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Downton Abbeyis famous around the world for its historically accurate menstruum costume . Thanks to head costume designers Susannah Buxton , Rosalind Ebutt , Caroline McCall , and Anna Robbins , character both upstairs and downstairs dressed impeccably in the styles of the 1910s and the 1920s .
However , there were times when the costume designers used their artistic license to create flavor that never would have pick up the light of twenty-four hours in 1920 but appeal more to contemporary audiences . With the waiver ofDownton Abbey : A New Era , fans have been cue of just how interesting the costumes of this reality can be , whether they ’re being entirely accurate or not .
Historically Accurate
Austerity During The War
There was a sodding difference between the costumes of the first and second seasons ofDownton Abbey . Matthew and Lord Grantham , who wore bloodless tie for dinner scenes without fail in Season 1 , now appeared in mickle dress , or even in an extremely informal dinner party jacket . Among the Crawley Sister , Sybil mention that most of her gowns were from the season before the warfare , suggesting that she had not ordered anything new since then .
Meanwhile , Mary , Edith , and Cora appeared in costume that were plainer and more pare down with fewer costume changes and a limited choice of even nightgown . These change reflected the real - life encroachment the warfare had on fashion .
The Downstairs Livery
The footman were the tangible showpieces of a swell house like Downton Abbey , and their uniform were provided by the family at great expense . Anna Robbins spoke toVogueabout the attention to detail that start into crafting the livery , noting that the Grantham crest on the button were tiny model created in a very involved process for something that would hardly show up on camera .
Because the livery was considered a mark of position , the footmen would go to swell length to protect it , such as hanging up their tails and changing into a different pelage in the handmaiden ' region to keep their blanched shirts , as Thomas and William did in Season 1 .
They Showed Generational Differences
Women ’s fashions changed tremendously during the state of war . hemline rose above the ankle , and waistline - determine gowns were slowly phased out in favor of looser fits that allowed for with child mobility . While the Crawley girls embrace the latest fashions , the older contemporaries was dense to change . Violet , the Dowager Countess , continued to wear Edwardiangowns with a corset even in 1927 , albeit with more modern textiles and prowess deco patterns .
Cora was somewhere in between her daughters and her mother - in - law ; she discarded the corset for a strike down waist but hold some self-direction in the draping and fancywork of her clothes . As Anna Robbins said , " She follows trends , but she ’s never been a striver to them . "
They Showed A Social Pecking Order
Dressing and undressing was a daily ritual at the Abbey . The Crawley family alter clothes multiple time a day to adhere to a strict dress computer code that required unlike garments in the mornings , afternoons , and evening . The Crawley servants , on the other hand , almost always wear out their delivery and rarely had a change of costume , create a pecking order of sorts in real life sentence .
PerFashionista , Lesley Nicol , who plays Mrs. Patmore , had the same cap for six years and view it a favorite , refusing a substitute even when offered . In demarcation , Joanne Froggatt , who plays lady ’s maid Anna , toldThe Independentthat she often looked over enviously atLady Mary ’s expansive wardrobefull of beautiful Edwardian and Art Deco dresses .
Hat Etiquette
In the 1910s and 1920s , it was proper etiquette to don hats indoors when calling on a Quaker or relation . combine with a received protocol of keeping the head teacher covered outdoors , women would often put on a chapeau when leaving the planetary house and not take it off again until they returned home .
Because a chapeau was mean to blandish the wearer ’s hairstyle , it made good sense for gentle women to put on their lid and remove them with the help of a dame ’s maid in their chamber or else of at the front door . Mary used this custom as an excellent excuse to leave a potentially awkward conversation in Season 5 . right for her !
Queen Mary’s Jewels
InDownton Abbey : The Movie , the Crawleys have taken a break from their normal routine to machinate for a sojourn from King George V and Queen Mary . The plot line presented some challenges in the costume section , as the banner for truth was higher for historical figure . accord toIndieWire , Anna Robbins referred to real - life photo of the royals from 1927 for her designs .
She dressed King George in a scarlet field marshal uniform for one panorama that incorporate various decorations and medals that were sourced as originals or replicated . For Queen Mary , she came up with the report of metal lacing and create replicas of her extensive jewelry collection , admit the Vladimir tiara which was also a favorite of Queen Elizabeth II .
Historically Inaccurate
The Corsets Were The Wrong Shape
Redditoru / chocolatepotmakes an shrewd observation about the corset inDownton Abbeyand specifically the one Lady Mary is getting laced into at the offset of Season 1 . They note that the distinctive corset of the Edwardian geological era would have been much longer than Mary ’s , end at mid - articulatio coxae and providing a smooth ancestry under the narrow-minded skirts that were fashionable during that prison term .
More importantly , Edwardian corsets barely offer any keep , ending at mid - bust or below , as the fashionable bustline was much lower than it is today . Mary ’s corset ( and the silhouette it gives her ) is historically inaccurate in that it appear contrive to lift her bust into place .
The Hemlines Were Low For 1927
hemline gradually lift during World War I and in the years follow the Treaty of Versailles . According toThe World Of Downton Abbey , hemlines were six inches off the ground by 1916 and another two inches higher by the end of the state of war . By 1927 they were over 18 inches off the ground , flashing the knees .
While hemlines were really at their high in 1927 , the costume designers did n’t think skirts of such a little length were appropriate for a visit from the royals and so added a few more inch to the evening gowns for the ballroom scenes inDownton Abbey : The Movie .
A 21st-Century Audience
No matter how much Julian Fellowes and historical advisor Alistair Bruce tried to adhere to historical accuracy , Downton Abbeystill has a modern hearing , and occasionally the costumes were adjusted to become 21st - C sensitivity . One object lesson is Lady Mary ’s stays , as hash out above . Another happens to be Mary ’s aristocratical Fortuny dress , which Anna Robbins created from scratch for actress Michelle Dockery .
The dress have a dunk V - neck opening , which looks marvellous on Dockery but is not consistent with the original design of the Delphos dress . fit in toThe New York Times , Fortuny model his Delphos design on Classical Greek tunics like those learn on the Charioteer of Delphi , which had plenty of pleats and a high neckline that cover the décolletage .
They Were Sometimes Off By A Few Decades
As name before , Downton Abbeyoccasionally sacrificed diachronic accuracy for the sake of appeal to a twenty-first - C audience – or to make a visual impact . For representative , The Hollywood Reporterwrote that the former editor of a track down clip noted that the man ’s outfits in the hunting chronological succession during the Season 2 Christmas Special were several decade out of date .
Designer Susannah Buxton also put Lavinia Swire in a unripened chiffon gown in Season 2 that was about a decennary ahead of its time . " It was probably a bit previous to expend a ' 20s dress , " she admitted toTHR . " But she was very untested and would have been at the superlative of manner . You have to sometimes . The wallop is deserving it . "
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