The third year of Downton Abbey Mania is about to commence. I am fully prepared to devote the next 7 Sundays sitting in front of PBS to join the Crawleys, their friends, and relatives and watch this high-end dramatic soap plot unfold (January 6th – February 17th). The action has moved from the Edwardian Era and the carnage of World War I and entered the 1920s – the jazz age, the flapper age, and the first generation in which youth held sway in music, the arts, and fashion, influencing their elders in the process.
The lawn in front of Downton Abbey is getting crowded! Credit: Courtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
Scores of young men are now dead and mourned in burial grounds across Europe. The young, angry at the carnage and destruction and irreplaceable loss of life and limb, turned away from their parents’ rules and adopted a looser, more flamboyant lifestyle. Women voted, drove cars, drank, had affairs, attended jazz clubs, and skirted convention. The youth culture was in full sway, and for the first time adults began to ape their youngers.
The Edwardian fashion silhouette included restrictive corsets, long skirts, and trussed up bosoms. Credit: Courtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
Adolescence became the new standard of beauty – youthful adolescence, or the “garconne” look. Thin was in, and the idea was to appear small bosomed, small hipped, and boyish.
The prepubescent girl look became popular, including flattened breasts and hips, and bobbed hair. Fashions turn to the “little girl look” in “little girl frocks”: curled or shingled hair, saucer eyes, the turned-up nose, bee-stung mouth, and de-emphasized eyebrows, which emphasize facial beauty. Shirt dresses have huge Peter Pan collars or floppy bow ties and are worn with ankle-strap shoes with Cuban heels and an occasional buckle. Under wear is fashionable in both light colors and black, and is decorated with flowers and butterflies. – Women’s Fashion 1920
Gabrielle Chanel, Evening Dress in Crepe Georgette with Silver Lamé Sash. France, c. 1923. Image @canalblog.com
Hems rose, bras were condemned, and fabrics swayed and shimmered. Unchaperoned dates became de rigueur. And hair was worn short or bobbed. Gone were the restrictive corsets of their mothers and grandmothers. Hemlines began to rise so that by 1924, skirts stopped at the knee (displaying the entire lower leg) and waistlines dropped below the hips. Slits, pleats, and skirt gathers allowed for freedom of movement. Fabrics for evening wear shimmered with metallic thread, beads, and sequins. Dance clothes were made of gold lame or flowy fabrics cut on the bias. Fringes showed movement, and the craze for new dances like the Charleston and Tango, was in full swing.
Fashion silhouette for 1922. Image @Pauline Thomas fashion-era.com
How did the women of Downton Abbey fare in this new liberated age? Let’s look, shall we?
Lady Edith
First, Lady Edith, who we last saw straddling a tractor in pants and learning to drive an automobile, is still trying to find a relevant place in the world. Stuck in the middle of two beautiful sisters, she has yet to find her unique position.
Lady Edith wears a relaxed, straightlined look popularized by Chanel. The outfit is early 1920’s, before the hemlines started to rise dramatically. Her cloche hat closely fits her head, and she wears her crimped hair short. As skirts shortened, shoes and hose began to play a more important role in fashion. Edith’s outfit is a bit clunky. Will she do better with time? Credit: Courtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
Lady Edith’s dinner dress exposes her arms and much of her shoulders, but does not emphasize her waist or bosom. The rich fabric and color is typical of the 1920s. Credit: Courtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
The gorgeous shimmering fabric with panels hangs loosely over Lady Edith’s fit frame. Madeleine Vionnet was especially adept with the art of bias-cutting and diagonal seaming. This sleeveless dinner dress is typical of the era. Credit: Courtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
Credit: Courtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
Close up one can see the beautiful shimmering metallic thread details. Lady Edith’s crimped hair is fashioned to look short. Note the delicate long necklace. Credit: Courtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
This Callot Soeurs gown reminds me of the cut of Lady Edith’s dress. You can find it on my Pinterest Board: http://pinterest.com/pin/236509417903111924/ Credit: Courtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
Coco Chanel strongly influenced fashion throughout the 20th century. Her dresses for working women and women on the go sported functional features and lacked superficial decorations. Her fashions were clean, sleek, and monotone. In the image below, Edith, who has found a job as a columnist, visits her editor in a practical yet fashionable gown.
Lady Edith in her “little boy” work outfit, London. Credit: Courtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
Lady Mary
Unlike Lady Edith, Lady Mary has everything, including access to funds. In order to become rich, she has to look the part. It helps enormously that Lady Mary’s figure is thin, elegant, and small-bosomed. Her future assured, she spends no time worrying about the cost of her wardrobe and indulges herself royally before the wedding.
