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Every few years, a period drama sends us all shopping for puffy sleeves. This time, the costumes are doing something different: they’re inspiring clothes we’d actually wear in our normal life.
Georgia Oakley’s new adaptation of “Sense and Sensibility,” in theaters now, skips the sugar-spun pastels of recent Regency romances. Her Dashwood sisters look like women who’ve been pushed out of their home and into the countryside. Costume designer Grace Snell leaned into that, and Daisy Edgar-Jones, who plays Elinor, told Bustle the director wanted a Dashwood family that’s “a little more undone, a little more of the earth.” The wardrobe is dyed with natural pigments (Snell has said Margaret’s berry-stained look is a favorite), the hair is looser than you’d expect, and the sisters share clothes. Snell has also pointed to ’90s tailoring as an influence on Elinor’s look.
The best part is that none of it requires a corset, a bonnet, or a trip to a costume shop. It’s all in the details: the colors, the silhouettes, the way a few pieces are layered and borrowed and worn a little undone. Here’s how to translate it into outfits you’d actually wear to brunch, the office, or a weekend errand run.
1. Dress in Colors From the Garden
The film’s natural-dye palette is the easiest trend to wear. Skip the pastels and reach for deep berry, moss, rust, oat, and faded blue, in fabrics with some texture, like wool, linen, and brushed cotton. One colorful piece against neutrals is enough.
Get the look:
2. Try the Empire Waist, Without the Costume
The high waist is Regency fashion’s signature, and it’s easier to wear than it looks. Look for an empire-seam or babydoll dress in a heavier fabric, then ground it with boots and a chunky knit so it doesn’t read as a costume. A high-waisted midi skirt gets you the same silhouette with less commitment.
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3. Borrow Elinor’s Tailoring
Elinor is the sensible sister, and Snell’s reported ’90s tailoring influence gives her a modern, structured edge. Copy it by putting a sharp blazer or fitted jacket over something soft, like a flowy dress, a lace-trimmed top, or a slip skirt; the contrast between structured and soft is the whole trend. If tailoring is on your list this season, our fall outfit formulas show more ways to wear it.
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4. Share Everything
Snell has said she hopes audiences notice the clothes the sisters share, and it’s the most practical idea in the film. Think oversized knits, wool shawls, and large scarves that work on anyone and layer over everything. If you have a sister, a mother, or a friend with great taste, this is your cue to borrow from them.
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5. Add Ribbons and a Little Undone Hair
Ribbons, bows, and lace trim are the soft details that read as Regency without a full gown. Tie a ribbon at the neckline of a blouse, add a bow to a ponytail, or wear a lace-trimmed top under a knit. The film also leaves hair looser than a period drama usually does, which is the best news for anyone who doesn’t want to spend an hour styling it. For healthy, shiny hair, see our shampoo and conditioner guide.
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6. Finish With One Romantic Piece of Jewelry
Regency jewelry was delicate: pearls, lockets, and cameos. Keep it to one statement piece instead of a layered pile. A strand of pearls over a knit, a locket worn on a long chain, or sculptural earrings with hair pulled back all do the job.
Get the look:
The Rule: One Regency Detail at a Time
The line between “romantic” and “headed to a costume party” is thin, so stick to one Regency element per outfit, whether that’s the high waist, the ribbon, the shawl, or the jewelry. Keep everything else modern, and let the one romantic detail be the thing people notice. The film itself does this well: The Dashwoods look lived-in and a little undone, and nothing about their wardrobe looks like a costume.
So if you spot someone at the farmers’ market this weekend in a berry-colored knit, a ribbon at her collar, and a borrowed shawl, that’s us—and we’re thrilled.
“Sense and Sensibility” is in theaters now. If you’re after more cozy romance, see our fall movies and shows list.