Attention: Spoiler Alert. Do not go further or view the images if you have not seen Episode 2. Missed this episode? Want to watch it again? Click here to see PBSs streaming videos of Downton Abbey 3, Episodes One and Two, available for a limited time only.
Two episodes, two weddings, two radically different endings. Poor Edith. She’s rapidly turning into the Upstairs version of Mr. Bates. Poor Edith/poor Bates. See how these two phrases can be used interchangeably? But Edith’s fate is not what this post is about. I am asking you to cast your critical eyes upon the two wedding dresses and two wedding parties and vote for your fave. Who sported a more breathtaking 1920s bridal outfit? Whose flowers blow your mind? And who spurred guests to dress better? Edith or Mary? Curious minds want to know. Find the poll at the bottom of this post.
Mary and Edith in full wedding regalia. Credit: Courtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
Edith walks down the aisle with Papa. Credit: Courtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
Mary with her man, veil, and bouquet. Credit: Courtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
Edith with her man, veil, and bouquet. Credit: Courtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
Edith with her sisters. (That’s Anna in the background.) Credit: Courtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
Edith, Cora, and Sybil in the pews at Mary’s wedding. Credit: Courtesy of ©Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
Cora’s hat at Edith’s wedding. Credit: Courtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
The pews at Lady Mary wedding. Credit: Courtesy of © Nick Wall/Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
Violet at Edith’s wedding. Credit: Courtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE
Downton Abbey Season 3, Episode 2 Wedding Dress Poll
Alas and alack the results of the two weddings were radically different. While one couple experienced wedded bliss, the other couple, well, uncoupled. Sir Anthony, cad, fleed the scene, leaving poor Edith bereft and without purpose. Poor Edith. I am firmly on her team.
Feel free to leave your comments about Episode Two, but no spoilers about later episodes please. Review to come.
- EOnline showcases an article and interesting comments regarding Lady Mary’s dress
- Filming Lady Edith’s wedding scenes, Daily Mail
- Downton Abbey Weddings
Other Downton Abbey Series 3 Posts on this Blog
Jane Austen's World 
Uggh because – the veils on each are not silk tulle which would be more enchanting and the fabric on each hangs in an unflattering way – not heavy enough silk in the under dress for Mary and not heavy enough silk to drape beautifully in Edyth’s. There should be a lovely flow to these gowns and they just don’t have it. Also, Edyth’s is too short. Headpiece adds nothing as well.
Ack! This was a spoiler for me! :( Then again, I assumed they wouldn’t give Edith any happiness! I don’t like either dress overmuch, as 1920s fashion is not a favorite. They are about equally disappointing to me, though I prefer the guests’ attire at Edith’s wedding.
Reina, I will keep this in mind and place spoiler alert at the top of the post. So sorry. Vic
I thought Mary’s wedding dress was frumpy looking. No waist, no shape to the dress. I suppose that was the popular style of the day. Edith’s dress was prettier by far.
I agree with Ilze, I think Edith’s dress was prettier. That said, she is turning into an easy source of drama. I hope she goes to America with her grandmother.
I agree with Ilze,
Mary’s dress was just short of frumpy. Granted, 20’s styles were not all that flattering with the plain lose bodice and dropped waistlines, but, with some strategic lace and beading (and maybe more fitted sleeves or capped/draped sleeves over shoulders) both dresses could have been prettier.
Still in all, Edith’s won out just for fabric alone. Too bad the outcome didn’t…will Fellowes & team EVER let Edith catch a break???
Oops, sorry, Second sentence should have read, “…with the plain LOOSE bodice…”! ;-)
I wish that Edith would be happy some day.
The simple lines of Mary’s dress were in keeping with the era, but Edith’s dress with it’s side detailing, gathered sleeves and slightly lower neckline made more of a statement. Calla lilies are always elegant, but Edith’s bouquet of pink roses and what looks to be lily of the valley caught my eye. All the flowers used would be appropriate to the time period, As for guests’ apparel, I loved the hat Mary wore at her sister’s leave-me-at-the-altar ceremony.
Whilst I was not overly impressed with Lady Mary’s dress, I felt her ‘comportment’ gave her the edge over her sister!
My favorite guest outfit was Sybil’s lilac appliqued dress, worn at Mary’s wedding, which was beautiful!
While I liked Edith’ s dress a bit more, I think Mary’s suited her better. And I liked Mary’s flowers better. The color of Cora’ s outfit at Mary’s wedding was so beautiful. I hope Edith gets to try this again with a better guy.
We can’t all like the same thing re fashion but I do think that the Calla lilies were
not suited for a wedding because in those days it was more in keeping to have them at funerals……….
Mary’s dress was lovely but I believe it was designed to suit modern tastes as well as be period-correct. Just as her bouquet seemed more “modern” to me….
I didn’t really like either gown, to be honest. The show isn’t doing the early 1920s justice, skipping ahead to the completely dropped or absent waists and minimalist cuts too early. Mary’s was decent, managing to flatter her (although just about everything flatters Michelle Dockery), but Edith’s distracted me by having the neckline and fabric and sleeves I’d associate with the later 1920s or even 1930s.
My favorite piece at both weddings was the headband worn by Mary and Edith (I think it’s the same one, hard to tell). Forget the dress, give me the diamonds!
