Lizzie Bennet Diaries one-shots

To Be A Lady

Lizzie Bennet tries to educate her sisters on historical fashion and is utterly disappointed.

Based on the above picture, taken on the set of Poe Party.

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Lizzie was scrolling through Twitter, answering some fan questions, when her eye fell on a question by @WickedWyvern7: "Could you and your sisters dress up in clothes from 1813?" That was... weirdly specific. But it might be fun to try, if she could get Jane and Lydia involved. "Jane! Lydia!" she called out.
"What?!" Lydia's voice came from across the hall.
"Wanna join in this dress-up thing my fans want us to do?"
Lydia was in Lizzie's room in seconds: "Do you mean our fans have finally gotten bored with your depressing nerdiness and perpetual singledom and want to see me show off that dress I bought?! I told you they'd love it!"
"No," Lizzie said, softly pushing her aside, "They want us to dress up in clothing from 1813."
"1813?" Jane asked from the doorway, "Did something in particular happen that year?"
"Don't ask me, you're the fashion expert here!"
"Whatevs!" Lydia interrupted them, "It sounds totes fun! Let's do it! Sister time F-T-dubs!"
Jane chuckled. "Sure, why not? I can probably get something from work."
Lydia stuck out her tongue: "Just know that my ball gown will totes outshine yours!" With those words, she flung back into her room, and Lizzie and Jane could hear her jump on her bed.
Jane smiled, and turned to Lizzie: "Do you want me to get you something as well?"
"No thanks, I'll get something myself," Lizzie answered.

A couple of days later, Lizzie was sitting on their front porch, where they'd be taking the pictures, wearing a Regency dress that she and Charlotte had found. Who knew their school's drama department had so many costumes? And that you could borrow them with just a teacher's permission? (Thanks, Dr Gardiner!) She didn't have to wait long, because Lydia came out wearing a long, blue dress that was gorgeous, just not very Regency.
"Lydia, they said 1813, not 1840s."
Lydia sat down beside her sister. "Pfft, who can tell the difference?"
"Well," Lizzie said with an amused smile, "I'm thinking the person who asked for 1813 specifically could."
"What is wrong with this dress anyway?"
"Well, first of all, the waistline is too low."
Lydia looked at Lizzie with a puzzled look, and she was about to declare her sister insane when Lizzie interjected: "The bodice of your dress ends at the natural waist. The bodice of a late Regency era dress would end much higher up: right below the bust. Like my dress, see?"
"But that's not your waist??" Lydia commented.
Lizzie sighed. "No, but your dress- Nevermind. Off-the-shoulder sleeves weren't a thing in the Regency era either. Or in the 1840s for that matter. Also, you should be wearing a corded petticoat with that skirt."
"Well," Lydia brought in, "one of my totally sexy awesome viewers told me bare shoulders were considered very sexy in 1813 so TAKE THAT."
"Your- No, our- viewer was referring to straps, not off the shoulder."
"Pfft, that ain't bare." Lydia stretched herself out on the pavement. "You wouldn't know anything about being sexy, my nerdy boring older sister."
Lizzie contemplated if trying to educate Lydia on Regency ideals of modesty was going to be worth it, when Jane came out, wearing something that was decidedly not historical, Regency or any other era.
"How do I look?" Jane asked nervously.
"That's not even-" Lizzie sighed. It was not worth it. "Nevermind. You look great, Jane. Let's just take these pictures."