Why Jane Bennet is gorgeous (according to Regency Era) | Beauty standards in Jane Austen's novels

[@EllieDashwood]

Get 15% off your first Brooklinen order! Just click here bit.ly/EllieDashwoodAug. This video is kindly sponsored by Brooklinen.

[@carolstewart4088]

paid for a membership, I still cannot access the members only videos. I am wondering if the videos are for a different membership?

[@Jennifer-bc1yg]

Nothing gives a Regency woman more beauty than a large inheritance.

[@PaleMagnolia]

"You might not marry a girl just because she's rich, but goodness, doesn't it help?" Rev. Elton at some point, probably

[@katycollie7952]

😂

[@EllieDashwood]

😂😂😂

[@TheNerdLemon]

To be fair that beauty standard still persist till today.

[@PaleMagnolia]

@@TheNerdLemon beauty fades, but money is timeless

[@mikakestudios5891]

Just me thinking about how Anne "got her beauty back" by not having to deal with her toxic family for a few months.

[@DominiqueBertrand-g6v]

I agree, her older sister and father rudely excluding her from Bath initially was the best thing that could have happened for Anne. I truly enjoy the slow transition of Anne's complexion and appearance in the 1995 film in parallel with her regaining her sense of self. They dedicate multiple scenes to her examining herself in the mirror. In the beginning she seems defeated when examining her features, and by the end she is happy with herself (and this is prior to receiving the Captain's proposal). The novel and film beautifully captures how small steps and reframes can assist someone in moving out of a dark period in ones life and establishing healthy boundaries.

[@LadyOndyne]

As someone who deals with toxic family members I can confirm that being far from toxicity gives your skin luminosity and makes for a prettier smile. Also, you can dress as you want too, which gives you more confidence. In addition, you have an appetite and do not feel bitter about your meals, so you can eat healthier and digest your food better. Anne's method is 100% approved :)

[@dolorescordell129]

Great catch!! Somewhat on point: I do love the scene at the Musgroves in the 1995 version where everyone complains to Anne about everyone else. Austen at her devilish best!

[@adhyashetty5667]

To me a good example would be women with newborn children and women before that. You can see how tired and exhausted they look but it initially wasn't like that. I feel that is the best example of how Anne looks different because in a slightly less stressful way - Elizabeth and Sir Walter toxicity and her own guilt leads to her feeling depressed (an example also how depression affects our outer appearance). However when she is back with people she loves and who uplift her positively; she immediately gets her glow back.

[@cindchan]

Yeah, Mary was trip! The first time I read Persuasion, I was laughing out loud at the letter Mary wrote about the girl (can't remember her name off-hand) who fell and injured her head. Now the injured girl wasn't funny! But Mary's ability to turn it all on herself and how it affected her had me howling!

[@stanleygagner]

This is why I am so fond of Susannah Harker's casting as Jane in the 1995 Pride and Prejudice. While her features might not be completely in line with modern beauty standards (leading some people to call her the "ugly sister" which I think is so rude and distressful) she really looks like a regency painting! Her facial features do resemble a greek statue, and her gentle sloping shoulders also suit the period.

[@EllieDashwood]

She was an excellent casting choice! It also shows how beauty standards are so subjective and change over time despite how much society might like to think they're based on *science*. 😄

[@DameAuxCatleyas]

I completely agree with you ! 🤝🏻

[@mariar3767]

Yes That actress fit perfectly and she also portray that nice personality if Jane very well .

[@saranemcova5448]

Exactly! She IS the Regency ideal!

[@smiffy8364]

She was also pregnant during filming.

[@PokhrajRoy.]

Jane Bennet was fabulous because she was lovely, kind and was a saint dealing with her family’s antics 😂

[@EllieDashwood]

Jane truly was an angel. 😂

[@chrissiek8706]

And later, with her sisters in law

[@SingingSealRiana]

That too

[@PaleMagnolia]

I love Sir Walter seeing Anne and just going "Looking good, girl: drop your skincare routine. Is it arsenic? Is it hyaluronic acid? Is it rosewater? A chemical peel?"

[@EllieDashwood]

😂 She could have become the OG skincare influencer.

[@3vaniamaria]

I cannot stop laughing at this comment. Next up in tiktok trends: put arsenic on your face. It's not even that unbelievable

[@ishitapandey2037]

"oh no, sire. It's all genetic and natural, though i dare say that collagen rage seems to hold some truth, and lead powder gives THE touch"

[@lindyjelphie]

Gowlands was what he suspected.

[@stephlang03]

it was mercury actually! He names the lotion he and Ms. Clay wear haha.

[@annwhiteaker6144]

This reminds me of some reactions to the BBC's Pride and Prejudice that I read at the time. The gist of them was that Jane was supposed to be a beauty while, in their opinion, Susannah Harker wasn't. One woman referred to her as "the ugly one with the big nose". I found this infuriating, not just because of its rudeness and cruelty, but its sheer ignorance. As I was interested in the art and literature of that period, I knew that Ms Harker's appearance closely matched their notions of female beauty.

[@EllieDashwood]

That is so sad! She is a perfect casting for Jane to be time period pretty! But she's also pretty no matter the time period too! This is why beauty standards are so problematic. 😭

[@annwhiteaker6144]

@@EllieDashwood Absolutely! She also did a fine job of portraying Jane's gentle trusting character. In fact, I thought the whole cast was exceptional.

[@riverAmazonNZ]

What a narrow idea of beauty those poor people had. Susannah is extremely beautiful.

[@RoseBaggins]

I find that infuriating myself, she is beautiful and my favorite adaptation of the character, the ideal Jane!!

[@caitling1708]

she looks like every painting and print of a famous regency hottie in this entire video!! she's like if they 3d-printed a fashion plate from 1810! and, even more crucially, she doesn't have a face that knows what an iphone is!!! some people don't appreciate when they have it good...

[@bombshellmusical9566]

It’s why I always liked the fact that the actresses in the 1995 version were more curvy, because it fit with the beauty standards of the day. Being Hollywood thin like in the later version would not have been considered attractive at that time

[@Happyheretic2308]

It’s not now, either.

