Perhaps the most important and interesting fashion accessory in the era of Jane Austen was the Kashmir shawl and its imitations made in Norwich, England and in Paisley, Scotland. Large and exotic shawls added warmth and prestige to the simple garments of the Empire-line favoured by Austen and her milieu.
This talk traces the arrival of this fashion into England from France, its spread in popularity across the whole gamut of society, and the ways in which Austen’s characters defined themselves in the social hierarchy depending on their choice of garments.
Susan Scollay is an art historian specialising in Islamic art and architecture and in historic textiles. The Fabricating the World series of talks explores three examples of the impact of textiles from the Islamic world on interior decoration and fashion in Europe from the 16th century to the present day.