The cloche hat, dropped waist, restrained colors, and well placed details of her day gown bespeak a quality that ready-made or homemade garments did not have. Credit: Courtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
Rich, lush fabric, dramatic sleeves and neckline, and black embroidered detailing. Matthew’s suits are also beginning to look more relaxed and modern. Credit: Courtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
An extraordinarily attractive day suit. The hat is dramatic (not cloche) and sports a feather. Note that clothes tend to be color coordinated. Credit: Courtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
An utterly romantic and refined outfit. Mary is elegant, and certainly not a flapper of the speak-easy kind. Credit: Courtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
With so many young men killed during WW I, Lady Mary is lucky to be married at all. This romantic wedding gown echoes the romanticism of the era. The tiara is an especially beautiful and authentic detail. Credit: Courtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
Simplicity and elegance are the hallmarks of early 1920s fashion. 1920 photograph.
Long flowing lines and drop waist. Credit: Courtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
Breathtakingly gorgeous gown. Credit: Courtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
Mr and Mrs Matthew Crawley. Awww. Credit: Courtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
Wide collared coat and cloche hat. Long beaded necklaces. How very elegant and modern. Credit: Courtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
Saturday Evening Post, 1922
Lady Rosamund, Isobel Crawley, and Lady Rose
Aunt Rosamund wears a dress with asymmetrical details and loose sleeves that allow for freedom of movement. Her dress echoes that of the younger set and she has most definitely discarded her Edwardian clothes. Credit: Courtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
Rosamund’s 1920s gown looks downright dowdy next to Lady Rose’s youthful, modern sailor-collared dress. Her hat has more dash and elan than Edith’s simple monotone cloche. Credit: Courtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
Lady Rose is the youthful ideal. Her clothes are shorter and flowier than those of her elders. Credit: Courtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
Young and impetuous Lady Rose MacClare wearing a flapper dress. Credit: Courtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel (French, 1883-1971). Dress, 1925, crystal beads on silk chiffon. Collection of Phoenix Art Museum, gifts of Mrs. Wesson Seyburn. Photographs by Ken Howie.
While the older set, like Isobel Crawley, wore fashion influenced by the young, their outfits were decidedly conservative in comparison. Credit: Courtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
Martha Levinson
Shirley Maclain as Martha Levinson, Cora’s American mother. Her clothes are expensive and extremely fashionable when compared to Isobel and Violet. Martha tends to overdress according to British standards. Credit: Courtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
Balenciaga Coat 1927
The contrast between Martha and Violet cannot be more stated than in this image. Violet wears old-fashioned clothes and a tiara that has probably been handed down for generations. Martha is a walking advertisement for nouveau clothes. Her headband is extremely fashionable and she wears an outfit dictated by the preferences of the young. Credit: Courtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
Martha’s jewels and headbands match each outfit. Credit: Courtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
Martha’s clothes are as flamboyant as her personality. Credit: Courtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
This is a rather restrained look for Martha, who sports a short crimped haircut. Credit: Courtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
Mary, Martha, and Cora: 3 generations. The clothes are simple in this scene, and the details are exquisite. While Lady Mary’s hair is long, the hairstyle mimics a shorter bob. Credit: Courtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
Cora, Lady Grantham
Cora strikes the right balance between current fashion and her position as countess. The earl, who values tradition, wears traditional clothes. Credit: Courtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
Cora in black. Fashionable, yet restrained and somber. Credit: Courtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
The Crawley women at Lady Mary’s wedding to Matthew. Note the elaborate hats. Credit: Courtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
Cora looking regal in a richly colored and detailed gown. Credit: Courtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
Characters as defined by fashion: Violet in Edwardian clothes, Cora in a conservative 1920s evening gown, and the very young racy Lady Rose in a flapper sleeveless evening gown. Credit: Courtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
Lady Sybil
This interesting image shows the very elegant Mary standing next to Lady Sybil, whose wardrobe reflects her new status as the wife of a working man. Anna is in uniform. Credit: Courtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
The lines of Lady Sybil’s simple gowns remind me of Madeline Vionnet’s chiton gown.