[@cosmiclatte9416]

Nothing says sexy like looking like you’ve had a decent meal today.

[@louiseoliver3453]

Most labourers would have eaten a lot of bread. In the countryside people might have only had a few shillings a week to live on and be doing physical labour, they'd be considered gorgeous today!

[@Depressed_Dinosaur]

I especially love the fact that Austen delicately refuted beauty standards by refusing to acknowledge any of them explicitly.

[@EllieDashwood]

It is amazing how Austen always approaches topics with so much complexity!

[@stanleygagner]

Yes! Austen was very careful with what she excluded. We hardly know anything about the specific features of any character, there is barely any descriptions of clothing, and we rarely learn of the trivial aspects of someone's personality, like their favourite food or whatnot. All of the words in the book are dedicated to fleshing out the true personalities of each character and their relationships with others.

[@Eloraurora]

We do have Kitty not worrying about dance partners because, despite being the youngest, she's also the tallest. So... tall = good, but there was probably an upper margin of _too_ tall.

[@helene4397]

​@@Eloraurora that was Lydia.

[@Eloraurora]

@@helene4397 Drat. I was hearing the audiobook back in my head, and thought it sounded too assertive for Lydia. Thanks for the correction!

[@00nigirimeshi]

So Jane in BBC P&P 1995 was a PERFECT casting desition. But honestly, everything about that whole series was perfect! Thank you for letting us know

[@Sevenseasick]

Regency girls had the clean girl aesthetic ✨️

[@EllieDashwood]

They were so with the times. 😂

[@ZosiaDabrowski]

@@EllieDashwood Or rather, we are now in the new Regency era

[@anti-usernamesaltaccount3623]

@@ZosiaDabrowskithe regency era is a time, so we are still in a time ✨

[@FrekiMZ]

My veins would have brought all the lords to the yard. I don't blush much, though. Barely tolerable.😂

[@PaleMagnolia]

That's what blush is for, silly! On the other hand, those handsome bosom veins can't be faked, so you're in luck

[@EllieDashwood]

😂😂😂

[@FrekiMZ]

@@PaleMagnolia 😸 I guess I could also brisk walk everywhere. Or drink 🍷.

[@PaleMagnolia]

@@FrekiMZ Both are good

[@V.Hansen.]

*snortlaughed

[@fabiolatroiano3980]

As a Mediterranean woman I was always tried to change my appearance. Too chubby, too tall, too pale with a lot of veins showing on my chest (i used to hated it) the bump on my nose, my lips too thin ... turns out i'm in the worng century.

[@inapickle806]

You're in the right century always! Sounds lovely :)

[@Hopsphie]

A win for the girlies with rosacea

[@layali1]

Not fair....some British women have an uniquely delicate kind of fair complexion. The Northern rainy climate helps too

[@kellimoore9028]

😂

[@lorisewsstuff1607]

I've got the permanent blush going on myself. I also have blue veins. Plump I've got too much of. Good to know I would have been gorgeous 200 years ago. 😂

[@LacyG]

This comment made my day. My pail rosacea having self.

[@oxanatarashchuk4598]

​@@lorisewsstuff1607hehe I'm almost the same. But I'm tall, it was considered a bit off in that era lol 😆

[@annikabjornson998]

I’ve read a lot in my 64 years and I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve come across descriptions of how the heroine of the novel’s visible veins make her skin resemble fine marble.

[@EllieDashwood]

The lore of the attractive veins just continues to deepen! 😄

[@annikabjornson998]

@@EllieDashwood Very, very odd!

[@BrynDonovanWriter]

I have visible veins and this is the first time in my life I've heard that they were desirable, haha. Except to nurses drawing my blood. And maybe to vampires?

[@tamarlindsay8382]

Wow. I never realized that the description of skin as being like marble included the veins!

[@edennis8578]

​@@tamarlindsay8382Yeah, I'm doubtful. I've read many old novels, and I never once came across the mention of visible veins as a beauty feature. Marble always referred to paleness.

[@princessdumbarton9877]

That first picture looks very much like the actress who played her in the Colin Firth version.

[@emleigh1793]

That was my first thought.

[@KristaHarrisSB]

Yes, I thought the same thing!

[@EllieDashwood]

They casted her super well to match the beauty standards of the day!

[@pelikanidolazetrceci2793]

That version got her pretty right especially the hairstyle

[@IndomitableT]

@@pelikanidolazetrceci2793. It was Susannah Harker’s own hair, all of it!🙂‍↕️

[@nitapitts6407]

"Moderate" plumpness during this time also helped it's individuals ward off disease better. No antibiotics, vaccines, maybe some folk/herbal remedies that helped to a degree but mostly people either "went through it" or died. It takes a lot of bodily resources to fight off diseases, infections, whatever. A little extra body fat could help with this.

[@lamoinette23]

True to an extent.. there were people, often midwives, who had a lot of herbalist knowledge and were able to treat many common ailments and nurse those who needed help. Men, literally took over obstetrics from midwives not having any basis in the knowledge of body and herbalism that the midwives had.. and women died because of it. (They also vilified the midwives for being ignorant) Other cultures were practicing medicine, like the Turks, who inoculated children against small pox by giving them a tiny dose of a less lethal virus, cow pox. Lady Mary Montague carried this knowledge back from Turkey, where she had inoculated her own children against small pox.. An english doctor later used a similar method to introduce the world's first 'vaccine', for small pox and is credited with the discovery, while Lady Mary is not. (A side point: it was already common knowledge in the 18th Century that milkmaids seldom died of small pox or caught the disease because they were exposed to cow pox beginning at a young age) Also where has modern science gotten it's medicines? It's basis lies in the knowledge of centuries of medicinal plants and extracting the 'active' compounds, then creating molecular structures that mimic the natural effects of plants. In some cases, the medicine is less effective and in others it's more effective.. In any case, there were centuries of knowledge behind the discoveries of modern medicine.

