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brazilianreader · 11 days ago

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Downton Abbey Fashion 1 - Edwardian mourning dresses

I have decided to stop planning into infinity and just start posting my collected thoughts on the fashion of Downton Abbey on my blog. So, this is the first in what will probably be a rather long series of posts, as I will separate them by season, sometimes by character, and in cases like today's by the purpose of the clothes in question. Nevermind my occasional snarky comments about the characters; I'm here for the fashion, not for the writing choices in Downton Abbey. Keep in mind that I will focus on the female characters because... frankly, I think Edwardian and onwards is the time when Western menswear gets supremely boring. And also, the vast majority of what I'm talking about here is high fashion. I will have a look at some of the servants' dresses, but their wardrobe is limited and they rarely get the prettier pieces of the cake. Shame.

Let's start with Season 1, which plays from April 1912 up to the beginning of the World War in the summer of 1914. And our dear Crawleys start the series in an exceptional situation regarding fashion - they are in official mourning (to Mary's resentment, but we'll get to that). Accordingly, four of Violet’s prominent 11 outfits in the first season (11? Wow, they sure blew up the dress budget later on…) are mourning outfits. Maybe three, because one of those is a heavy black coat and she wears it outside of mourning, too, but I think the character of Violet actually premiered in this.

Unfortunately, it rarely is seen in a light that does not make it look like a flat black blob. But that velvet is actually gorgeous (and might be dark blue instead of black? I dunno, it would be typical for movie outfits). And the sleeve decoration (those aren’t cuffs; they are like in the middle of the sleeve instead of at the hem) as well as the collar show actually some embroidery. There’s not much to be said for the structure – except for the shoulders, and these shoulders? Are very Victorian. Those are late 1890s’ shoulders. Yeah, the series starts out in 1912 and goes well into the mid-1920s, but to be honest, Violet’s fashion never quite gets there. Good on her for sticking to those lovely buttons and the fabulous feathered hats!

Speaking of 1890s, the sleeves on this evening dress are even a few years older than the previous coat. The poofy sleeves are starting to get off around 1895, I think? Give or take a year or two; sleeve fashions throughout the 1890s were highly specific, and I can’t remember every year’s specialty. They aren’t as structured as I would expect; perhaps that is Violet’s concession to the times. The silhouette certainly isn’t. Also interesting: In the first picture, Violet is visibly wearing her wedding ring. Huh. She’s been a widow for a while, and afaik her marriage was, while harmonic, not exactly passionate. So maybe she keeps wearing it as a part of her “duty and reputation above everything” mentality.

I first couldn’t distinguish this dress from the former and threw them in together – same sleeves, same silhouette, same neckline with a translucent bit closing up in a choker. But no, the bodice front isn’t as heavily embroidered, the lower sleeves are see-through. It also doesn’t seem to be employed as an evening gown, if the comparatively light bling is anything to go by. I like the fabric though; the pleating down the front makes me think it may be taffeta.

See what I mean about the comparatively light bling? This dress here? Is very definitely an evening dress. It’s practically nothing but blackwork, the whole top is encrusted with rhinestones, the sleeves and gloves are both made of lace. This is the height of fancy that Violet can do in official mourning. And it barely toes the threshold to the 20th century. Now, granted, the high neck and the pigeon chest are a thing throughout the 1910s, but the dresses slim down by that time. This looks massive and opulent. For as long as the rest of the family looks Edwardian, Violet’s dresses will have a distinctly Victorian feel to them. She’ll dabble in Edwardian fashion by the time the others have moved on to the Roaring 20s…

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I’m already getting bored of the black (Mary attitude? Not on this blog, I don’t). Time for Cora! Three mourning dresses out of a total of 20 notable outfits in the 1st season, that’s not a bad rate. Can’t wait to get to her gorgeous coats.

