10 thoughts on “Charting Downton Abbey Style: The Older Generations

  1. My favourite character is Lady Cora. I love how she is moral center of the show (Dame Nellie episode and supporting Tom to have Sybbie baptised Catholic). She’s the most forward thinking of the nobles and her Fashion sense is impeccable.
    Lady Rosamund, I always felt that she married someone as wealthy as the Rothschilds, was widowed and her widow’s portion could run a industrialised nation. Being wealthy, she has the funds to buy a fab wardrobe. Always imagined her introducing Robert to Cora and being Cora’s ally against the dowager in Cora’s early marriage.
    Lady Grantham would be complimented if you told her she was as fashionable as the Queen, Victoria not the incredibly well-dressed Alexandra (who was a contemporary.
    Isobel is first and foremost someone who used her money to address social evils, not her wardrobe.
    I loved the recap. Would have loved one centered on each.

    1. Thanks! We initially thought about writing a post for each character, then realized that would be about 15 posts and waaaaay too much work! :)

  2. It seemed in the earlier seasons, the Dowager and Cora (and Isobel too) wore a lot more purple, I wondered if it was related to mourning clothes since there were so many deaths early on.

    1. When I was looking at episodes, purple didn’t seem to track to mourning / deaths specifically. There were a few funeral scenes where everyone wore all-black, but purple would be worn before those episodes too. And it, at least with Cora, it was just as frequently mixed with lighter colors. The Dowager always wore dark colors until the end, & I think that was more to show character development in a tiny, tiny way — she wasn’t going to wear 1920s clothing, but she could literally lighten up in the colors she wore!

  3. The Downton Abbey clothing making the rounds at museums made a stop at the Biltmore House and I went to get a closer look last March – Martha Levinson’s clothing was my favorite out of everyone, which I don’t know that I would have said had I not seen her garments up close. They were beyond rich, luxurious, and vibrant, and the Biltmore House as a backdrop wasn’t too shabby, either. That fur trimmed coat was larger than life in person. Although, Lady Edith’s clothing this most recent season has been giving Martha a run for her money…I would DEFINITELY like to see those garments up close!

  4. So would I. But I would like to see the wedding gown worn by Lady Rose. The party one especially. It was beautiful beyond words. The dress she wore at the Registry Office also is due for a close up. Mary’s iridescent green dinner dress, too. But I agree Edith had the best costumes in season 6.

    1. Of course she *could* dress behind the times, but it’s not required. Compare to Martha Levinson, even tho’ she’s American nouveau riche, she’s of the same age as the Dowager. And while Isobel really would be closer to Cora’s age (since Mathew & Mary wouldn’t be that far apart in age), Isobel got paired up socially with the Dowager, & Isobel’s wardrobe was always pretty up to date.

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