[@oxanatarashchuk4598]

Also plumpiness helped women to deliver healthy babies. Death in delivery was a thing not only in earlier times, but in those times as well

[@inapickle806]

​@@lamoinette23theTurks and Lady M were robbed. I think this is why complexions were so often compared favorably to a milkmaid, they meant no pox scars.

[@ZosiaDabrowski]

The height thing is also why Miss Bingley gets so infuriated that when she's asking if Georgiana is as tall as her, Mr Darcy says she is as tall as Lizzy, because she doesn't want Mr Darcy to attribute any trait of beauty to Elizabeth Bennet.

[@veronicab15]

oh!!

[@bookwyrm247]

Ok but I love this, because understanding these beauty “rules” makes Mr. Darcy make so much more sense. He originally judges Lizzy by the rules, because he judges everything by the rules. And also shy, socially awkward people tend to rely on the rules to navigate society, so they’re very important. Lizzy of course doesn’t follow any of the rules, so he disapproves. But then once he falls for her, he realizes she is beautiful even if she doesn’t follow the rules. He also becomes less unbending himself when it comes to the rules in general.

[@cinmingrl]

sounds like manic pixie dreamgirl, but regency

[@kimp7160]

@@cinmingrl Not every desirable woman is a "manic pixie dream girl". Elizabeth was hardly the "dye her hair blue" type. Just your regular sporty and friendly type. She was still quite socially acceptable and a woman "of sense". If she had been too off-the-wall her own father would have lumped her in with her "silly sisters". Miss Bingley only ever criticized her out of jealousy and Lady Catherine because she was a class snob and jealous for her own daughter's sake.

[@dolorescordell129]

Lovely analysis! That really does explain a lot about Darcy's character that would probably have been understood by Austen's contemporaries, but we miss that subtlety today. One of the reasons I love both Ellie's videos and the insight of the Commenters! Thank you!

[@cinmingrl]

@@kimp7160 That is not what I meant. To clarify, I was speaking to the portion of the trope that the male protaganist is inspired to a greater appreciation of life - Darcy learning to be less unbending with the rules - not that her character is overly quirky or is one-dimensional. I forgot how passionate Pride & Prejudice aficionados are, please excuse the distress my overly brief comment caused.

[@frostychocolatemilkshakes2944]

That’s a great point. Darcy is so quantitatively minded and places so little value in subjectivity and sentimentality, that “going by the book” is the only thing he knows, at the beginning.

[@Juhani139]

Request: male beauty standards of the time. Please!😊

[@michellehanson984]

Ellie: You know who really likes rules? Me: Lady Catherine du Bourgh! Ellie: Mr. Darcy Me: ....it runs in the family

[@catazoe7535]

so what i've learned is that i may be average today but i would've been gorgeous 200 years ago lol, the soft curves, the pale transparent blushy skin, the specific features (rosebud lips, tall nose bridge, big dark eyes). i wouldn't trade being considered a beauty for a lack of human rights though, i'm happy to be born in the 21st century

[@katyvdb5993]

The visible blue veins which were so admired were also a sign (so I have read) of cleanliness, something that not everyone had the time and resources to achieve. The same source suggested that this is why 'blue-blooded' is synonymous with 'aristocratic'.

[@cmm5542]

Now that is quite interesting!

[@frankupton5821]

It could be that Mary Bennet actually looked like a modern supermodel - painfully thin, tanned and incapable of any expression except a scowl - and was considered ugly as a result.

[@t0y0ta67]

The blushing obsession reminds me of anime and how the girls constantly blush when they're in love

[@oxanatarashchuk4598]

Not only girls, but guys too

[@PokhrajRoy.]

Greek and Roman statues were the Instagram Feed back in the late 18th/19th century lol

[@EllieDashwood]

They were the original aspirational content.

[@delphinidin]

I think it's interesting that Austen describes very few of her heroines, but when she does, she seems to have two ideals: the statuesque blondes that are Maria and Julia Bertram, and the small, darker-complected, livelier women like Marianne and Mary Crawford. They seem to be two different types: the classical ideal and the romantic ideal - and their personality characteristics match.

[@lianel664]

Harriet Smith beschreibt sie als klein, rundlich und schön. Emma wollte gern so aussehen. Und Marianne beschreibt sie zwar als dunkel (dunkler, aber klarer Teint), aber als großes Mädchen, nicht klein.

[@edithengel2284]

Anne Elliot also is among the smaller ladies.

[@elaine_of_shalott6587]

In a way we're the same about signifiers of wealth. The wealthy have the time to spend hours working out and hiring dieticians and personal trainers to achieve modern beauty standards.

[@louiseoliver3453]

Yes, in the past the poor were thin due to inadequate diets. Nowadays thinness has become almost a moral virtue as plump and fat people are denigrated as lazy. I'm sure a lot of it is connected with wealth, those on lower incomes often have to rely on convenience foods while the rich can afford gym memberships and personal trainers (grossly simplifying obviously)

[@EllieDashwood]

Such good points!

[@joiceraiana]

​@@louiseoliver3453 to be fair being fat was considered unvirtuous back them too, if we're talking about obesity and not just being in the chubby category

[@friendlyneighborhoodnecrom4556]

Regency era loved: clean girls, thicc girls, rich girls

[@Guillhez]

but above all: veiny girls 💀

[@nevaehbazon9879]

Looking for a girl in finance, 6’5, blue veins, trust fund

[@paulaschroen3954]

Amusing delineation of verbal descriptions. I read Jane Austen , first , in high school. I could get some of the meanings of " looks", because I was still in the category of " young lady". Also , even between kids my age , and local adults, there were many variations. I had curly hair: grown-ups thought I was lucky, girls my age gave hints on keeping curly hair controlled. There were other things, too. So I sort of knew some of the appearances could have changed.

[@marycramer2650]

​@@nevaehbazon9879 this made me snort audibly thank you 😂

[@annelikriek6294]

When watching the 1995 Pride and Prejudice (the best film/tv Jane Austen adaptation-I think I must watch it, again, while cleaning today), my husband said why is Jane the pretty sister, he does not really see it. I replied it's because she looks "greek" and he said yes, she does kind'a look like a greek statue.