Speaking of coats. Look at this, and directly compare it to Violet’s first black coat. Granted, you could make a point for the structured Victorian shoulders. But the coat itself is way slimmer, not the wide thing Violet is wearing, but something that’s tailored to shape and actually shows off Cora’s figure, including a lack of chest poof. Pigeon chests haven’t died out until the mid-1910s, I think, but I don’t see it on Cora. That may be because Elizabeth McGovern has such a dainty figure and they wanted to show that off, so she’s very on top of the fashion for now. A shame that the picture doesn’t lend itself to a closer look at embroidery, but I applaud Cora’s endeavor to try and keep up with Violet’s massive hats.

That’s more like it! A house dress, this isn’t trying to drown Cora; it’s showing her off. I mean, it’s modest; it is a mourning dress with a high neck and all, but she looks nice in this. Early 1910s fashion dresses her well! I’m not sure how I feel about that giant pendant thing on her necklace (actually, I do; I hate it), so we’ll just ignore that and look at the dress instead. This rectangular sort of frame that the lace bands form on her chest is something that appears on a ton of late Edwardian lingerie dresses. Now, this mourning dress is of heavier material than those; it’s definitely made to look more severe. But the decoration elements, the narrow sleeves, the high waist, that’s pretty similar. Also, that dangly beads bit on her belt? That seems to evoke the kind of playful design that’ll dominate the late 1910s and then the 1920s.

Cora is still owning the Edwardian fashion with black chiffon, and I really enjoy looking at these sleeves. I wouldn’t enjoy wearing them; the swishy fabric would keep irritating me. But tops partially made of chiffon are kind of a thing for Cora’s early evening dresses, so this is some of the most skin she shows – even in mourning. I mean, the long gloves are mitigating that a bit, but the wide neckline with the delicate lace leaves space for some heavy jewelry. And that is old-fashioned, 19th-century jewelry; look at those clunky cabochons.

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Mary infamously established her character by complaining about having to go in mourning because black is so dull. Which is not only the first instance in a series of remarkably tactless behaviors; it’s also hilarious. Aside from maybe Violet, the Dowager™, Mary’s gotta be the protagonist who wears the most black, even outside of mourning. But alright, chickie; keep your attitude. For this season, it’s three of 21 outfits for this particular purpose.

Call me a contrarian, but I think Edwardian fashion isn’t terribly flattering for Mary the Fashion Queen of Downton Abbey. This is what she’s wearing for the memorial service for her cousin, and I dunno, the waist seems to make it one of the outfits that work the least in favor of Michelle Doherty’s lanky figure. In all fairness, she slays as soon as we hit 1920. It’s still a high-quality outfit, don’t get me wrong. Simple cut, I’m a fan of the white details, the hat with the velvet flowers is lovely. I’m actively appalled by the handbag though. Wasn’t this the time before reasonable pockets died out?? I feel betrayed.

A bored look and an evening dress, if that isn’t a Mary vibe. Also, evening garb is time to show some skin, and what I find interesting is that, different than her mother and grandmother, she’s wearing costume jewelry. It’s a good fit to the netting with rhinestones her dress is made of (going with the principle of simple cut, intricate material), but I didn’t know it was a thing before 1920s’ art deco. Huh.

Fancy black lace there! I like it. The dress is more tailored to fit than the previous, and again, I’m not a great fan of Mary wearing Edwardian. But maybe it’s the wide round or square necklines? Mary usually goes for Vs during most of the season. Ah, well. She sure combines her jewelry well with embroidered chiffon.

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Edith, my girl. They’re doing her looks so dirty this season. This was when she was still the ‘plain’, ‘shrew’ sister. And then, Mary also peed on her for genuinely grieving her cousin. How dare she.

Her memorial service dress, and instantly I go “she’s wearing this better than Mary does hers in the same scene”. And it’s not because she doesn’t have Michelle Dockery’s wide shoulders; it’s because in her case they don’t try to compliment a tall, flat figure with a cut that isn’t made for it. There’s more material on chest and waist here, bunching up in a way that Edwardian blouses often did at the tail end of pigeon chest fashion. I really like the hat, full set with feathers, bow, and netting veil, as well as the collars of both the blouse and the jacket… wait a second, is that a handbag??

