My Top Ten Gifts for Austen Fan Lolitas

Originally, there was no theme to this list, but the more I worked at compiling it, the more I found things I know I'd personally love that had something to do with Jane Austen Fandom. So, the theme of my first list of good gifts for Lolis is the Grande Dame of Romance herself! As with any list, this is purely subjective. Not all Lolis or, indeed, any one, can handle scented candles, has pierced ears, reads tarot or likes history books, but this might at least give ideas for gift giving.

I'll be honest, I don't read romances usually. Jane Austen is one of the few authors who wrote books that I could stand to read. Pride and Prejudice is a favorite of mine and I'm currently rereading it before I start ...and Zombies like a good little lemming *wink*.

So, what do you give the Lolita who's just mad about Miss Jane?

10. Jane Austen's Guide to Good Manners

&hearts - Most modern readers of Jane Austen have probably read these books and wondered, "why? Why do you need a husband to go with you to visit a young, rich bachelor? Why do you need rules for refusing to marry someone? And what's with all the to-do about social class?" This book explains all that, and points out that even young girls of the day had a hard time with it. When Miss Jane's niece Anna, sent her a novel she'd written for critique, her aunt wrote back that it was wonderful, except that it ignored proper etiquette of the time! The book shines a light on what made these books truly timeless, no matter how long the attitudes have been out of style.

9. Pride and Prejudice, Marvel Classics Edition

&hearts - Comics aren't just for kids, anymore (People who took their kids to see Watchmen, I'm looking at you)! I love comic book versions of classic literature. They get kids to read and they bring new life to old favorites. This version is very stylish looking with a cover like a fashion magazine (even if Lizzie on the cover looks like she's wearing a modern prom dress, rather than a Regency frock). This is a great addition to anyone's collection and gives the novel a brilliant makeover.

8. The Jane Austen Handbook - A Sensible, yet Elegant Guide to Her World

&hearts - Okay, I'm a Second Generation re-enactor and I started in Regency Era recreation when I was still a tiny tot. I was still twenty before I could tell you what it meant for a woman to be "accomplished" in that time period (or that it meant precisely zilch after marriage). This book explains all of that, everything from Courtship Rules, to Housekeeping, to Hospitality. It has a habit of being a shade snobby and sarcastic, but its still a sublime reference for those of us who were just born too damn late.

7. Pride and Prejudice (Restored Edition DVD)

&hearts - By far, the most faithful film/TV adaptation of Jane Austen's classic. Made in 1996, it made Colin Firth a household name, with the infamous "wet shirt" scene... Um, give me a minute, readers, I need an ice water shower. *fans cheeks*

The dialogue is faithful to a blinding degree, save where it needed updating to be comprehensible to modern viewers. The costuming is so faithful, I almost expect to see the reed boning in the corsets, and the settings are luscious enough to give one cavities. As wonderfully snide and gorgeous as Colin Firth's Mr. Darcy is, Jennifer Ehle's Lizzie Bennet is his match, with a lip curl that can wither cacti at 50 paces. Every collection of period drama and historical fandom needs a copy of this, perhaps two, because heaven forbid you loan it out and never see it again!

6. Regency House Party

&hearts - It breaks my heart that I missed this when it ran on PBS, but, lucky for me, it's on DVD. I usually hate romance reality shows, but this one had a charm that the others lack. House Parties were more than munchies and dancing, back then. It was a summer-long vacation, combined with a singles retreat, expressly for the purpose of matchmaking. While that might have been all fine and dandy for people of the day, the modern singletons (and chaperones) are lost in the face of Regency morals and manners. One can't help but feel that, even in comparison to the time, this is a bit TOO faithful (you can't tell me young people going a-courting didn't break a few rules every so often). Still, it's a delightfully fluffy, at times, schadenfreudian look at finding a mate in a lost era. What a shame it only ran for one season!

5. The Jane Austen Cookbook

&hearts - Foodies and Regency aficionados alike will love this one. Two authors, a food historian and an Austenian scholar, have banded together to not only reproduce the food of the day, but to put it all in context. Freshness was key, and where and how you lived determined much of your menu. This book breaks it all down and gives a cook everything they need to serve up a meal Emma, Lizzie and the Dashwoods would know and relish!

4. Jane Austen Tank Top

&hearts - For the casual Loli who wants to beat the heat, or for an Austen nut who wants to proclaim her love to the world! The neckline is high and the straps are wide, keeping the correct modesty for the look and goes up to a 2X, with a silhouette of what is presumably Jane Austen herself, overlaid with the famous opening line of Pride and Prejudice (“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife"). It's a CafePress tank, so the level of quality may need watching, but like any Lolita garment, a gentle wash cycle or hand washing should help it last. Throw a cardigan over it and pair it with a nice skirt and pearls and it could go from the office (on a casual Friday) to the theater!

3. The Tarot of Jane Austen

&hearts - Designed with traditional tarot in mind, this deck uses the age-old Tarot symbols, skewed to her most famous works. The suits are changed to Coins (Coins/Pentacles), Teacups (Cups), Candlesticks (Wands/Staves) and Quills (Swords), with cards depicting scenes from the books. It's gotten good reviews and the reports I have on it are wonderful. If you have a Lolita friend or family member who reads the cards, or any hopeless romantic with an interest in divination, they might like this deck and its companion book, if nothing else as a charming conversation piece!

2. Jane Austen Wax Candle from Paddywax

&hearts - Perhaps not ideal for the Loli with scent allergies, but charming nonetheless. This candle is scented with the feminine and classic combination of gardenia, tuberose and jasmine, and is labeled with a quote from the author ("There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort") in a nine ounce glass jar and comes packed in a box with a label that almost looks like an old-fashioned aromatherapy prescription. It makes a great housewarming gift and gives that romantic feel to any room.

1. Jane Austen Silver and Pearl Earrings

&hearts - A good piece of jewelry can fill out any wardrobe. These delicate little earrings work with jeans, jumperskirts and wedding gowns. I could see these making a perfect gift for librarians, brides and bridal parties in a Romance Novel/Regency themed wedding, or even just for a bookish or literarily-inclined individual with an eye for style. The simple leverback earrings display a black and white woodcut of Jane herself, with a freshwater pearl each dangling from the ends. Simple, modest, yet ultimately elegant. I know I want a pair!

What would you give to to the Lolita bookworms in your life? Any favorite authors you'd want to share with your friends?

Sorry for the delay!

Still compiling my list! I actually have too many things for the list, so I may be breaking them down by themes, or something. Anyway, I'll try and post tomorrow.

Love ya!

Brenna

Where I've been

So, why haven't I posted in so long?

Quite simply, real life trumped the rest of the world.

I haven't been able to do much of anything, and my co-ords haven't been anything worthy of showing off to people. With some luck, that will change. I have a better petticoat for one thing and, for another, a better skirt (though I still lack an appropriate blouse). In January, a dear friend died mysteriously and shockingly. So, for the longest time, I haven't felt like posting anything of substance.

Well, I'm going to try and change that soon. Tomorrow, I'm going to begin posting again, starting with, I think, a top ten wishlist of lifestyle Loli-able things I crave, memes on fashion and Lolita, and histories of the things that make Lolita what it is. There may also be book/manga/music reviews and other things, like the return of the Party Planning Posts, but that will come about when the mood strikes me.

Love ya!

Brenna