- [Narrator] These are the Crawley sisters.
You know them from "Downton Abbey."
You may remember this look,
or this one,
and of course this one.
But are they accurate?
We got this fashion historian-
- I'm Raissa Bretana and I'm a fashion historian.
- [Narrator] To walk us through
what "Downton Abbey" got right
and what they got mostly right about these looks.
First, let's establish the setting.
- The series is set at the fictional Downton estate
located in Yorkshire at the early 20th century.
We begin season one in April of 1912
with the sinking of the Titanic,
and season six concludes on New Year's Eve of 1925.
The show centers around the fictional
aristocratic Crawley family.
The Crawley sisters were subject
to strict social customs of dress
which were required of ladies in their social positions.
They changed five to seven times a day
which required the assistance of a lady's maid.
Repetition of garments was common,
and this is realistically depicted in the show.
Overall, the costume department of "Downton Abbey"
was dedicated to historical accuracy
in their meticulous research of the era.
- [Narrator] Let's get into the looks.
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First up, Sybil's jupe-culotte ensemble.
- This look appears in season one, episode four,
which takes place in May 1913.
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Costume designer Susannah Buxton helped bring to life
this jupe-culotte ensemble,
which was perhaps one of the most memorable costumes
of the series.
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The top half of the costume was made from an antique bodice
from the early 1910s
combined with the metallic lace sleeves
of another antique dress.
This was an avant-garde ensemble
that was meant to shock the Crawley family
and demonstrated Sybil's forward-thinking ideals.
She's also the character who wears
the most avant-garde styles.
Her ideals were exemplified by this ensemble
because jupe-culottes were often associated
with the women's rights movement,
and that was one that Lady Sybil was passionate about.
[cheerful music]
- [Narrator] Let's draw Sybil's jupe-culotte look
layer by layer.
First up, the undergarments.
- The innermost undergarment would either be a combination
or a set of chemise and drawers.
These undergarments would be made of cotton
and would include decorative details
like lace or ribbon insertion.
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- [Narrator] Next up, the stockings.
- These stockings would be finely knitted
and fastened above the knee using garters,
which may have been attached
to the bottom edge of the corset.
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- [Narrator] And then the corset.
- Despite this shockingly modern ensemble,
a woman of Lady Sybil's social position
would still be expected to wear traditional undergarments
which did include a corset.
Corsets in 1913 aimed to elongate the torso,
beginning just under the bust
and extending down to about mid thigh.
The brassiere, or bra, would be patented in 1914,
but women were not necessarily quick to adopt it.
- [Narrator] That brings us to the jupe-culotte layer.
- Jupe-culotte literally translates to skirt trousers.
These were loose, voluminous trousers
that gathered at the ankle
and were sometimes called Turkish trousers or harem pants.
They were championed by such avant-garde designers
as Paul Poiret, whose orientalist designs
from the early 20th century are legendary
in fashion history.
[image whooshing]
- [Narrator] And now the shoes.
- Sybil wears a standard pair of evening shoes
from the period which were made of silk with a curved heel
and a single strap.
- [Narrator] Next up, gloves.
- Lady Sybil wears champagne-colored elbow-length gloves.
Women of this social status were expected to wear gloves
with an evening ensemble,
but they would be removed when eating dinner.
- [Narrator] What about her hair?
- In this scene, Lady Sybil wears her hair
in a low twisted chignon,
which would be appropriate for a formal scene in 1913.
However, this wouldn't have necessarily been required of her
at this point in the series.
In the first half of season one we occasionally see her
wearing her hair down, and that is because she had not yet
been presented to society.
[image whooshing]
- [Narrator] Finally, the last layer.
- Sybil wears a wide metallic-embroidered headband
with inset jewel to match her blue ensemble.
According to the costume designer,
this was an original antique piece from the period.
This is accurate, but there is another option
for a fashionable accessory here.
Because jupe-culotte ensembles were influenced
by orientalist design,
the most avant-garde women would sometimes opt
to wear a fashionable turban instead.
Like Sybil's headpiece,
there was often a central decorative element
like a stone or, more extravagantly, a spray of feathers.
This ensemble points to a very specific point
in fashion history and it is quite accurate.
- [Narrator] So here's what Sybil would've looked like
compared to the original look from the series.
Pretty much the same!
Let's move on to Lady Edith.
- This look appears in season three, episode eight,
which takes place in late summer of 1920.
This look by costume designer Caroline McCall
was the quintessential mid 1920s daytime city look.
While it is technically accurate,
we would not have seen this in the summer of 1920.
This look actually bears closer resemblance
to styles from 1923 or '24.
We actually see Lady Edith wearing a very similar look
with the same hat in the following season.
One reason for this design choice may be to create
a stark contrast between the wartime realities of season two
and the new urban setting of the London season,
which is season three.
- [Narrator] Now we're going to draw
every layer of this look.
[cheerful music] [image whooshing]
First, the undergarments.
- The innermost garment would be a version
of the combination, but overall a bit smaller
and more lightweight.
By 1920, the ideal body was transitioning
into one with de-emphasized curves.
It became fashionable to flatten the bust
rather than accentuate it.
This is why the corset evolved into the girdle,
which was a lightly boned undergarment
that flattened the hips and created a columnar silhouette.
- [Narrator] And then the stockings.
- Stockings were still worn
and were secured using suspender-like garters
which were often attached to the bottom edge of the girdle.
- [Narrator] Then the third layer.
- A slip added a smoothing layer
between the undergarments and the outer dress.
It would have been loose fitting and boxy
to match the silhouette of the dress worn over it.
- [Narrator] Next up, the dress.
- Edith's peach shift dress appears to be lightweight
and could have been made of rayon,
which was actually called artificial silk until 1924.
