’s life.

Who can forget one of the most unforgettable adaptations of Austen’s Pride and Prejudice? With costumes by Jacqueline Durran, the 2005 adaptation of arguably Austen’s most popular novel took on a life of its own. Pride & Prejudice, as directed by Joe Wright, featured a blend of historically accurate and artistic liberties in terms of costuming. For those unfamiliar with it, Pride & Prejudice is centred around the lives of five sisters weaving their way through issues of marriage and misconceptions in England, when a wealthy bachelor suddenly enters their lives. The beautiful linen dress as worn by main lead Elizabeth Bennet, portrayed by Keira Knightley, is a softer, gentler approach. Despite some historical inaccuracies, the costumes in the film depict much greater emotional authenticity, nudging forth the inner emotions of the key characters.

Iconic in its own right, Clueless is one of the hallmark fashion movies of the 1990s. But a lesser-known fact about the film is its roots. The plotline of Clueless is actually loosely based on Austen’s Emma, and we can see the similarities. In perhaps one of Alicia Silverstone’s most signature roles, the main character and high school It-girl Cher sees herself as a matchmaker and decides to take a klutzy new student under her wing, while navigating her own misguided love life. In one of the most recognisable scenes of the film, Cher and her best friend Dionne walk into school wearing matching plaid sets. Cher dons the iconic yellow blazer and skirt set, while Dionne’s is black, accented with a red cardigan. With Clueless, costume designer Mona May successfully created modern yet enduring styling for a modern Austen film adaptation.

When Austen wrote Pride and Prejudice, she definitely didn’t foresee a Bollywood adaptation in its future. Enter Bride & Prejudice, an East-meets-West version following the novel’s general narrative elements. The parallels drawn between traditional Indian marriages and old English high society are exemplified in this musical film directed by British Indian Gurinder Chadha. In this 2004 adaptation based mainly in India, a wonderful array of traditional Indian attire takes centre stage while some Western wear finds itself woven into the plot. Lalita Bakshi, the “Elizabeth Bennet” character played by Aishwarya Rai, dresses in a delightful mix of modern and traditional costumes, befitting her internal struggles and battles of misconception. Albeit a loose adaptation, Bride & Prejudice and its costumes illustrate the merging of cultures and the balance of self and family.