Early 1920s fashions were influenced by many cultures – Egypt, Greece, Japan, and Mexico.The monastic style was also fashionable. Tom Branson’s suits are ill-fitting in comparison to the earl’s and Matthew’s suits. Credit: Courtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
Lady Sybil’s pregnancy was easily accommodated in this loosely flowing gown. Credit: Courtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
Tom and Sybil spruced up for Lady Mary’s wedding to Matthew. Credit: Courtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
Lady Sybil’s gown is made of fabric with an exotic fabric. This was an era that harmonized art with fashion. Rayon, known as “artificial silk”, gained great popularity with the public. Credit: Courtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
Team Bates
One simply cannot ignore the servants, although a uniform is a uniform. Let’s see what else the hoi polloi wears, shall we?
Poor unfortunate Bates. Forced to wear prison garb. Oh, woe is he. Credit: Courtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
…
This grey ensemble does poor Bates no justice. When will he be released? Credit: Courtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
Mrs. Bates in a fighting mood for her man. She will move heaven and earth to prove his innocence. Her version of 1920’s flapper style is somber indeed. Her clothes are probably homemade and sewn from a pattern. Credit: Courtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
With only modest resources, Anna Bates manages to look primly stylish. Credit: Courtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
Detective Anna Bates prying information from a reluctant witness. Her coat is conservative and long. And is she wearing clogs? Credit: Courtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
Another woe is me character – Ethel. Poor poor Ethel is trying to make do in life while taking care of her bastard son Charlie. She still manages to afford a cloche hat. Ethel’s colors of choice are somber, sober, and solemn. Credit: Courtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
Phyllis Logan as Mrs. Hughes and Lesley Nicol as Mrs. Patmore. Very little in their wardrobes has changed. Credit: Courtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
For those whose interests in 1920’s fashion has reached new heights, click here to visit my Pinterest board entitled 1925: http://pinterest.com/janeaustenworld/1925/. For more about avant-garde dresses of the 20’s, google Coco Chanel, Madeleine Vionnet, Lavin (and his robes de style), Paul Poiret (who lost his leadership position in fashion during this era, but who was heavily influenced by Japanism), and Liberty and Co. of Paris and London.
Next week: My review of the first 3 hours of Season Three of Downton Abbey. PLEASE, in your comments do not reveal spoilers. We in the U.S. have not yet seen the series. Thank you!
More on the topic.
- 1920s dress styles
- 1920s fashion
- women’s fashions 1920
- From Flapper to Bride
- Downton Abbey: Award Winning Couture
Images courtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
Jane Austen's World 
What a wonderful post! I love the 20’s and the clothes were so elegant. Thank you so much for sharing :)
Heh, a few of the Downtonites who watched S3 last year (myself included) got a kick over how some of the fashion bled a little outside of the 1920-1922 period. ;)
I thought this was very evident with Lady Rose’s outfits.
I love your discussion of the fashions of the twenties in Downton Abbey. I will look at their clothes more closely now. Notice the focus of attention is really the women.
Yeah, but then, men’s fashions were still pretty samey and don’t become more varied until the fifties and sixties… Suits, suits, suits. Have to feel sorry for them really!
“With only modest resources, Anna Bates manages to look primly stylish.” I believe she would have received Lady Mary’s cast-offs. Would that not have been the case?
In real life certain ladies maids received cast offs from their mistresses, but I wonder how common that custom was. I read somewhere that the mistress took care to “donate” clothes that were outdated so that the maid would not outshine her. Then there is the matter of size. Simply looking at Lady Mary (tall) and Anna (slight), the clothes would need to be severely tailored to fit. From this series, one gets the sense that neither O’Brien nor Anna received many hand me downs. In last year’s Christmas special, a cloth was given as a gift, which made sense to me.
Love this post.
Lady Mary is our own Duchess of Cambridge. She always gets it right and always looks stunning.
Love this post, it made me actually interested in the series! :)
I could hardly wait until Downton Abbey returned last night. The fashion is one of the most marvelous aspects of the show. Thank you for sharing insight into the clothing of the 1920s. One of my favorite fashions of the evening was Martha’s white wedding ensemble trimmed in fur and a feather in her turban. The outfit was so appropriate for her character, elegant, rich, and over the top.
I realized with some chagrin that I had not included an image of Martha’s white coat. Here it is!
Lovely post.
I really hope they give Edith more story time. She has the classic 20’s look/profile. More so than the rest of the cast.
‘Is Mr Selfridge the new Downton Abbey?‘ asks Viv Groskop ‘ . . What’s thankfully missing from a Downton point of view? Immense silliness. Extremely short scenes culminating in a one-liner and a raised eyebrow. A dog or other cult animal character. These are things we need not miss at all. Let’s hope the quality and even pacing of this first episode augur well for the rest of the series. Davies will take us on a carefully crafted narrative journey rather than Fellowes’ crazed rollercoaster ride.