[@rixatrix]

Persuasion is my favorite! Her appearance is tied so much to her wellbeing in a way that feels true to life. After she turned down Frederick’s proposal, she realized she’d made a mistake and her mental health suffered. She turned down Charles Musgroves’ proposal because she was still in love with Frederick and just sort of resigned herself to being the spinster aunt everyone takes for granted. When Frederick comes back around, it jolts her out of complacency, and as they get to know one another over time, she gets back some of her confidence. He’s impressed by her calm and commanding presence in a crisis. She meets new people who can actually see her and talk to her about real things. So her physical bloom is tied strongly to all the things that make people more attractive in ways that have less to do with just how they look too-their passion for life, enthusiasm, wit, curiosity, humor. She gains some weight because she stops being miserable. She gets some life back in her expressions. She becomes engaged in the act of living again instead of just enduring. And because she’s more lively, people start to see it reflected outwardly, too, in flushed skin and plumpness and expressions in her eyes, etc. I’ve just always loved that. At the beginning of the book, she’s given up hope and she’s an “aging spinster” (at 27 😂). But because she experiences love and yearning and passion again with a man who truly likes who she is, deep down, in addition to loving her, she comes out of her shell and everyone can see it.

[@Rg-hc6or]

Beautifully, accurately summarized. Bravo! 👏

[@AmaraJordanMusic]

Well put! It’s my favorite too, and these are some of the reasons!

[@lianel664]

Die frische Seeluft in Lime hat vllt auch noch dazu bei getragen. ^^

[@fabulousfamily564]

Being away from horrible people makes people physically healthier. 😁

[@Vic-sw1td]

I remember before I first watched Pride and Prejudice (2007), I wondered how they could have possibly found an actress who would look more "handsome" than Keira fricking Knightley. And then I saw Rosamund Pike and I was like "You know what, fair" lmao I wonder if by regency standard she would be considered a good pick for Jane though?

[@jfess1911]

Keira Knightly said in an interview on the Graham Norton Show that she almost did not get the role in Pride and Prejudice because the director initially thought her too "too pretty". She was mildly insulted when he met her in person and said "No, you're fine". It is a funny interview that can be found here on KZbin.

[@petiaivailova2563]

But Elizabeth is just pretty, not very beautiful.

[@71lizgoeshardt]

Rosamund Pike as Jane is one of my favorite parts of the movie. Great casting.

[@jfess1911]

@@petiaivailova2563 Beauty and Prettiness are subjective of course, but I think Knightly well above the "light and pleasing" appearance described in the book. After watching this video, though, it is possible that Keira Knightly would have been considered too thin to be "beautiful" in Regency England.

[@loriar1027]

The funny thing is that Keira Knightly is really much too thin and angular to have been thought pretty in the Regency period. I always disliked that adaptation anyway bc it deviated so much from the book.

[@lisakilmer2667]

At some point Austen went to a gallery and described the portrait of Mrs. Quentin by Jean Francois Marie Huet-Villiers as being a good likeness of Jane Bennet. The sitter for the portrait is very similar to Susannah Harker who was cast in the 1995 movie.

[@msinvincible2000]

Since I was a teen, I've wished we still had the Regency beauty standarts: I would have been quite the beauty.

[@cb9825]

My straight shoulders and wide torso could never live up to those beauty standards 😂

[@OkGoGirl82]

I never really considered what "regular features" meant. Always interpreted it as they had good features, they weren't bad looking. Didn't know it had a deeper meaning. Thanks for sharing that info! Also that bloom had a lot to do with blushing. I just re-listened to the audiobook of Mansfield Park and boy does Fanny have bloom.

[@kiksmika]

I recommend BBC’s and Lisa Eldridge’s Makeup history - she recreates the makeups with chemists and historians based on what was used at times such as Georgian, Victorian era etc.

[@lydiagrace1133]

Oooo. I will have to check that out! It sounds so interesting

[@mimiharv]

Obviously, beauty standards are always a bit harmful, but I think these are pretty alright comparatively, as they were mostly achievable for the women of this time and area. The beauty standards that bother me the most are the ones that go against what our bodies naturally want to do, like tan skin in Europe or fair skin in India and East Asia. The requirements for their bodies sound also a lot more humane than most of today's beauty standards.

[@BritReadsBritAuthors]

So interesting to understand how the fascination with Greek and Roman architecture/history permeated into the everyday fashions and overall culture of the time- period. I think it's also fascinating how we know that the statuary wasn't originally white, but that some (if not all) of it would have been painted various colours, and yet there's such a demonstration of pure white marble-works in TV/films.

[@jgw5491]

Yep, the pigments on the statues were long gone and all that was left was white marble, but people in general were not aware of that in the 18th or 19th centuries and seemingly still in the 20th century film productions. I will have to pay attention to productions like "Gladiator" or "I Claudius" to see if the set designers had any awareness of this fact.

[@71lizgoeshardt]

One reason I adore the 1995 Persuasion so much is they did such a good job of having the actress find her 2nd bloom. It was subtle, but there, and lovely.

[@maggielovegood1667]

As a teenager I had vascular skin and I blushed easily, it's good to know that it would make me beautiful in the past because now I had complexes xD

[@annejeppesen160]

In Denmark I’m considered too pale, nearly a ghost (“Irish girl sunbathing - the other one”)… when travelling in Myanmar and Palestine I was Snow White (minus the black hair) The experience made me really understand that beauty is in the eye of the beholder!

[@maryeckel9682]

I used to be a blusher, and I hated it! Only the onset of menopause stopped it.

[@oxanatarashchuk4598]

I'm not teenager, but I'm also of that skin type, and even now sometimes I blush very easily from simple exercises lol 😂. I don't have veins all over my chest, but my skin is indeed pale

[@clubdwaekki3579]

It's honestly so refreshing to get a new perspective, it's so easy to be critical of ones own features but I would have been the ideal in this time period! (Well everything except being pale which sounds like a lot of work.) It's truly a matter of perspective, we all deserve to feel confident in our beauty and not rely on societal standards.

