We here at Frock Flicks (okay, Kendra and Trystan) are so excited for the final season of Downton Abbey that we’re doing weekly costume recaps AND podcasts! Tune in each week for an episode-by-episode recap of our thoughts on both the plot and (especially) the costumes (designed by Anna Robbins) — because really, while we all are invested in the lives of the fictional Crawley family, don’t we actually keep coming back to see what they’re wearing? You can find the podcast at the bottom of this post, or on iTunes!
Well here it is, the finale after six series — let’s tie up all those loose ends with some vintage moire satin bows, shall we? This episode was SO LONG that unfortunately we’re pretty much only focused on the ladies here, image-wise. Sorry boys!
Donk takes the whole family for a walk:
Grandkids in cute outfits and HAPPY PUPPY.
The whole family is a sea of beige, except for shocking red Edith! Gee, I wonder who is going to be the focus of this episode?
Isobel is in one of her standards, Mary’s got a parasol, Donk is tweedy brown, Henry is paler brown, Cora is brown lace. Meanwhile, Edith’s got red, and ruffles, and velvet leaves on her hip, and a red flower in her hair!
Mary’s in one of her ivory blouses, but this is SO much better than usual. Love the tied overshirt, all the detail, and the short sleeves — for once she doesn’t look like a grandmother.
Isobel visits Violet to worry about Lord Merton:
Isobel’s outfit is one we’ve seen a lot of this season, but again we note all the nice details — trim on the neckline, buttons on the hips, and that is a great ribbon on the hat.
Violet is in a beige ‘Mary’ blouse with a brown fringe-y shawl.
Back at the Abbey and downstairs:
Anna is as big as a house and in a black maternity dress! We seriously question that she’d be allowed to work this late into her pregnancy.
Outside on the lawn, the family is having cocktails (we can’t remember, was this a special occasion?).
Cora is in silver and mauve, all the gents look sharp in tuxes, and PUPPY.
Edith is in gold with lots of great detail in the fabric.
At dinner:
Isobel’s dress is subtle but that’s a great print on her bodice.
Cora’s lace is another subtle pattern.
A bit more of the detail on Edith’s gold fabric.
Mary’s in a paler gold. Are we the only ones who think “Crown of Thorns” when we see her bandeau? Sorry, Mary, it’s going to take a lot more to make up for blowing up Edith’s life. AGAIN.
Edith goes to visit Granny before heading to London; later Mary comes to visit:
Yet another subtle print, paired with a light blue jacket. The neck scarf that pulls through the dress is a nice touch.
Mary’s actually looking chic in her beige short-sleeved dress with brown accents!
Great picot edge on Mary’s hat ribbon.
Violet in a silvery blue with nice neckline trim.
Mary – shockingly chic for daywear! If she could have just done this all the time!
Over at Lord Merton’s house, Isobel finds out that he has a really bad kind of anemia that will kill him soon:
Merton LURVES this suit. Isobel LURVES this hat. At least it’s a different dress!
In London:
Here’s Edith’s dress without the jacket. Cute! We like the pinkish tone to it, which pairs well with the stronger pink ribbon on the hat.
Back at the Abbey, Mary has ordered a new-fangled hair dryer!
And in London, Edith thinks she’s going out to dinner with Rosamund, but Rosamund and Mary have plotted to get her together with Bertie, who is all “I NEED YOU.” This is a nice gesture, but we think Mary should also have to lick Edith’s shoes clean for a year.
EDITH’S DRESS. There’s a solid green silk charmeuse layer underneath, with a copper-y lace on top?
LOVE that back cut out. It looks like there are solid green panels on the side of the dress, with the copper lace only down the center front and back? Costume designer Anna Robbins has commented that she often extends the use of vintage textiles by adding panels and slips in this fashion.
Rosamund is in an elegant black with silver beading.
THAT FABRIC. AMAZE-BALLS. But really, one dinner is all it takes to get her and Bertie back together? Did no-one try that before?
Back at the Abbey:
Yet another black servant dress with nice subtle details.
Over at the Dower House:
Violet is in blue with embroidered trim.
Isobel is in khaki with that great black-and-white hat ribbon.
Edith, Cora, and Robert are off to visit Bertie! True Wuv is back in business!
DONK LOVES HIS PUPPY. And, Mary is in another less-fugly blouse — warm beige silk charmeuse with a lace collar and toggles.
Cora is in black and white with an orange jacket.
BERTIE’S CASTLE BEATS ALL THE CASTLES. We were cackling SO HARD!
Inside, we’re all dressed up for dinner with Bertie’s mom, who is foreshadowed to be a hard-ass:
Cora’s in a warm silvery lace with lots of layers.
