A woman from Reading is living the Bridgerton lifestyle having spent £15k on period clothing.

Sophie Andrews, 27, who works in finance, owns 25-day dresses and 17 ball gowns custom-made in the style of the era.

She said: “I first became fascinated by the regency era when I was encouraged to read Jane Austen’s novels by my English teacher.

“I was caught up in the elegance and eloquence of the world and her words and I then devoted myself to studying all aspects of the Jane Austen world and phenomenon.”

With the rise of the popularity of Netflix's hit show Bridgerton, set in 1813, Sophie is more interested in the time period than ever.

“I have been interested in the regency and Jane Austen in a big way since 2012 and it has been really interesting to see more people coming in," she added.

Since the release of Netflix's new Queen Charlotte series, Sophie has hailed the show for its "amazing" costume design – even though it isn’t historically accurate.

Sophie said the pieces worn in the show are “incredible”, adding the rise of the show had sparked a revival of interest in the period’s fashion.

Sophie regularly wears her own collection of regency clothing at conventions, balls and other meet-ups with fellow enthusiasts.

She is part of the Jane Austen Pineapple Appreciation Society, a group for younger Jane Austen fans to socialise together.

She said: “It is a lovely, lovely era for fashion.

“I probably have around 25 day dresses and probably about 17 ball gowns. Then I have various spencers which are short jackets.

“I probably have around 12 bonnets as well, parasols, loads of reticules - fans, gloves..."

“The collection I have now could easily be £12k to £15k.

“To get yourself a basic dress you’d be looking at a minimum of £120 or £150,

“But if you present someone with a fashion plate from the era and say recreate this they can easily be £1,000."

While Sophie's wardrobe is stuffed full of gowns, she doesn't wear the attire everyday, stating it "takes a long time to put everything on" and "it's not very practical".

When out in public Sophie said she isn't bothered about what people think of her in public.

“You do get looks, you do get people asking you questions," she said.

“People will ask me if I’m filming or doing a photoshoot and they’ll end up guessing the era I’m from, often wildly wrong.

“They often ask for photos, and I don’t mind at all. It’s a compliment to me that people like my outfits.

“My favourite is when you get little girls asking for photos because they say to their mums that we look like princesses. That’s lovely.”