[@martavdz4972]

Absolutely! I'm very lucky to have a fashion history expert for a sister. She was obsessed with it as a kid, so when I was growing up, I heard a lot of "Oh, those long sloping shoulders, she would look great in a 1850's dress!" "She has a square face, so she would look good in a a broad Edwardian hat!" "She has that long torso that is perfect for a Late Middle Ages dress!" etc. etc. etc.... So I didn't grow up asking "Am I beautiful enough?" but more like "Which time period costume looks the best on me?" 🙂

[@xlittlecamx]

Pale skin from staying inside all day? Soft curves from not exercising? Blue veins like a city map all over the bosom? I finally feel seen!! 😄

[@krissykimono]

I’m fairly plump and curvy myself. But I am a woman of brown skin. I love my skin though. Great piece on regency era beauty. ❤

[@hartwell146]

Me too ❤

[@ingridaguero6460]

The guy talking about veins on the chest kinda sounded like Edward in Midnight Sun

[@EllieDashwood]

😂😂😂

[@EmeraldsFire]

Was definitely vampireish 😂

[@DizzyBusy]

The sketch on the thumbnail is of the actress who played Jane Bennett in the '95 BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice and you can't tell me otherwise

[@jaylynn8630]

You know, it's ridiculous that they called African people's skin "black", but now that I think about what they were calling "brown" on each other... it makes more sense. In relative terms, at least.

[@redned1799]

The modern English people continue to call Indians “blacks.” However, 200 years ago there were fewer people who were mixed, and many people from Africa were indeed black.

[@jaylynn8630]

@@redned1799 Interesting. Gotta disagree with you on the last bit: there have been a range of shades of brown and black skin tones in Africa for a very long time. Not least because of all the gene flow happening around the Mediterranean and between the Middle East and Africa for millennia. But really, objectively, very few shades of human skin color could reasonably be called black. Even very dark skin color is usually clearly a dark brown and not an actual black. I think Angelica Dass's project involving color matching Pantone shades to as many shades of skin as she can find on humans illustrates that really well. Look it up! It's pretty cool to see.

[@judithstrachan9399]

Almost none of us are truly either black OR white: we’re all shades of brown. One of the reasons colour prejudice is so silly.

[@peachesandcream8753]

@@redned1799 No we don't. I've never known anyone in England to call Indians black; Indian's are Indian and they're brown.

[@ginamurphy8668]

In Britain we usually joke about how upper class people look like horses, and reading pride & prejudice you can tell that this was actually the beauty standard, what with the nose and teeth being "strong", "marked" "dignified" and "out of the common way"

[@Eloraurora]

@@ginamurphy8668 I can't remember if it's on this channel or another, but I saw a video a while back on _male_ Regency beauty standards and I think they ended up with a sketch of the ideal Regency beau. Also pale, significantly less muscular than a modern ideal (because broad shoulders = laborer), and an oval face.

[@christi6934]

​@@Eloraurora I'd be interested in watching that video! Will browse this channel to check if it's on here!

[@LedgerAndLace]

I love your deep dives that start with "What did Jane Austen mean when she said _____?" As soon as you said "bloom," I thought of Anne! I also find it fascinating how the meaning of words evolves. Mary Musgrove was "coarse." The "prospect" from the window was fine. Mr. Collins had a "violence"of affection for Lizzie. Even in the movie "It's a Wonderful Life" Mary yell to her mother that George Bailey is "making violent love" to her. Neither of those has the same meaning in the 21st century!

[@maryeckel9682]

Sir William probably means he can detect Mary's pores. Oh, the horror!

[@barbarabrown7974]

Blushing also has a lot to do with how fair you are. I'm a natural blond, and I can still blush, and I'm definitely past my first youth. I'm told I blush when I look laugh. Probably everyone blushes, but darker skin tones will cover it up.

[@ZombieInvader]

I’m learning that all my insecurities in high school would have made me very pretty by regency standards: - having a “big nose” (aka not the tiny rhinoplasty button noses that were fashionable) - a soft jawline and small mouth - sunburn easily - still buy shoes in the children’s department - really thin skin that shows all my veins (yes, including on my chest). It was so obvious when I was younger that I remember my fifth grade teacher having me stand up to show the class my arms when we were learning about the circulatory system 😅 - plump and curvy (for reference, I grew up in the mid ‘00s when our beauty ideal was Xtina’s Dirty music video. Small perky breasts, flat stomachs, and ultra low rise jeans were what was in)

[@mely1022]

Just watched the 1996 version and i was so mesmerized by every actress! The casting is way too much different from the 2005 version, I didn’t realized how Hollywood thin and pretty everyone looked in the movie. In the 1995 series everyone looks so healthy, natural and a little bit more plump (in a good way). I thought Jane and Elizabeth were extraordinarily beautiful, it seems the kind of beauty you wouldn’t see nowadays.

[@jacksonfl]

Ellie - Beautifully done. I think that another reason moderate plumpness was favored is that it was an indication that I woman could get through childbearing, a deadly risk at the time.

[@roising.3221]

Lol beauty standards are often more based on fashion than health

[@jacksonfl]

​@@roising.3221Agreed. Just pointing out that the rate of death in childbearing was horrific until the 20th Century, and that colored people's perceptions.

[@cmm5542]

​@@roising.3221I think most fashions arose from health. Practically everything Ellie was talking about in this vid was about broadcasting how HEALTHY you were. Undamaged skin, well-fed but not obese proportions - even the veins were likely an indicator of healthy circulation (mine are invisible, and I have had circulation problems from childhood). Regular features were preferred because a deformity could indicate underlying health issues. Without sunscreen, tanned skin would often have invited actual skin cancer. There was definitely a health rationale behind most beauty fashions throughout the ages; what changes is what the medical profession recommends and therefore what is seen as 'healthy' or beautiful. I don't know of any beauty standard that NATURALLY indicates ill health (though trying to fake it can often utilise unhealthy means), except excessively thin. But even that was merely an exaggerated response to doctor's health warnings against obesity, and also celebration of the health services today that don't require us to keep an extra layer to guard against pregnancy and famine! I

[@florgi121]

That's so true! Not sure if it was the case in the Regency era, but at many points in time it was common to relate wide hips with a good prospect of childbearing so that would line up perfect with what Ellie described regarding the body type.