Lovely back cape-y drape!
Bertie’s mom is very 1910s in her long brown silk charmeuse dress with beaded black sheer tunic on top.
Bertie’s mom has a lovely comb in her hair.
Edith’s going for subtle in her beaded steel blue dress.
Back at the Abbey, Carson’s got the shakes, and it’s interfering with dinner:
Mary’s rewearing her black and gold geometric beaded gown.
Isobel takes Lord Merton to see Doctor Clarkson, who confirms the really bad anemia diagnosis:
Isobel’s coat is a nice subtle brocade.
Outside, bitchy daughter-in-law is there to haul Lord Merton away from Isobel:
Her dress is a colorful sheer silk chiffon print, with khaki hat and jacket.
Back at the Abbey, Henry is done with racing but trying to figure out what his life will be next.
Mary is back to her grandma frump ivory blouses and pearls.
Mary takes Master George to say goodbye to Barrow, who has finally found another job:
Frump blouse is paired with a very pale pink jacket and skirt. Oh MUM.
Over at BERTIE’S CASTLE, Edith and Donk have a heart-to-heart (because telling Bertie’s mom about Marigold is apparently worse than the former Marquess, Bertie’s cousin, being gay):
Kendra loved these punch pink variegated flowers, Trystan thought they looked way too Hawaiian.
Kendra points out how well they go with her warm pink printed dress! Trystan does admit they provide a nice pop of color against the CASTLE.
Back inside the CASTLE, Edith has decided she needs to tell Forbidding and Judgy Mother-in-Law-to-Be about Marigold:
Edith’s dress is a mix of pale greens, yellows, and whites, over a solid green layer.
Bertie’s mom is in a beige lace dress with a lovely sheer jacket.
The skirt has a handkerchief hem and what looks like a couple sheer layers.
WE WANT THIS LIBRARY LIKE NOBODY’S BUSINESS.
At Mr. Mason’s farm, Daisy FINALLY realizes that Andrew may just be a hunk of roof-repairing flesh.
She’s in one of her pale peach dresses, the one with the bakelite buckles.
Isobel tries to visit Lord Merton, but bitchy Daughter-in-Law tells her he’s too sick to see anyone.
Not Daughter-in-Law’s best outfit, but we’ll let it pass.
Isobel’s coat has a great pleated trim on the collar.
Isobel goes to Violet. She’s Very Concerned about Lord Merton.
In her Ross Dress for Less(TM) number.
Beige-y McBeigersons.
Yet another black servant’s dress with subtle details! Love the vertical pintucks, inset bodice, and low hip belt with buckle. Hate Denker.
At BERTIE’S CASTLE, it’s time for the engagement-announcement-party, but nobody yet knows whether or not Mother-in-Law is going to deal with the whole Marigold information.
Cora looks very elegant in her beige beaded cross-over dress with dark brown underlayer. And a tiara, natch. The guys are all dapper in white tie.
Luckily, Donk gives Mother-in-Law the hint that it’s now or never to welcome Edith into the family and therefore remain on her son’s team. She does the right thing.
Mom-in-Law in intricately beaded pale pale gold.
Edith looks smashing in pink with tons of gold beading.
Random Extra Lady has a great black and gold dress.
More of Edith’s dress. Note the gold underlayer at the hem.
More beading on the back. Cora’s gown has another back drape (she loves these), and the brown underlayer peeks out at the hem.
Violet is taking care of business. She and Isobel show up to spring Lord Merton from bitchy Daughter-in-Law jail!
Isobel blue-grey rewear #5,342. Violet in beige with embroidered appliques.
LOVE bitchy Daughter-in-Law’s red print on black with the solid red on the collar.
That solid red bit is a sailor collar, which is SO cute. Oh hey! It’s Lord Merton’s son!
At the Abbey, Mary and Tom come out to welcome Edith, Cora, and Donk back from Bertie’s.
Another not-bad look for Mary! A strong wine-colored skirt with a grey blouse that has printed bands at the hem and cuffs. The slightly more open neckline helps a TON.
Edith is all about the shades of red this episode! Her dress has a large floral print, but her jacket matches Mary. Guess these two are going to get along?
Same hat with variegated flowers as before. If only Mary would trim her hair at the neckline in back!
And, it’s wedding time and Christmas! Rose and Atticus are back from New York for Edith’s wedding.
Gorgeous printed-velvet coat and matching cloche on Rose.
Detail of the coat print and hat trim.
Mary’s just dialing it in here; could be worse, could be better, just another white at-home blouse.
The teal is a lovely, grown-up color on Rose, having worn so many lights and brights as a younger character.