While I like Mary better than Edith, I think Edith’s gown was warmer and more flattering. Mary’s washed her out and covered too much. What a fun poll!
Regan
http://www.reganwalkerauthor.com
I voted Ugh too – I was immediately underwhelmed by Mary’s stairwell entrance. Haven’t seen episode 2 yet but from the picture, Edith’s looks equally bland. I enjoyed the wedding audience’s wear more too.
Mary’s dress was the more elegant — Edith’s a little showier. Twenties dressing was all about freedom and flow — and the grateful elimination of corsets, stays, and serious undergirdings of any kind. Mary’s carriage and posture has always been better than Edith’s, so whatever she wears will look better. Mary is about her position and family. Edith has always been about herself. The statement she makes while looking at all the decorating underway — “Finally something in this house being done for ME” tells us all we need to know about Edith. She chased and pushed Sir Anthony, who is as old as, if not older than, her father, and was all about making him “her life’s work” — not about loving him. Sorry for her to be left in the lurch, but all things being equal, I believe Sir Anthony loved Edith more than she loved him. Her grief is at finding herself a spinster (again,) with her sisters married. His seemed to me to be about giving her up for her best interests.
But, back to the clothes: The summer clothes worn by the guests at Edith’s wedding were prettier than the heavier early Spring garb; i liked Cora’s first hat better, however.
Lady Annes’ comments are well taken….no undergarments of the previously soo constricting types were the statement of the day so yes, all the clothing for women of this period would have been less “flattering” in an “hourglass” sort of way. We can’t expect the costume designers of the show to dress the ladies to suit the audiences’ taste if they are hired to dress the characters for the historically correct time period. Pleasing “us” is not what it’s about. Still I think over all Lady Edith’s gown is a spectacular piece…did you all catch that fleeting glimpse of the train? If not- replay your DVRs and freeze frame it….WOW, it took my breath away, the travesty is we only get to see it for a moment in real time after the editor had his/her way with it. Take another look my friends.
The diadem (headpiece) that both ladies wore, as I recall from a recently aired (on-line) back-story (behind the scenes) I watched was apparently owned by their great grandmother…and passed down….as was so traditional of the day. “Old fashioned” even by the characters’ standards but a sense of tradition within a family stays true. And I am thankful for it, as a costumer that at least tries to emulate. As for “poor Lady Edith” yes, I’d love to finally see her in a happy relationship where her own sense of purpose is put more in perspective. It’s true she seems so self-centered, but then for the standing she has in the family, she’s had reason to be. The middle child is so often over looked and never to belittle the beauty of Laura Carmichael, after all, she was chosen for Ediths’ character partly because she isn’t a raving beauty like the other two daughters. Putting her not only in the “ignored” middle child spot, but also because she will always be the “not so” pretty one…the character she feels she MUST be spectacular in other ways. Her perspective husband, leaving her at the alter was a low blow to be sure, but I believe she’ll get back on her feet, as she _is_ her own center of the universe, she has to….she must, it’s her duty….to the family name and herself…….
I liked Edith’s dress the best–the detail work was beautiful. But I think that the clean lines of Mary’s dress and the simple lily bouquet really fit Mary’s personality. They both made beautiful brides–I just wish Edith’s hadn’t ended so badly! Poor girl, I’m really hoping some good things come her way. I’d like to see her move to London and become one of those “bright young things.”
To be sure, Lady Edith is the middle child – however, the complete look of joy on her face, tells me she was ready for whatever she would be dealt in this marriage. Anthony, too, looked radiant whenever he looked at her! If nosy Violet would just have been more quiet — I couldn’t believe Edith ran upstairs – I waited for her to follow Anthony and confront him. Would certainly have been in character for her to do. There had better be a nice YOUNG man coming her way!
As far as the dresses – Ediths wins by a mile! Mary’s only looks okay because she was wearing it. The flowers however – another matter – calla lillies show purity – which we know Mary was not. If Edith had had the lillies – perfect!
ugh! I’m not into 1920s fashions, I prefer the 1910s styles of Season 1. I think Anna looked the best.
Do you think Edith and Mary wore the same silver headpiece? They look quite similar. I loved the back of Lady Edith’s dress.
Ah, just saw the comment above. Lovely touch.
Each gown was beautiful in it’s own way. Take it from someone who worked in fasion retailing for years, those gowns were perfect for each of the girls. And quite period correct as well. Yes, you do have to love the twenties look to appreciate these styles, but if you understand the structure of garments during those years, you can see that they’re just right.
Never mind the wedding dresses, what about the beautiful gray dress that Mary wore in season one or two and handed down to Anna in this season — who will make that dress for me? It’s entirely wearable, elegant, and flattering. I see it in a nice, crisp linen…
Who cares about the wedding dresses – I am too busy drooling over the incredible hats and hair-pieces! That diamond comb that Lady Mary wore for the indoor picnic/party disaster in Episode 1 – so incredibly cool.
I loved Edith’s absolutely exqusitely elegant. Would love to find pattern or dress for my 50th, which is only 5 years away! The back was gorgeous! I did think, ” poor girl, how dreadful. But she has ruefully risen to the occasion! The middle child learns to buckle up under adversity!