[@roising.3221]

@@jacksonfl I don't think so, childbirth has always been risky throughout history, but still some ancient cultures prefer skinny women, fat women, big hips, small hips, muscled women... The Victorians even fetished TB / the wasted look.

[@Vesania3]

The fair skin was also a distinction of classes, only the working class was tan, because of their daily chores and obligations.

[@carlylewis7088]

I’ve always thought Susannah Harker was the ideal Jane Bennet

[@vbrown6445]

Yes, she matches the beauty standards of the time perfectly.

[@lianel664]

I also like Rosamunde Pike as Jane Bennett.

[@lianel664]

@@carlylewis7088 still I like her in the role, shes beautiful and a great Jane Bennett. I like Susannah Harker as Jane Bennett too, but shes is also slim and not thicker as Rosamunde Pike.

[@dddevchonka]

Her mother also played Jane Bennett and looked like an ideal Jane, too. Even more so 'cause her mouth was smaller.

[@c471]

I was always teased for having fair skin. I don't generally like wearing tank tops because my blue veins show and my upper arms are plump. Sounds like I would have been a hottie in the regency Era. Lol. I agree that beauty standards are pretty much always detrimental. But this video has shown me that there is beauty in my natural features.

[@NemisCassander]

It should be noted that Heian-era Japan had the same fair skin requirement in its beauty standards, which has come down to the present day. (One reason why geisha look the way they do.) I think part of the reason it was part of the beauty standards in both societies was that it was also a marker of wealth, as only the wealthy could afford the ability to avoid getting tanned.

[@chrishails4263]

Hoo ra. A new descriptor. I am very much a Regency man. What they wanted is what I seek, yet today is the rarest discovery. Thank you. I'm subscribing now.

[@caitlinallen8400]

I'm one of those ladies who struggle with feeling ugly sometimes compared to our modern beauty standards, but oh boy, the Regency era would have loved me. Aquiline nose, plump with big hips, pale skin, visible veins, blush easily...damn, I was born in the wrong century 🥲

[@FallacyBites]

Me too!

[@martavdz4972]

Similar here. My sister is a fashion and hair history expert, and she says I was born in the wrong century. I look much better in 1850's clothes and hairstyles 😂

[@judithstrachan9399]

And I. Then I got plumper & plumper & grew out of it.

[@Wednesdaywoe1975]

Embrace it!

[@mbvoelker8448]

I wouldn't have done Regency well, but I'd have been a Georgian beauty.

[@alexander1284]

I kind of want to cry at 01:00, thank you for your message : )

[@kaistinakemperdahl9667]

This reminds me of one time an EFL teacher who had specialised in JA criticising the casting of Keira Knightley because she didn’t correspond to her time's beauty standard. I know there’s a lot to be said about anachronisms in that film, but Lizzie Bennet doesn’t need to correspond to those beauty standards. She only needs a pair of fine eyes.

[@erldagerl9826]

A blue tint to the skin became fashionable during the Spanish inquisition It showed someone as having no Moorish ancestry. this ideal led to the term "blue-blood" as denoting someone from an old (christian) family.

[@luiseveigel849]

I‘d like to add that earlier eras were also not usually wearing wigs, you can make natural hair to look like that and being accused of wearing a wig could be socially damaging. Caricatures often depict women with wigs, but at least according to Bernadette banner and Carolina Zebrowska actual wigs for women were uncommon/already frowned upon. Absolutely love the video!

[@martavdz4972]

*Karolina

[@gratiaification]

FYI, the Portrait of Mrs Q by William Blake (after Jean François-Marie Huet-Villiers's original) is thought to be the painting Jane Austen refers to in a letter (dated May 24, 1813) as who she imagined Jane Bennet to look like.

[@EllieDashwood]

Oooo, that is so cool!

[@katycollie7952]

very interesting

[@Rg-hc6or]

Yes! I was wondering why it wasn’t included in this video.

[@marciahoward9102]

Very illuminating video. I always assumed Jane would definitely have been a blonde, but have seen an adaptation where she had dark hair so thanks for this. I'm glad you included Sir Walter as an authority. It appears from comments by Lady Russell and the narrative voice that Anne was most like her mother, yet Sir Walter perceived no real value in her in preference for Elizabeth. That always made me scratch my head. I would love to see a video on whether or not you believe it to have been a happy or challenging marriage. There are clues that it was probably exhausting for Lady Elliot. I would love to hear your thoughts as I don't believe I have ever seen this marriage profiled. Just an idea. Keep up the amazing videos 😊!

[@katiem9923]

I've got the fair skin, the veins, and sometimes the brilliance. I've got regular features and a nose with character. I do not have the hips, delicate bone structure, or the small hands and feet. I'm afraid I might have been mid, but what a relief to know I could greatly improve my appearance with the natural blushing that comes from vigorous walking! I really enjoyed this video. It's a lot of fun to hear what these words would have meant to Regency folks, and it can sometimes be hard to google these things without feeling like a weirdo, lol. God bless you Ellie, I hope you're well!

[@judithstrachan9399]

I suspect that the only people who might know what you google (unless you share a computer) aren’t going to care. Go for it!

[@maryannlockwood7806]

I guess they didn’t realize that older women going through the change could, thanks to hot flashes, blush with the best of them!😊

[@BrynDonovanWriter]

I'm on deadline right now for a time travel romance novel with a guy from the Regency era and a modern woman, and this was soooo helpful! Thank you!

[@annabethsmith-kingsley2079]

15:35 this reminds me of when we studied Gorgias by Plato and he said that the opposite of "cosmetics" was "gymnastics" and I was like :O

[@PetWessman]

Your disclaimer is so sweet, and I hope you’re assured this video does the opposite to making people feel bad they don’t live up to the regency beauty standards (though I can boast some quite impressive veins myself, if I may 😏). It actually does the opposite - contrasting how remarkably different the beauty standards were then at least make me more cemented in the idea that beauty standards are a product of their time and can shift more than Swedish weather in April.