Another dress with a lot of blackwork on the top to a simple skirt, and I’m here for it. I wish they would allow her a decent hairdo, but we gotta dress her down somehow, because that nice necklace sure isn’t gonna do the job. In comparison to Mary’s and Sybil’s black evening dresses this season, this looks unassuming and understated, but the cut dresses her well, and the lack of bling on the dress itself allows the necklace to pop nicely. Maybe too nicely, because the next one is a mess.

I wonder how often they had to tell Laura Carmichael throughout the first season to pull this face, not to smile her natural smile (which is gorgeous), and to press her chin down to make it look less defined. Because… she is a beautiful woman, and they didn’t want Edith to look beautiful. They let an unflattering hairdo and a bad posture do the job. Or a dress like this that is made of tulle and lace and all fancy, but looks like it doesn’t fit her. Why does this fit so badly? The sleeves, the uneven V on the front, it’s all over the place. Something went really wrong with the layering here.

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Last batch of first season’s mourning dresses, for Sybil! The youngest Crawley daughter is a genuine sweetheart, different than Mary, and she holds the writer’s favor, different than Edith, so she’s consistently dressed to look pretty and charming and girlish.

On that matter, I envy her that jacket. Look at the lapels and the buttoned front! Shame we don’t see too much of this outfit; the focus of the scene is on Mary being nasty to Edith. But I love the structured fabric they used for the framing. Interesting that she gets away with a brown ribbon around the hat; it's not like they couldn't swap those (and Sybil does a few times over the course of her runtime with other hats).

Not the greatest look at the dress, but it’s the best I got… Doesn’t Sybil just have lovely hair? With Edith, they use these kind of curls or buckles to both sides of her face to make her hairdo look unbalanced, but with Sybil, they went for cuteness and a young look, so she gets her hair tied up in the neck instead of an updo – I’m pretty sure Sybil is only 18 here. The top of her dress seems to be overlayed with lace, and the sleeves are gorgeous!

Different dress, different jewelry! The previous one went for costume jewelry, but this pendant is at least made to look like the real deal. And that giant hairbow! Sybil looks inappropriately chipper for mourning time; I keep expecting her to bounce over flowery meadows. And she gets more lovely lace sleeves.

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brazilianreader · 11 days ago

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Downton Abbey Fashion 86 - evening dresses in 1925

Mary’s evening wardrobe of the season is surprisingly varied – her old jewel colors don’t make a full comeback, but she is seen in several colors that I wouldn’t expect on her. Also, because someone has mercy on me, her evening gowns are a far cry from the frumpy day styles she prefers these days.

I’ve come to realize that I like Mary’s hairdo when it either has additional volume or less volume than in its natural state, just not the default. I’m kind of on board with this flat-combed shingle style with spit curls. Cute headband, too; it gives the otherwise very black outfit a bit of a contrast point. The black beading on her dress is interesting, combining plant motives to both sides with a geometrical art deco band down the center and around the neckline.

This is a dress out of which Mary gets a lot of wear over the season, and this has to be the first time that I see those small figures that seem to be leaning on ancient ceramics paintings on her. Usually, this style element would be very much Edith. Or perhaps Rosamund. The dress itself is still fundamentally Mary, a sharp cut between the brown and the ivory section, simple, clear lines, and while the fabric does a lot of work here, she stays conservative with the cut. I love the color pairing, the labyrinth motif on the yoke, and the slits in the front that allow for a little movement in her skirt.

Introducing gold into her wardrobe like Cora suddenly did, Mary jumps on the bandwagon that Edith is leading. Granted, this dress would be very difficult to mistake for Edith’s; she works with more flowing shapes and soft glows, her sequins often making up curlicues. Mary is all sharpness, triangles, one big, sparkling, metallic overstatement. I’m wondering why she puts on so much glamor for a dinner with the family and maybe two or three guests, but she must’ve intuited that the next love of her life would happen to come over. Also note the color-matching gloves that become a staple now when she mostly either wore black or ivory ones so far.