The dress features two pleated inset panels
and a row of buttons
that emphasize the design's verticality.
The low slung waistline is a commonly referenced hallmark
of 1920s fashion.
However, this is a change that happened gradually,
and it was more common in the mid 1920s.
In the summer of 1920,
the waistline would not have yet reached
the level of the hips.
In reality, the dress designs from about 1919 to 1921
were transitional and featured waistlines
that sat below the natural waist
but still above the level of the hips.
Aside from the placement of the waistline,
Edith's dress is pretty accurate.
- [Narrator] What about her coat?
- Edith wears a light summer-weight coat
which appears to be made
of a uniquely woven jacquard or matelasse.
It is left open to reveal the dress underneath.
The coat is decorated with floral appliques
that match the peach tones of the dress,
and these could have been added by the costume department
to an existing vintage coat.
It is incredibly modern and well made,
which speaks to Edith's youth and social position.
- [Narrator] And then the shoes.
- Edith's shoes are light colored
and likely made of leather.
They feature a sturdy heel and a strap
which would've been appropriate for her life in the city.
- [Narrator] Next up, Edith's hair.
- Edith's hair remains long, but it's styled in a way
to create the look of the fashionable shorter hairstyles
of the period.
This style is called a finger wave or Marcel wave,
and it is achieved using a curling iron,
which we see Anna practicing with in season two.
This style could also be achieved
by using a combination of pomade and wave clips.
- [Narrator] And of course the hat.
- Edith wears a light colored hat with an upturned brim
and a peach hat band to coordinate with her ensemble.
During the early 1920s, hat brims became narrower
and started to fit closer to the head.
This would eventually give way
to the bell-shaped cloche style
which became synonymous with the time period.
Overall, Edith blossoms in London
and her clothes reflect that
of a smartly dressed urban woman of the era.
- [Narrator] So this is what Edith would've looked like
compared to the original.
Again, almost exactly the same.
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Finally, let's take a look at Mary's gown.
- This look appears in season six, episode nine,
which is the series finale,
and this takes place in December of 1925.
The last two seasons and the film were designed
by Anna Mary Scott Robbins
and were set at the height of the Jazz Age.
At this point of the series we see costumes
that audiences can readily identify as the 1920s.
Actress Michelle Dockery wore a real antique Fortuny gown,
which was a treat to see on screen
because these garments are usually meticulously preserved
in museum collections.
This was the first time a Delphos gown was ever worn
in a television series.
It was lent by the Fortuny archive,
along with two velvet coats worn by Lady Mary and Lady Rose.
This ensemble is true to Lady Mary's character.
She's a woman a very refined taste
who prefers streamlined simplicity
over excessive ornamentation.
- [Narrator] Let's draw Mary's look layer by layer.
[image whooshing]
First up, undergarments.
- Lady Mary has the fashionably slender figure
for the period and wouldn't require
any extensive undergarments for shaping.
Her undergarments may have consisted
of a simple bandeau-style brassiere
and a pair of short drawers.
This style of bra was popular during the 1920s
and was worn by women who naturally possessed
the fashionably flat chest.
- [Narrator] Let's move on to the next layer.
- She would be wearing silk stocking secured with garters.
These garters would've been elasticated
and incorporated some sort of decorative trimming.
- [Narrator] Perhaps the most impressive layer,
the Fortuny Delphos gown.
- The Delphos gown was designed by Mariano Fortuny
and so called for its resemblance to the garment worn
by the ancient Greek bronze sculpture
"The Charioteer at Delphi."
It was made from two rectangular panels of dyed silk
which were intricately pleated using a system of machinery
that Fortuny patented in 1909.
Since then, the method of pleating
has been one of fashion history's
most closely guarded secrets.
The side seams and shoulder seams were not sewn,
but rather fastened with a series of pins called fibulae.
Lady Mary wears a variation of the Delphos gown
known as the peplos which featured a short tunic layer.
Small Venetian glass beads were stitched to the bottom edge
to weigh down the hem and to preserve the straight line
of the garment.
It's essential to note that the Delphos gown
was originally designed as a tea gown.
The tea gown was an Edwardian-era garment
that was worn by society women in the home.
In 1909, Fortuny was shocked to find out
that society's boldest women
were actually wearing their Delphos gowns out of the house.
By the mid 1920s, it became common for modern women
to wear them as evening dresses.
Because she is wearing an actual garment from the period,
it really doesn't get more accurate than this.
- [Narrator] Next up, the shoes.
- We never see Mary's shoes in this scene, but we can assume
that she's wearing some type of silk evening shoe
with a curved heel and a decorative element.
- [Narrator] And then the hair.
- In season five, Lady Mary cuts her long hair
into a stylish shingle bob.
This style is notable for its angular sides
that accentuate the cheek bones.
The back of the bob is cropped high above the hairline
with a pointed base at the nape.
This hairstyle was favored by film flappers
like Colleen Moore and Louise Brooks.
- [Narrator] Finally, her jewelry.
- Lady Mary wears a thin headband across her forehead,
and these headpieces were standard
for evening dress in the 1920s.
She occasionally wears a tiara to dinner,
which was an accessory reserved
for married aristocratic women.
She also wears a long chain necklace
which was favored during this time period
because it emphasized the fashionable flatness of the chest.
And she wears long drop earrings
that dangle below her bobbed hair.
Overall, her jewelry is very understated
which reflects her preference for elegance and simplicity.
Lady Mary's look is perfection and absolutely accurate.
- [Narrator] So this is what Mary would've looked like
compared to the look in the series finale.
Very accurate!
[image whooshing]
Any final thoughts?
- Overall, "Downton Abbey" is the gold standard
for period dramas
with particular enthusiasm placed on the costumes.
[cheerful music]