Fashion in film: styling high society in Emma

Emma (2020) is a film adaptation of Jane Austen’s 1815 novel of the same name and is simply shot and styled beautifully. The film's costume designer, Alexandra Byrne, also worked on Persuasion (1995), and like her earlier work, the film is set in the Regency period, with a lot of care being visibly taken to keep the costumes historically accurate.

Many of the costume designs in Emma took inspiration directly from Regency period clothing. For example, Emma (Anya Taylor-Joy) herself dons a pink spencer styled after an 1817 garment from the Chertsey Museum collection.

The costumes also highlight the division between the characters. Harriet (Mia Goth) wears a red cloak whilst Emma is seen in a fitted outer coat, portraying the difference in class and sophistication between the two - Harriet is a young student, while Emma is a woman. Harriet's cloak matches those worn by the other students, showing that her reputation is reflective of the group as a whole, while Emma's individuality in having more control over her clothing signifies that her reputation is dictated by her. 

As Harriet's style develops throughout the film, we see her rising position in society and increasing wealth reflected in her wardrobe. She begins to wear pelisses (fitted, fur-trimmed coats) and, at the ball, dons a net dress over a slip - the net being a new, and quite expensive, feature of fashion at the time.

Throughout the film, Emma's wardrobe is carefully varied and adapted to match the seasons as the blue pelisse that she wears during the summer is complete with a fur trim for the winter scenes. Byrne's decision to tailor already-owned clothing for the colder months makes the costumes feel more grounded and authentically worn, bringing the characters to life. There is also the inclusion of Regency trends, with coloured slips being worn under white muslin dresses, which means the same dress can be worn multiple times without the characters being accused of outfit repetition.

The film's colour palette is both beautiful and striking, mainly focusing on pastels and bright colours. Even when a more subdued colour palette is worn, it is made up for by the rich and colourful setting of the film, ensuring that every moment of Emma is visually captivating.