[@angelakesecker6291]

I love it! I also want to point out that Anne Elliott became more beautiful as she became happier. She was remarkably pretty in her youth and lost her bloom after breaking it off with Wentworth; a tragedy in itself, but even traumatic, no doubt, as he argued and was clearly angry about it. Austen contrasts her situation with Elizabeth when she says that, as long as she hasn't had any hardships, a woman who's almost 30 can look just as pretty as a woman who's almost 20. We also see in that those early chapters, Mrs. Clay talking about how gentlemen have more opportunity to remain handsome than men who are forced to practice a profession. So Austen is really trying to show how struggling can be tied to aging. I wonder if she does this because she sees her own looks fading. By the time she writes Persuasion, she is getting older herself, has struggled quite a bit, is still unmarried, and probably pretty ill. I believe that Persuasion is secretly a love letter written to get the attention of someone Austen knew but couldn't write to directly. I think the transformation of Anne Elliott has something to do with her expectations of what would happen to her own health and vibrancy if this mystery man returned.

[@judithstrachan9399]

I thought it was rather wistful. As if she was writing her happy-ever-after dream come true after she’d lost hope, which certainly is consistent with your ides.

[@etherealtb6021]

One thing I love about the 2005 P&P casting is Keira Knightley would indeed have been thought imperfect in looks (she has a very modern face) and Rosamund Pike was the most traditionally pretty Jane in any version I've seen. My mom is the only person I've known who had the natural blushing you talked about. She was constantly accused of wearing too much blush, when she didn't wear makeup at all! BTW, I love how you're incorporating your lifestyle stuff into the channel. I've always loved your outfits and decor, so this is so much better! 😻

[@EllieDashwood]

That is awesome! All the Regency Era ladies would have been so jealous of your mother's blush! 😄 And thank you! I'm definitely trying to be a more complete and rounded version of myself on this channel including things like my outfits and stuff. So, I'm so glad you're enjoying it!

[@michaelodonnell824]

When it comes to the 2005 version, I somehow don't think pigs wandering through the kitchen gave the required impression of "Wealth"....

[@chrystalbrown9600]

Lol!​@@michaelodonnell824

[@angelareimann6433]

​@michaelodonnell824 I have been ruined by first seeing the BBC series version and being won over by Austen's clever and funny story. I then read her book. Wow. Only later watched the movie and became 'missish'. What?! Pigs in houses, characters becoming different people, and modern manners. It's a nice movie, but not P&P.

[@etherealtb6021]

@@angelareimann6433 Lol. That's not how I saw the Bennetts living, but it was an okay interpretation.

[@mintybadger6905]

I’m in my 40s and still blush like crazy. My husband has made a sport of it - seeing how long it takes to get my ears burning red.

[@judithstrachan9399]

My husband used to do that. I absolutely hated it & thought it was abusive.

[@carterconnell81]

When you mentioned "pinks and blues" in the skin I immediately knew what you meant! If only I had lived in the Regency era, everyone would have been after me . . .

[@Bmonkeygurl]

1995 really cast Jane well then!

[@floraposteschild4184]

I remember at the time people asking "she was considered beautiful??" Well, 1) she was, 2) she looked exactly like the Greek-inspired statues from Jane Austen's time.

[@cmm5542]

​​@@floraposteschild4184Yes, I remember my mother saying, puzzled: 'I don't think she's prettier than Lizzie though. I guess the standards were different then?' And she ROCKED the Regency styles! ❤

[@Turquerina]

It also reminds me of how people protested against Kate Winslet being cast as Rose DeWitt Bukater from the Titanic when she absolutely would've been considered beautiful in that era. While they were considerably slimming down, it wasn't quite the 1920s as 1912 was still on the tail end of the Edwardian era beauty standards when it came to proportionality.

[@kaylynnanson6231]

That was my thought!

[@cmm5542]

​@@TurquerinaHold on - there are actually people who don't think KATE WINSLET is gorgeous? 😮 I guess it really all is in the eye of the beholder!

[@oekmama]

I just finished reading Andrea Wulf‘s Magnificent Rebels about the first generation Romantics… and that absolutely opened my eyes about the thoughts of the folks in those days. Many young gentlemen also went on the Grand Tour, so they would have been seeing the sights and visiting those museums and looking at those Greek and roman statues and such. Omg! I would never have guessed that Anne had regained some weight and her blush!☺️ 😅 a lovely video! Thanks!

[@elizabethtangora4353]

17:37 between the stuff about wanting to see women’s veins through their skin and talking about how great it is for women to have plump organs are I’m starting to think serial killers were somehow in charge of these beauty standards.

[@kathleenmckeithen118]

I enjoyed this video very much, being a great Jane Austin fan. Thank you so much!

[@DominiqueBertrand-g6v]

Wow, my 'blush' post working out would win me all the suitors! 😅 And the portion of my skin not covered by freckles is indeed translucent, my friends going into medicine used me as their practice dummy to trace out vein and artery networks. I suppose the freckles would be a detraction in Regency times, you win some you loose some.

[@vbrown6445]

You would be like Mary King (P&P) described as a poor freckled thing. But your other good features (plus a healthy dowry) would give you a pass.

[@DominiqueBertrand-g6v]

@@vbrown6445 Right, forgot about Mary King. Glad she avoided Wickham. Hopefully I'd snag some respectable gentleman with a interest in the natural sciences and who spent a lot of time outside so isn't concerned with things such as freckles!

[@FallacyBites]

See-through skin: LET ME CALL YOU 'SISTER'

[@bbmay7139]

I saw the honourable Mrs Graham in the Edinburgh National Gallery and was entranced. It’s absolutely beautiful, the way the light is captured on the satin. Her face and aspect, ugh, stunning!!! Xx

[@camillaflint5423]

In college, my roommate from Taiwan would always apply whitening lotion, while my fair skinned American roommate used tanning lotion. It made me laugh.

