Favourite Period Drama Wardrobes #2~ Margaret Hale

Time for another Period Drama Wardrobes post. I love Victorian costumes (and North and South) and Margaret's dresses are some of my favourites. Sometimes I think I was born in the wrong era. Why can't I wear gorgeous ball dresses and bonnets? Anyway, I'll start with the dress above. It seems to be a delicate material, maybe white muslin with a green/grey pattern. The sleeves are slightly puffed and gathered at the wrist.

This is her travelling outfit. A well-cut fitted long coat covering her dress buttons down the front. The sleeves are quite wide at the cuffs. She wears a long scarf with it...the Victorian version of Elizabeth Bennet's travel outfit from P&P 95. Her hat is quite unique, too; I think that mostly fancily-trimmed bonnets were worn around this time, and wide-brimmed hats such as this were unusual. It's elegant but simple.

This outfit is quite plain. Margaret wears it when she does housework or runs errands. A neat blouse, blue skirt and brown shawl. The bonnet does nothing to shade her face. Can't say I'm a fan of Victorian bonnets in general. They're either too big or too small.

This dress is beautiful. Two-piece, I think; the bodice buttons over the skirt. It's a green striped gown with dark green.

Here's another view, which allows you to see the lovely cuff detail.

This dress is white of a partly-sheer muslin fabric. At least the bodice is. She wears a fichu over it secured by a pin.

Not sure if this is the same fichu, but the lace is exquisite.

The gown she wears to the Thorntons' dinner is a pale blue colour, probably silk, and very pretty although rather low.

Another view. See the detail on the skirt? I can only presume that is Fanny behind Mr. Thornton. 

Now I'm going to cheat a bit and use this lovely collage of her gowns. From the top: the dinner gown. A blue bodice with sheer sleeves over a darker skirt. A dark brown day dress with white undersleeves. The white day dress. Another patterned bodice worn with a belted skirt. A black silk mourning gown with a lace collar. The striped green dress. A short-sleeved pink gown which Margaret wears to Edith's wedding.

And that's about it!