Hi friends! It’s a great day, and I am happy to start my week with the lovely Heather Moll! If you saw the cover reveal she shared last month, then you already know that Heather’s newest release is changes things up and writes about a secondary character from Northanger Abbey.
I’m excessively excited for this novel and the chance to spend some more time with dear Miss Tilney.
Heather is here to share both a guest post (about fashion 👗) and an excerpt from Loving Miss Tilney. We hope you enjoy!
Thank you for welcoming me back to Austenesque Reviews to talk about my Austen variation about Eleanor Tilney. Loving Miss Tilney takes place right after General Tilney throws out Catherine Morland—in 1798. How many of you are thinking, “Ugh 1798. That’s… old.” Are you afraid everyone will be in powdered wigs, and the women will be in wide pannier skirts and the men in silk embroidered coats?
I promise Eleanor and Philip will be dressed more like the 1797 couple on the left than the 1778 couple on the right. By the time Loving Miss Tilney opens in the spring of 1798, lace, silk, wigs, and powder were on their way out and simplicity of dress was the new norm.
For the men, wool and cotton were common for daywear rather than embroidered silks. The tailcoat now cut higher rather than those longer frockcoats with a curved front. Any embroidery that remained moved from the coat to decorate the waistcoat.
Women’s dress changed even more. Gone were the two-piece open robes with tight sleeves from the 1780s. By the end of the century, one-piece round gowns were popular and the waistline was rising. The French post-Revolution politically correct simpler style of dress made it to England despite the war. Combined with the popular neoclassical influence, full skirts were out and columnal chemise dresses were in.
This French image is from 1798, and it shows a woman in a white gown with a spencer talking to a man in riding boots and a simple tailcoat, and his hair is shorn. This is more like what Eleanor and Philip would wear.
Loving Miss Tilney won’t be filled with characters with towering hair and elaborate wigs. Those were signs of the aristocracy and wealth in France, so it became the rage for men to cut their hair. England followed French trends more slowly during the Napoleonic Wars, but the tax on hair powdered levied in 1795 was the final nail in the coffin for wigs, powder, and long hair.
In Loving Miss Tilney, only a few of the older characters are “patched and powdered”. The young ones at the house party are too modern to wear a wig or use hair powder, especially Eleanor’s progressive friend Alice. Maybe she’s dressed like this French print from 1798: cropped hair, a high waisted gown, flat shoes, and the only embellishment a colorful shawl. Still long trains for daytime, though. No wonder Henry Tilney was worried about muslin fraying.
To show you that 1798 characters aren’t so different from 1812 ones, I have an excerpt to share. Eleanor and her friend Philip have been in love all their lives, but General Tilney will only let Eleanor marry into money and rank. They’re talking after her cruel father has just berated her in front of everyone—again.
~ Excerpt from Loving Miss Tilney ~
The others in the room pretended not to notice, but Philip hated to see Eleanor mortified by her father. When everyone finally broke into small groups or left, Eleanor gave him a pointed look and said she was going to walk in the garden. After a few polite words to Lady Longtown for inviting him, Philip went after her. He found her by the entrance to the kitchen garden, leaning against the wall, waiting for him.
“I like your hair,” she said by way of greeting. “It seems that you and Alice were of the same mind.”
He had not bothered with a hat, and self-consciously ran his hand at the base of his neck to hide his pleasure at being praised. “I finally tossed aside my hair powder and lopped off my queue. Vaughan called me a Tory old man one too many times,” he added, smiling.
When they entered the garden he said, “Your father is as charming as ever. What made him lose his temper over Henry? When he last wrote to me, earlier this month, Henry expected the general, you, and a friend of yours to dine at Woodston. But with his arch ways, I could not tell if Henry was pleased by the idea or terrified by it.”
Eleanor shook her head sadly and put an arm through his. “Both, probably. Pleased to show Catherine the parsonage, but distressed to have my father dine at his table.”
As they walked on, Eleanor explained her friendship with this Miss Morland, Henry’s attachment to her, and all that had thwarted Henry’s engagement.
“And now Henry is banished from Northanger,” she said in a tone of regret, “and I cannot so much as correspond with Catherine.”
Philip wanted to put an arm around her shoulder, but thought better of such a tempting action and only said, “Your father has the worst temper of any man I have ever known. I feel for Henry, I truly do, but I feel more for you. I know you are lonely at Northanger, and you suffer a thousand small indignities when your father is there. It shall be so much worse for you now that you will not even have Henry’s company.”
“Yes, yes, it will.” Eleanor stopped walking and looked at him with sad eyes. “Philip… you know better than anyone what it is like for me at Northanger, and I have come to a decision.” He watched Eleanor cast down her eyes, and timidity took the place of the tender looks she had just given him. “Since he is beyond reason, I cannot defy him the way Henry has—I have no power, you know . . .” She settled her shoulders and met his eye. “I am going to try to secure a husband, in order to be free from my father.”
You can imagine how much Philip is going to love that plan.
The styles of the late 1790s weren’t radically different from the early 1810s. As Eleanor is trying to get away from her father, she’ll look like the heroine you envision in JAFF or regency romance.
Thank you so much for sharing, Heather! It will be interesting to see the descriptions of each character’s dress and see if they adapted to the fashion evolution or if they held firm to the older traditions. 🎩
This excerpt is so troubling though – to see Eleanor feeling so hopeless and powerless. I am curious to learn Philip’s reaction. 😮
~~~
GIVEAWAY TIME!