Finger waves! I hate Mary in this scene because she’s so blatantly fishing for compliments I find it vulgar, but no complaints about the hairstyle. She says she had to borrow a dress from Rosamund; that may be true because brown and gold are Rosamund’s dominant colors of the season and all the Crawley women are tall and skinny, but we never actually see this on Rosamund. It’s a pretty chestnut number with black beading and delicate gold thread embroidery, more discreet than the last, but subtly elegant. Cute earrings, too.

Mary really owns her head bandeaus this season; this one has more elaborate beading on it than the little meander she had for the brown-and-ivory dress. Here, we either have a bright copper or gold; I can’t quite tell with the translucent upper tulle layer with all the black sequins. The look is nice in theory, but I blame this style for the too-tight, too-short, covered-in-sequins dresses that are sold as cheap “flapper costumes” these days. At least Mary’s dress probably doesn’t need fringe to even cover her knees.

And for a dinner at the… Criterion? Ritz? I forget, but Mary puts on her other highly glamorous evening dress of the season, and like the gold number further up, this seafoam is usually Edith’s color. In fact, Edith does wear a seafoam-and-golden dress this season that, like Mary’s here, comes up in a peak over her chest and leaves much of the shoulders in the open. I prefer Edith’s, but for matters of personal taste; this dress is objectively a beauty with its flaring skirt and golden lace panels. Frock Flicks commented that Mary’s bandeau looks like a cheap Christmas ribbon up close. Unfortunately, they’re right. Love the green teardrop earrings though.

A curiously white dress for a dinner with family and boyfriend – I suspect this is nodding at wedding fashions because Mary wears it the evening when she’s all lovey-dovey over Henry; the next dinner, when she breaks up with him on the phone, she’s in black. This is not a color we see a lot on her, but I’m here for the lovely flower embroidery and the cute glittery fillet, so I don’t care. The fillet plus this white, drapey dress when Mary went for fitted sleekness and modern glamor just before makes me think she’s trying out a taste of inspiration from ancient Greek fashions.

Heh. I will never get enough of Mary’s face when she learns that Edith is about to outrank her. But what on earth is that headpiece? I’m not sure I’ve ever seen such a head necklace thingie on any 1920s fashion. Maybe on Miss Fisher, and I’m not sure if even she could pull it off. It looks stupid on Mary, which is a shame because the dress is glorious. The glittery stripes running into staggered tassels around her waist? I love it. Also, the under layer seems to be a dull purple silk satin, so Mary is bringing in another unusual color for her.

She really should stick with the bandeaus. When they try out something new with Mary’s headwear, the impression I’m getting is always that they were too cowardly to commit to the actual 1920s styles. What is this weird net thing and shouldn’t it have been a skullcap instead? Other than that, the dress is like the antithesis of her golden one – it’s all sequins and looking massive in that regard, the only extra decoration it’ll allow itself are those triangles in the neckline, but it’s black all over because Mary doesn’t want to be alluring here; she’s trying to intimidate. Not a look I personally like for the lack of structures and shapes, but it works for her.

For her final evening dress of the season, Mary not only returns to jewel colors with this brilliant cranberry shade, she also waltzes up in Fortuny pleats. In fact, I’m pretty sure this exact dress only in white is a Fortuny design, with the top draped over the skirt like that. Quite lovely; I’ll admit that this pleating makes up for an otherwise very simple look. And Mary chose some darling earrings to go with it.

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brazilianreader · 11 days ago

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Downton Abbey Fashion 2 - Edwardian outdoors fashion

Picking this back up again after... a year? Who cares; time is an illusion and so is the soundness of my mind. I wanna talk coats and walking dresses today, let's look at Downton Abbey's season 1!

To my amusement, Violet in the first season is almost exclusively seen in walking dresses and coats; they definitely dominate her fashion aside from the black evening dresses she wears for dinner during mourning. Mostly because the dower house isn't very prominently featured in the first season, so Violet is usually "coming over" rather than seen in her home. And she establishes the color palette that not only honors her name, but is thematically tied to all the Crawleys. Starting with that plum walking suit which I quite like; the embroidery on the jacket is so nice! And just, the color coordination in this outfit. Check out that plumage on the hat. I'm just not sure about the fur stola she has in the second picture. It may be the light, but this fur looks so blue?? It also hides the prettiest part of the jacket, hmph.