Here’s the deep blue dress under Rose’s coat. Edith’s in red (for the whole episode), and Cora’s in blue. Everybody gets a some long strings of beads though.
At dinner, the family catches up and we see a lot of rewears:
Black and gold with vertical trim on Isobel.
Is this the same gown Rosamund wore to fake-out Edith at dinner earlier in the ep?
We’re not fond of the pink feather puff on Rose’s bandeau — it looks too cliche 1920s flapper.
Oh, now Mary’s in red for the evening. Is that Fortuny pleating?
Gold and black on Cora with a geometric beading pattern.
Beaded gold and cream on Edith, and we’ve probably seen this dress before; we’ve definitely seen that bandeau before.
Yes, that’s a Fortuny inspired gown on Mary!
Maybe it’s not the exact same gown on Rosamund, but it’s a rewear from another episode.
Isobel wants Dickey to get a second opinion about the anemia. Can he get a second opinion about the suit too? It’s a little anemic after all that rewearing.
Back in the Abbey:
This velvet dot dress on Rose is divine — both sporty and formal at the same time!
Mary always has good coat game, but this is a new style with the low buttons, and it’s perfectly paired with the sharply feathered cloche.
In town, Henry and Tom open a car shop, while Cora manages hospital business. Their respective sig.others are impressed.
At the hospital’s public comment meeting, we see a particularly interesting cockade-trimmed hat on one townswoman.
Cora takes charge, while wearing one of her ‘orientalist’ jackets and angled hats.
At the Dower House:
Time to prepare for Edith’s big day!
Daisy fails miserably at styling her own hair. Kendra doesn’t believe that anyone can suck this badly at hair cutting.
Edith is a-glow!
Last-minute advice from Mom, while sis tries to not screw anything up.
Anna fixes Daisy with a cute bob.
Daisy is wearing the same cute peach dress she wore for Mrs. Hughes and Mr. Carson’s wedding. Anna is wearing some kind of plaid tent.
The bob looks SO good on her.
The church is filling up!
The Dowager is re-wearing her geometric-lapel grey coat, Rosamund is in a print velvet coat, and many women are wearing fur coats or fur collars.
Tom escorts Edith’s editor (in a large fur piece) to her seat — bomp chicka bow wow!
Isobel is wearing her dumpiest coat ever, but with a new-ish hat, and thankfully Lord Merton is wearing a morning suit and not his plaid.
Tom is speculating over whether or not Anna will pop out a baby at the church. We were screaming “CROSS YOUR LEGS, ANNA, DON’T RUIN IT FOR EDITH!”
Pretty mauve-print coat with a fur collar and a coordinating hat on Rose.
Bertie’s mom doesn’t look thrilled. Can’t tell who’s wearing the whole fur coat next to her, but there’s also a ton of fur collars.
DAWWWWWWWWW!!!! At last.
Very flattering neckline, gorgeous cathedral-length veil. Not a stunning gown, but not terrible either. Just very nice.
The veil really makes it.
He’s gonna stay!
SHADDUP, MARY, DON’T STEAL HER THUNDER.
Very wide fur collar on Cora, Rose has a smaller fur collar behind her.
Four fur collars and a hint of a fifth in this scene. Told you.
And we’ll round things out at the Abbey:
The happy couple! We love that Edith is wearing a little pearl tiara.
Cora is the epitome of “mother of the bride” here. And who are these guests? Some of them have interesting hats.
Love the way the feathers are trimmed on Cora’s hat.
Carson’s got the shakes again! Mary notices.
Gold green geometric, this dress has a lot going on.
The Dowager Countess will exit this series wearing 1910s, and she doesn’t care if the rest of you are living in 1925.
This feels like only the second time we’ve seen Denker and Sprat out of their working clothes.
‘Should old acquaintance be forgot…’
This mauve-pink dress is classic Rose, all grown up.
Lady Editor and Tom, making a match.
Edith’s ‘going-away’ outfit is simple, but the fur collar and cuffs add an extra-lux touch.
Bertie’s mother makes nice in the end.
And Edith leaves for her happy ending … and her CASTLE.
Meanwhile, Anna had her baby in Mary’s room. Looking unnaturally pristine and clean, but yay for them.
Thus ends six seasons of Downton Abbey. We had all the feels when we watched it, how about you? Listen to us analyze the episode and the whole series’ impact on historical costume TV in the podcast recap!
Downton Abbey Season Six, Episode Nine, Podcast Recap
Listen to our podcast recap of the episode here or on iTunes!
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Love Mary’s Fortuny. It’s about time Edith had a beautiful wedding dress. Loved Mary stepping back and letting Edith shine. Daisy is HOT with fringe. Asked New hairstyle shows how big her eyes are.
