This curious beige and brown tartan waistcoat is quite a mystery. The first, worn by Michael Fassbender as Edward Rochester in the 2011 adaptation of Jane Eyre, is double-breasted. The second, which is worn differently and has pockets that the first does not, was worn by Fionn Whitehead as Branwell Brontë in the 2022 Emily, working as a post-literal Brontë figure alongside Fassbender’s literal Brontë character.
The fabric for the waistcoats is exactly the same, but the alignment of the stripes, is somewhat different, with one placed at an angle. The stripes evoke a double set of bars, possibly underlining how both characters, in their own unique ways feel trapped by their circumstances.
The fabric on the back of the waistcoats appears different as well, but this could be due to lighting. Both pieces were designed by Michael O’Connor, which is further evidence of the possibility of them being at the very least from the same production.
So what do you think? Were they both made for Jane Eyre and is one a duplicate that varies slightly? A piece that was unused? Or is this simply a case of O’Connor having the same material lying around and utilizing it for a waistcoat twice?
Love a waistcoat? Check out some of the other waistcoats we have documented on the site.
It was an evening of grey fog that had crept in from the gulf, swathed the harbor, filled the glens and valleys, and clung heavily to the autumnal meadows. Through it the sea sobbed and shuddered.
never related to authors being like "childhood is such a blessed innocent time", catch me with that jane eyre shit like "such dread as children only can feel" and "I then sat with my doll on my knee til the fire got low, glancing round occasionally to make sure nothing worse than myself haunted the shadowy room"
the thing is with rochester and jane is that they're insane best friends. like it's easy to call rochester weird but you cannot make an adaptation of jane eyre where you don't establish the fact the reason rochester falls for jane in the first place and why they bridge that huge gap they have in terms of age and experience is that she's the only one out there that's as weird and offputting as he is. that's literally mr and mrs bozo
Pride & Prejudice (2005) dir. Joe Wright
Bridgerton (2020-) created by Chris Van Dusen
War & Peace (2016) dir. Tom Harper
Poldark (2015-2019) created by Debbie Horsfield
Atonement (2007) dir. Joe Wright
Jane Eyre (2011) dir .Cary Joji Fukunaga
Peaky Blinders (2013-2022) created by Steven Knight
Pride & Prejudice (1995) dir. Simon Langton