I'm not sure why, but I've come to think of this particular outfit as pretty iconic for the Dowager™, even though she doesn't wear it again after this season. The outfit looks a lot like one I've seen in a fashion plate from 1901, but we know Violet doesn't always keep up with times. The blouse underneath seems to be the same as she wore with the previous outfit, the walking suit itself is comparatively simple in its making; no more decoration that the black braiding, which is a wise choice as the fabric is doing all the work here. Where did they even get this? Where do I get this? How does Violet pull off such a waist cinch a good 50 years after these would have been all the rage? Will she ever not be the queen of magnificent headgear? Questions aplenty!

Granted, this one doesn't seem to be so much a walking dress as a house dress that she easily repurposes by adding the fur stola and a very nice hat with velvet roses. We do see her wearing it inside, but it does seem to suffice to take a walk over to the abbey. Simple one, but I like it quite well for a grey dress. Also note the brooch which she has worn with the previous outfit, too.

Another feathered hat, another blouse, but this time it's purple silk, and the white lace becomes the upper instead of the under layer, and thereby the center piece of this outfit. That is some glorious lace, but I'm also noticing these earrings. I'm pretty sure Mary has similar ones.

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I wasn't sure if I should add in Isobel's outfits - she's not dressing to the nines in season 1 yet, as she hasn't settled in the nobility environment she's recently finding herself in. That not to say she dresses badly; I envy her this burgundy, velvet-lined coat (and she seems to like it enough to keep wearing in in season 2). But it doesn't try to be high fashion; it's simple and nice... and Isobel already knows to let her hats do the work for her outfit.

Similar color, but slightly different style; that flowery fabric chosen for collar and cuffs is just lovely, and it really pops before that background. And if I'm not mistaken, this one has pockets~ Also a very pretty belt with double buckle. Isobel may not be as obscenely rich as the Downton Abbey Crawleys, but she has style.

Not much to say about this coat tbh; it's kinda boring. But check out that elegant feathered hat; someone is very quickly taking fashion cues from Violet.

Comparing this coat directly with those that came before I'd say this is one that Isobel only bought recently - I'd hazard a guess this one is couture. The beautiful embroidery, the cream color where she stuck with dark, muted shades before. This one is supposed to Keep Up, and it does not disappoint!

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If there's purple for the Dowager, there must be purple for Lady Grantham. I think Cora is introduced in this coat, and while it's not much to look at, I will grant that it looks cozy. And, of course, a plain coat with undecorated lapels makes for a nice background to a pretty Edwardian hat!

This coat is one of my favorite pieces in the entire run of the show. I can't believe that this one wasn't a keeper for later seasons. Look at all this wonderful chocolate-colored silk satin! Look how that minimal decoration of a few buttons and a couble chevrons in gold thread makes the lapels and cuffs pop! Thankfully, Cora pairs it with hats that, while chic, are in neutral colors so they still let the coat be a statement of itself.

A pretty walking suit, this one looks less grand and a little more girlish that the last. The hats balance that out; especially the richly decorated and color-coordinated first hat is definitely more ladylike than girlish. I'm wondering if Cora had it made to match this suit; the color goes so perfectly with the sheen of the silk. Also worth noting: Lovely lace collars.

This velvet walking suit... hm. I'm not sure how I feel about it. How about, "I wouldn't wear it, but it's definitely good-looking"? Something about this, despite it being the fashionable sihouette, feels dated. Maybe that's just how I feel about velvet, or it's the fluttery blouse cuffs working in tandem with the golden and bronze piping. Also, the hat with the big striped ribbon is giving off slight Rose-boarding-Titanic vibes.

Last but not least, this beauty in white. You know, these loosely-falling lapels that fold onto themselves are a recurring element in Downton Abbey costumes, but I'm actually not sure I've ever seen them on something I knew to be historically authentic. But who cares; she is beauty, she is grace, she lets this one go entirely undecorated so she can shine. I have a slightly softer spot for the second hat she combines this with, if only because it being tied to her chin with a scarf is an element of elegance we haven't seen on any outfit before.