[@bookishness652]

I kid you not, this vid appeared in my algorithm as I’m watching Pride and Prejudice (my 1995 dvd box set). It’s a wonderful addition to the viewing experience 😊

[@barbarabenoit3667]

What really helps to become a professed beauty is to have a lot of friends who subtly hint at all your beautyful features in polite conversation.

[@raisafonseca2033]

Hi Ellie! I was also very confused by how Fanny is described as not graceful first and then everyone just finds her beautiful! Hope you can give us some clarity to this as well. LOOOVE YOUR VIDEOS

[@eveywrens]

I really enjoy your explanations of Regency era norms. When I have re-watched Persuasion, Sense and Sensibility, and Pride and Prejudice, I have a greater understanding of the meaning behind the dialogue. For example "Marianne has lost her bloom and will end up a spinster like Eleanor". Also choices and nuance of the director and actors actions.

[@SchlichteToven]

I'm a redhead - my skin's the same year-round! But I wear sunscreen year-round as well. But back then there was no sunscreen, so unless I stayed inside all the time, even Jane Austen would think me ugly just because of freckles.

[@cmm5542]

I think Austen herself disapproved of Lydia's scorn for freckles 🙂 I think they're nice and make one's skin more fascinating!

[@KarevaDarya]

I’m definitely in my “plumpness” era😂❤ great video!!

[@indiraacosta517]

Beauty standards changes all the time, what really make a person beauty is her personality. That’s what Jane Austen believed. If we refer back at Mansfield Park, the characters in the book are sometimes described as handsome but some of them have awful personalities. It reminds me of a quote I read last week: “Beauty is find within” Good video 😊

[@litera_cj]

Growing up, my sister had naturally bright red cheeks (she technically still does, though the hue is somewhat more subdued). Turns out it was largely because she was sensitive to something in her diet. Ah, the things we do (unwittingly) for beauty . . . .

[@ruthlong2215]

I always felt a little insecure about my rosy cheeks and nose shape(being larger than the prescribed button-nose), but when visiting chatsworth, I started to realize I had a similar profile to the statues, and thus, I am happy.

[@O-Demi]

Not me thinking that Emma's "regular features" actually meant that her beauty was quite common, usual, commonplace, and not that she had some attractive symmetry...

[@mbvoelker8448]

In those days "regular" didn't mean ordinary, it mainly meant orderly and well-disciplined -- with connotations of virtue.

[@O-Demi]

@@mbvoelker8448 Yeah, I watched the video.

[@lisawall9068]

Ellie, your blue and white dress is lovely.

[@saralist1200]

Their beauty standards make a lot of sense given the times and political climate. The decades prior to that were full of makeup for the fashionably rich, and conical upper body shapes from the stays they wore. Now there comes a huge change in society thanks to the American and French revolutions, and so beauty standards change to pretty much the opposite of what they had been. It reminds me of the difference between the standards of the late Victorian and Edwardian with their lush curves, pale skin, and big hair when compared to the post WW1 standards of boyish, columnar bodies, getting tanned, and having sleek shingled hair. Or the difference between the somewhat austere fashions of WW2 compared to the full figures and “new look” of the 1950s. People like what is new and modern and speaks to their experiences, and it’s always fascinated me.

[@Rachopin77]

I’m black and athletic so I definitely don’t think I’m gonna get my regency era blush back lmao. My husband is German/Eastern European jewish and has a strong sculptural nose bridge, square jaw, and pale skin (when I first met him I actually remember telling my friend he had a Greek statue face) so he’d be a pretty regency girlie if he didn’t also work out all the time This was a fun video and I’ve always had a soft spot for Jane Austen.

[@Kaiheart]

My fish-belly pale skin and rosacea would have made me so popular lol

[@montanalilac]

😂 I was thinking of all my varicose veins in my legs…whoot whoot!!!😂😂😂😂😂

[@klara1369]

You are so funny! Always a joy to watch!😍

[@bookmouse2719]

She couldn't keep up with Lizzy, well Lizzy did cardio every day. She made the hair curly in front like Greek statue. But what makes a lady really attractive is having a nice inheritance. That is a definite virtue.

[@louiseoliver3453]

But thinness wasn't considered beautiful in the way it was today. I think that began with the Victorians and tight lacing, trying to make women less than they were

[@LedgerAndLace]

Love the Aunt Gardner reference for the "freckled little Mary King!"

[@joiceraiana]

​@louiseoliver3453 they want plump girls with no muscle definition, like the classic statues, but you couldn't be fat either, because being fat was considered almost like a prove of immorality and lack of control.

[@louiseoliver3453]

​@@joiceraianaI'm not sure about the regency, in Victorian times slimmer was definitely better. This was when tight lacing came in and I don't think we've gone back from there. I think the regency was kinder in considering modest plumpness attractive but let's face it women are never good enough for the beauty standards of any age!

[@joiceraiana]

@louiseoliver3453 true, even if you fit everything, they'll find something to criticizing

[@rachelroth3141]

Great video, thank you! 😍 The underwear of this ancient-looking art is ingeniously funny 😂

[@EllieDashwood]

😄 Aw, thank you!

[@peregrinearc]

I'm not sure i understand the idea of losing the ability to blush? I don't think that's a thing. And what about hot flashes? I have many questions haha. Great video.

[@EllieDashwood]

Perhaps hot flashes are the secret to having a second bloom of beauty. 😂

[@peregrinearc]

@@EllieDashwood I think you're onto something 🤔 🤣

[@a24-45]

I wonder if the "ability to blush" just refers to the observation that it is easier to embarrass a young girl (and get her to blush) than to embarrass a confident, more experienced woman. Self-confidence is key; and I am sure that Lizzy Bennett didn't blush half as much as people thought she should, because she always had a clever retort at her fingertips. And Lydia wouldn't have blushed at all, because she was never embarrassed by anything.

[@elawiater1268]

"Moderate plumpness" - how delightfull! :D Thank you for this video, I laughed out loud - wonderfull