At the end of the nineteenth century in Britain, the “New Woman” came to gain attention. Of the dramas which deal with New Woman, this article focuses on the drama The Second Mrs Tanqueray by Arthur Wing Pinero and examined the relationship between the story and the costumes worn by the characters, using newspapers and magazines of that time.
Paula, the heroine, was a courtesan and dreamt of an elegant social life. She became the second wife of Aubrey Tanqueray, a person of standing. At first she appears in a flame-coloured evening dress, which shows her former job, a courtesan. But in the last scene, when she ends her own life, she is wearing a grey dress. In daily life, her costume is a “tailor-made coat,” which symbolises the “New Woman.” On the other hand, the clothes worn by the characters show their social status.
These changes in Paula’s costumes imply the process of establishing herself as a “New Woman.”