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Rosamund doesn't appear a lot in the first season, but I'd feel amiss not to mention her - look at her trying to step in her mother's shoes, hat-wise. Eh, this metaphor got lost in the wardrobe. It's a bit of a shame that the finish they used on this hat makes it look so plastic-y, but it's still the most eye-catching piece of this outfit; I think Rosamund chose a rather plain coat to go with this on purpose.

Oh, she's serving here. That black skirt looks like it might be a hobble skirt, but there's only so much I can be mad at an outfit that includes this gorgeously tailored coat. But again, it is fairly understated in colors and decoration. I think Rosamund just likes to show off her hat collection.

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brazilianreader · 11 days ago

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"You were the first."

Fictober 24 challenge

Fandom: Downton Abbey

Fanfiction

‘Happy anniversary, darling,’ Robert whispered, wrapping his arm around Cora’s waist, the blankets a warm cocoon around them.

‘Happy anniversary,’ she murmured before he kissed her, long and soft.

‘Thirty-four years. Can you believe it? And never a moment’s doubt,’ he said tenderly as her hand came to rest on his chest.

Cora gave a small laugh. ‘That’s not entirely true, is it?’

‘Well, I… I…’ Robert stuttered, thrown that she’d brought up the rocky start of their marriage on their anniversary.

‘You didn’t want to marry me. Your father made you.’

‘And I thank God for that every day,’ Robert said, fervently.

‘You do now, but you didn’t then.’

‘I just… I didn’t know you very well then. That’s all that was.’

‘That and Lady Anne Portland.’

Robert blanched at the mention of his former lover.

Cora gazed at him, mildly amused by the panicked look on his face. ‘Did you think I didn’t know about you and her?’

‘I… I’ve, er, never really thought about it.’

‘I did know. And I tortured myself with it.’

‘Darling, you’ve never said that before,’ Robert said, upset that his youthful dalliance might have caused his beloved wife distress.

‘She was so sophisticated and beautiful. All those blond curls, green eyes and English manners. I worried I was too ordinary for you, too American, too unworldly. You were so captivated by her.’

Robert looked away, reluctant to admit the truth.

Cora curled a finger under his chin, tipping his face towards her. ‘You don’t have to deny it to save my feelings. I know you were, but it was a long time ago. It’s just that sometimes I wish I had been the first for you, too.’

‘You were the first,’ he said, cupping her face.

‘No, I wasn’t. You weren't the virgin I was when we came to our marriage bed.’

‘No, I wasn’t,’ he acknowledged. ‘I’d lain with several women, but you were the first woman I fell in love with. You’re the only woman I’ve ever loved.’

She narrowed her eyes. ‘You don’t have to lie to me, Robert.’

‘I’m not lying. My first was the courtesan my father paid for when I was at university. As memorable as it was, it was a business transaction and had nothing to do with love. The second was a fleeting encounter with my cousin’s cousin at the end of a very drunken night at a ball. Again, not love.’

‘But then there was Lady Anne.’

‘And I admit at the time I thought I was in love with her, but I know now that I wasn’t. Not even close. I also know I was not the only one she was sharing her favours with.’

‘I was so afraid that you were going to keep her as your mistress when we married,’ Cora confessed, remembering the feelings that tormented her daily. ‘I loved you so much, I could hardly bear the thought of it.’

‘Oh, my darling,’ Robert murmured, kissing her brow. ‘I am so sorry to have made you feel like that.’

‘As I said, it was a long time ago now.’

‘I never slept with Anne again once we were engaged. Never,’ he said, anxious to slay any sleeping dragons. ‘I would not have done that to you.’

Cora smiled, pleased to know that even after her long years of security as Lady Grantham.

‘You were my first and only love,’ Robert whispered. ‘You still are.’

‘And you are mine.’

‘Then let’s celebrate our love,’ he said, drawing her close.

Cora smiled and kissed him, ready to forget the past.

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