Our wait for Dakota Johnson’s cheeky new Jane Austen adaptation, Persuasion is finally over. The movie is officially streaming on Netflix and before you gear up for a movie night this weekend, we’re taking a look at the Regency-era costumes and some fun facts behind the film’s best looks.
Costume designer Marianne Agertoft dressed the classic characters in styles expected of the time period: empire waist silhouettes, puff sleeves, and bonnets embellished with opulent plumage. But she also put a contemporary and subversive twist on wardrobes, and has cited the influence of unexpected style stars from Audrey Hepburn, to rock icons Debbie Harry and Patti Smith.
The period-piece follows Anne Elliot (portrayed by Johnson) and her pretentious family, teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. When the one who got away, Frederick Wentworth (Cosmo Jarvis) comes back into Anne’s life, she must choose between moving on or following her heart.
In her late 20s, Anne is already considered a spinster in early 1800s England. After she is persuaded to decline Wentworth’s offer of marriage, she realizes she’s turned away the only man she’s ever loved. In a financial squeeze, the aristocratic family is forced to relocate and lease out their opulent estate, when Anne comes back into contact with Captain Wentworth.
She also meets the acquaintance of the dashing Mr. Elliot (Henry Golding) to further complicate things. With the presence of sisters Elizabeth and Mary (Yolanda Kettle and Mia McKenna-Bruce) and her sisters-in-law Louisa and Henrietta (Nia Towle and Izuka Hoyle), conflicting romantic interests reach a boiling point.
Epitomizing the modern woman, Anne’s wardrobe is met with a touch of the contemporary, with loose-fitting silhouettes and mucked up boots, her costumes reflect a rugged and rebellious heroine. “I looked to more contemporary heroines who I felt could express the various feel and looks I envisaged for Anne Elliot,” Agertoft told WWD. “Patti Smith, Debbie Harry and Audrey Hepburn were featured on my mood boards. It is the attitude and ease of these amazing women that resonated with me.”
The costume designer elaborated to British Vogue saying, “We decided early on that we could loosen up on the period accuracy if and when we felt it was necessary. It all started with the mood board. Anne is quite a complex character and after I read the script, I read quite a bit of Patti Smith and thought about that look. It seemed to connect with Anne’s intellectual side, but Anne also has a more adventurous side which I felt like was more Debbie Harry, and there’s also something about her that’s a bit Audrey Hepburn.”
She went on to explain “Her stompy boots have something of Debbie Harry in them, the shirting is quite Patti Smith and you see Audrey Hepburn in those jackets with the delicate shoulders.” Looking at Katharine Hepburn for the character of Lady Russell, Agertoft was inspired by the likes of Vincent Cassel for Mr. Elliott, and Steve McQueen and Bruce Springsteen for Captain Wentworth.
With period dramas like Bridgerton and The Gilded Age sparking a sartorial renaissance for Regency-era tales and fashions, Agertoft has managed to remain historically accurate while sprinkling in enough spice to keep the energy of the costumes fresh and new.