Heather brings with her today a lovely prize pack to giveaway to 1️⃣ lucky winner! This prize pack includes:
📘 one signed paperback of Loving Miss Tilney
🧼 Mrs. Tilney’s Pearls and Northanger soap from Northanger Soapworks
Commenting on this post and filling out the rafflecopter widget on this blog enters you in a chance to win!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
- This giveaway is open worldwide. Thank you, Heather!
- This giveaway ends August 12th!
Luckily I’ve read this book as I never enter Rafflecopter giveaways! I much prefer the men with cropped hair rather than a queue, and I hate hair powder. I also prefer the later fashions, (I can imagine the struggle Elizabeth would have had walking to Netherfield that 1778 dress!) Poor Eleanor is absolutely desperate, what a shame. I feel so sorry both for her and for Philip. I’m sure it wouldn’t be too difficult to incapacitate the General? There must be something appropriate in the garden? I really enjoyed this story, thank you.
Eleanor’s life at Northanger sucks. Too bad she’s not the “poisons her enemies type”! Thanks for reading it Glynis! Philip keeps his hair nice and short btw
Thanks so much for welcoming Eleanor and Philip—and me—today!
I can;t wait to see how Eleanor gets her HEA – I am always excited to see supporting actors get their day in the sum. Thank you for sharing.
She’s such a deserving secondary character isn’t she? Thank you for commenting!
I loved Eleanor’s story! And I loved Philip too!
Thank you for all of your help with Eleanor!!! (And I love my shy math nerd too)
Congrats on the new book & I will have to re-read/listen to NA again before I can read this just to refresh myself on all aspects of the story.
You don’t need to read NA to read Eleanor’s story. The prologue will catch you up. Basically, General Tilney sucks and Eleanor has had enough!
good to know, thank you
I loved this post. It reminded me that Mr. Bennet [P&P] still had his powdering gown.
“…I will sit in my library, in my nightcap and powdering gown, and give as much trouble as I can…”
I once saw living room [drawing room or parlor] furniture in the French Provencial style where the gentleman’s chair had armrests. The lady’s chair, on the other hand, didn’t so, they could sit unencumbered by a wide pannier skirt. So even furniture design was dictated by fashion.
Congratulations to Heather on this new launch. I wish you all manner of success. Thanks to Meredith for hosting and thanks to Heather on the generous giveaway. Good luck to all in the drawing.
Yes! The ladies’ chairs were armless. Isn’t that wild? Eleanor could sit in a gentleman’s chair—if her father would let her. Thanks for all your support!
I think it is fascinating how the Revolution made a drastic change in fashion as well as government. Thanks for sharing that and the excerpt, Heather!
Isn’t it interesting what a cultural impact it had? Especially with it being a different country during a war. Thanks for reading!
Poor Eleanor and Philip and poor Catherine and Henry. Their father certainly knows how to make his children miserable. I sooo want to read it and find out how they get their HEA!
He’s a terrible person, isn’t he? He may not have killed his wife, but you’re right; he sure is making his children miserable. Thanks for commenting!
I am so excited to read your new book, Heather!!! I much prefer the simpler fashions myself, but I love watching Izabella from Prior Attire on YouTube create and wear such fashions (from all time periods!). 😀
Aren’t her pieces incredible?? She’s so talented. Best of luck in the giveaway Susanne!
Sounds great and such a beautiful cover.
Thanks so much! Didn’t the cover designer do a great job?
This looks like a great giveaway. Love the cover!
Thank you! The cover designer is so talented. I’m lucky to work with her. Good luck in the giveaway Jeanna!
This sounds like a great book! I always love when authors use the other Austen works (besides P&P) for inspiration!
Thank you! It’s fun for us authors too to step outside the (so very comfy) P&P box and write some different character arcs.
I would LOVE to dive into this story! Congrats, Heather!
Thank you KC!! I’m so excited to bring out Eleanor’s story
Golly, I thought I had commented already but it appears I did not! I love Eleanor Tilney and always feel sorry for her. I’d love to have a read of her own story, so this is going in the TBR hoard for sure!
isn’t Eleanor a great character? I think she’s the real gothic heroine in NA. BTW, I love that you call your TBR books a hoard. Isn’t that the truth!
I’m so looking forward to reading this! Thank you for the little history lesson on clothing styles of that period. You always bring something special along with you on your book launches….jewelry, etc. You’re officially now expected to do this from now on, ha! 🙂 Best luck on this launch, Heather.
So when I nerd out next year on jewelry or clothes or some other historical detail, I can say that I just had to?? Win! I love it! Thanks Michelle!
I found the short history of clothing quite interesting Years ago I took a class about antique jewelry and loved it. I was fascinated by how closely jewelry (and clothing) changed with political and economic and industrial events and discoveries. It really interesting stuff! I enjoyed the sample passage but as others noted the sense of powerlessness she feels makes my heart ache. Thank you for posting and sharing your insight on clothing during this turbulent time in history.
I would LOVE to take a class on antique jewelry. Sometimes things like jewelry or clothes are seen as frivolous, but I think they tell us a lot about a society’s values at a particular snapshot in time. Thanks for reading and commenting!
Looks like a fun read! I can’t wait!