Recycled Costumes: Guest Post by Hayden

I asked my dear blogging friend Hayden to write a guest post for this week, and she very kindly complied.  I was fascinated by her study of period drama costumes, and I think you will be too!

Have you ever been watching a period drama and realized that something looked oddly familiar? One thing I love about period dramas is that the actors tend to stick with the genre and become like old friends. But that’s not exactly what I’m talking about. Besides the acting, one of the best parts about these movies is- you guessed it –the costumes. And a lot of times these costumes are recycled. I guess even BBC likes to be thrifty now and again!

One outfit I find the most recognizable is Margaret Hale’s (North and South, 2004) green striped hoopdress:

When watching Bleak House (2005), I recognized it right away, worn by Lady Dedlock:

It wasn’t until my second viewing of Return to Cranford (2009) that I saw it on Erminia:

This, I think is one of the easiest to spot. Though I’ll always think of it as Margaret’s dress, I have to admit I like it on all three women. Who, in your opinion, wore it best?

I admit that I looked up several of these next ones on the internet. A great site is
http://www.recycledmoviecostumes.com. It has an extensive collection of reused movie costumes.

Some of these outfits have been around for years- both Sabina Franklin (as Jane Bennet in Pride and Prejudice, 1980) and Freema Ageyman (as Tattycorum in Little Dorrit, 2008) have worn this gown:

I can’t believe I didn’t realize this one: Elizabeth Bennet (P&P 05) and Marianne Dashwood (S&S 08) are wearing the same dress!

I’ve never seen The Count of Monte Cristo (2002), but she’s wearing Emma (2009) Woodhouse’s dress!

Well, I guess it’s really the other way around…

And Jane Fairfax borrows Emma’s dress….

Emma 1996

Emma 2009

You cannot see Mrs. Dashwood’s (Sense and Sensibility, 1995) dress in this picture very well, but it’s the same as Lady Ludlow’s (Cranford, 2007) …

Two such different characters wearing the same dress:

Fanny Thornton (North and South, 2004)

Miss Galindo (Cranford, 2007)

The March girls aren’t proud! Hand-me-downs are a part of life. :)

Both from Little Women, 1994

Why, is that Anne Shirley wearing Lucy Honeychurch’s (A Room With a View) dress?

Well, I hope you enjoyed this! I know I did. :) (Although, if BBC ever wants to get rid of their old costumes, I'm perfectly willing to take them off their hands....


Thanks so much for writing this, Hayden! I loved it!
Hayden blogs about period dramas (with costumes!), books and other things in her life at Story Girl.  Hop on over and take a peek!