Fashion Book: Middlemarch–Dorothea Brooke

It’s the last week for a Middlemarch Fashion Book post and I thought it would be appropriate to end the series with Dorothea, arguably the book’s central character, if there is one. Dorothea (or “Dot” as I’m sure her friends liked to call her….no?) is a woman set in her principles, guided by her inner sense of morality and justice. More than any other character, she tries her utmost to do right–and not always with the best results. She is grounded and fair-minded, self-sacrificing to a fault. But as annoying as all of this sounds, she actually grows on you, and may even become your favorite. She is good hearted, kind, and strong, even funny at times. Many of the characters in the book end up falling in love with her despite all of their pre-conceived notions about her, and you will too.

For Dorothea, fashion is of the least importance. She’s a beautiful woman, but doesn’t seek to draw attention to her appearance in any way. She is austere and simple. I went with a look of classic, understated elegance here, using an entirely black color palette–Dorothea would be seeking to blend into the background, but she always stood out in spite of herself.