The question is: was Mr Selfridge exciting enough? Last night’s outing showed signs that it could turn out to be good but safe. Like Downton, though, it has its playful moments. “What is it with the press over here?” asks Selfridge. “It’s almost as if they want us to fail.” . . ‘
http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2013/jan/07/is-mr-selfridge-new-downton-abbey
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr_Selfridge_(TV_series)
I’m obssessed with the 1920’s and have been for years, even though I would have been a huge fashion don’t back then. My figure would have been out of fashion for the period and I would have need to be an anorexic to be fashionable!
Thanks for this great post; I posted the link on my FB page!
Regan
http://www.reganwalkerauthor.com
Hi Gorgeous! It’s so nice to be visiting you again… my blog hiatus is over. And I absolutely am thrilled to visit you again and see this amazing post – Le Wow! Eye candy with all these pictures – I lurve the clothes from this era. Lurve~
Janeen! so glad to see you back!
Hello! :) I am so excited for the 3rd season. I haven’t seen it as well. The outfits are gorgeous. Lady Sybil’s though was the least I liked. Lady Edith’s was even better than hers. I wished that even if the former’s lifestyle has changed, her outfit would still be nice (at least nicer than the ones I just saw.) Or perhaps it’s just the color and style of the outfits which did not suit my taste — it seemed too dull for her.
Tom is only an editor and one wonders how much money he makes. I am sure that her somber wardrobe reflects her reduced status in life. Lady Mary’s wardrobe is my favorite!
Hey, Vic,
Off topic, but was wondering if you had any thoughts on this: In the first episode of season three (anyone who hasn’t seen the first episode should read no further), we hear talk of selling the estate because Lord Grantham has lost all the cash investments. But isn’t the entire point of the entail that it is not possible to sell any part of the estate? I understand that they might not have the cash to keep living in the same style, and they might even have to shut down the house and let it fall into ruin, but Lord Grantham only has a life interest in an entailed estate; I don’t see how he could sell it even if he wanted to. He might be able to lease it to someone. Do you think that’s what they mean, or is there some other detail I’m missing?
And I understand that land values after the industrial revolution were not quite enough to keep the aristocracy living in the style they wanted, but that doesn’t change the fact that they continued to receive rent on that land, so the land should be self-sustaining. The only real issue is the expense of running that giant house. As far as I can tell, they aren’t in debt; they just lost their cash investments. So while they might need to live more modestly, but I don’t understand the idea that they will have to sell the estate, even if they could, which I don’t think they can.
Thanks for any insight!
Eric
Some inconsistencies do creep into the storytelling for Downton Abbey. The only writer, Lord Kitchener-Fellowes, apparently doesn’t care for long-term planning–especially from series to series. He thought an “impoverished” Downton was a good way to begin series 3; therefore, the fortune has vanished!
Since series 2, I’ve found it best to concentrate on the performances & the excellent production values. (One reason why this thread is so lovely.) Expect serious cultural commentary, believable character development or logical plot points in Downton Abbey? That way lies madness…..
I agree; I watch for the pretty, not for the plot. And they could end up going the “Persuasion” route after all, without actually selling. Maybe all will be answered in the next installment!
Eric! So nice to see you again. I’ve been dithering about an answer and just can’t find one that seems satisfactory. It seems to me that the earl’s hands are tied. He simply does not have enough money to oversee the day to day operations of Downton Abbey. Can he sell the estate? No. But he can move out of it and sell off any assets not tied down by the entail or that was purchased by Cora’s money. Lands that were not entailed can be sold. Entailed lands can be rented out. The mansion itself, like Sir Walter Elliot did, can be rented until the heir is ready to move in. The earl can move into a smaller dwelling, live a simpler life, and live off the few shillings he has left. As a gentleman of the old school, he does not see many options. Matthew, on the other hand, can return to lawyering.
I agree with you in that the writers did not make it clear which portions of the estate the Crawleys could sell off or how the servants and workers on their lands would be affected.
Vic, my friend with DVR recorded the first episode Sunday evening, then three of us watched it together Wednesday afternoon. Throughout, my friend kept remarking how much she loved the clothes. I, on the other hand, hated them. I’ve never liked 1920s fashions. Would have wanted to hold onto my Edwardian wardrobe, thank you veddy much!
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