The Observer view on Jane Austen’s 250th anniversary: Once more unto the breeches | Editorial

Plots and sprigged muslin aside, the author's enduring legacy also lies in her relevance as a foil for modern mores

For some, it will be enough merely to re-read Persuasion, and thence to cry yet again at Captain Wentworth's declaration of utmost love for Anne Elliot. But during the many and various celebrations in 2025 that will mark the 250th anniversary of the birth of Jane Austen, others, it seems, are planning to take a rather more full-hearted approach. Be warned: there will be breeches.

In Bath, where Austen took up residence in 1801, a series of costume balls are to be staged, one with a seaside theme inspired by the uncompleted Sanditon. At Chawton in Hampshire, where she lived with her mother and sister Cassandra from 1809, festivals will be devoted to Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility and Emma, the latter to include a Dress Up Day, should you happen to have a sprigged muslin gown hanging at the back of your wardrobe.