More later.
Mary’s last dress was assuit. (Confirmed by a dealer friend who has sold me assuit pieces in the past and knows my minor obsession.) There was much squealing over it last night (my poor husband was trying to WATCH THE SHOW while I did clothing play-by-play – he’s a patient man), and on looking at your screen grabs, the “Random Extra Lady” at the engagement dinner may be as well.
Good work! If I’m not mistaken the “Random Extra Lady” is actually Liz Trubridge, the series Exec Producer.
Glad they gave her a good costume!
INDEED!
COOL!
Oh, and your castle, My Lady. http://www.alnwickcastle.com/
Adds to travel plans!
Another reason to visit magnificent Alnwick castle: the village hotel is lavishly decorated with salvaged paneling and stained windows from the grand stairs and first class lounge on the RMS Olympic! (Titanic’s twin-sister.) How cool is that?
Time for Mr. Selfridge….
ROFL, it wasn’t MARY trying to steal any thunder, it was “Oh right I’m married to you now” Henry who apparently thought when Mary said “AFTER the wedding”, she meant “When Edith’s walking down the aisle is close enough.” I mean, I get it, dude, you are basically totally forgotten (I can see it, Henry and Editor Chick eventually run off together so Tom and Mary can be with their first loves, Cars and Downton) but what part of NOT TODAY wasn’t clear? He just felt shoved in through the whole episode.
Meanwhile I also liked Mary’s reaction to Anna’s going into labor–Anna’s “But we’re in your room! It’s kind of funny you helping ME undress.” Mary: “BIG PICTURE TIME HERE.”
And I was definitely not midroad on Edith’s wedding dress, maybe it’s just my lace addiction but I thought she got the best one of the show. Okay, or a tie with Rose’s long formal one. Both neatly dodged the teens-and-twenties frumpy bedsheet look (I loathe my great-grandmother’s wedding picture from 1916 and agreed with the Royal Weddings show on ovation about how the Queen Mother’s dress was both very fashionable for the time and hideously frumpy.) Mary hadn’t gone full pudding (hard when you’re rapier-thin but her dress was just kind of…here’s a white rectangle), but hers was very dull and Edith’s wedding-that-wasn’t was pretty, ish, I guess. She got the best headpiece, too.
The more I look at Edith’s wedding dress, the more I like it — given the era!
The bob on daisy makes her look like Fran-Bow
Downton ended here in the UK at Christmas, and I’ve been waiting for it to air in America just so I could read your recap! Great job covering a really long episode, and yes, I agree that the hats this episode had some pretty fab ribbons and details!
Yay! We worry about the whole timing discrepancy, glad you tuned in to our coverage.
Was it just me or did the whole Daisy hair cut thing remind you of the story, “Bernice Bobs Her Hair.” I loved Edith’s wedding gown, it reminds me of the one my great-grandmother wore for her second wedding. I was kind of hoping that the Dowager Countess would have pulled a knot in Mary’s tail about what happened with Edith and Bertie but that was just me.
Re Lady Violet calling Mary to the carpet Re Edith and Bertie, Tom made her feel small and she was at the time believing she would have to give up Henry bcoz his racing. Besides remember that it was Edith who exposed Mary’s indiscretion with Mr Pamuk. Both were in the wrong, but Edith wasn’t yelled at by family members.
Another point I loved wardrobe-wise was how Lady Rose’s clothes were more mature, gorgy still, but Ms Robbins took into consideration her marriage and birth of Victoria Rachel Cora Aldridge. Rose also seems to be a Fortuny lover. The teal silk velvet coat she wore upon arrival screams Fortuny. *love*
I really liked how Rose’s wardrobe seemed all grown up! You’ll definitely notice this in our last article on ‘charting Downton style’ – Rose began as quite the wild young thang :)
So do I
What was with all the hats at the reception (on the ladies)? Was it a period thing? A wedding reception thing? It looked so odd to me, coats off, hats on… I was hoping you would make sense of it.
We had the same question but no answers! We did discuss it on the podcast.
I’m quite certain that in daytime dress, a lady’s hat was not something taken off when she went indoors for a visit. So for instance when a lady came to call, she kept her hat on although she took off her coat. And if a lady dined in an hotel or a restaurant during the day (say teatime or luncheon) the hat remained on. I’m not sure when that changed, but not by the 1920s certainly. The hat after all is not for warmth – it is for fashion.
http://www.walternelson.com/dr/lady-hat
Thanks for the info!
Hello Id like to find the fabric of ladys rose velvet dot dress or the dress to rent ?? can someone give me a contact ? Thank you
late to the game, but the red pleated dress and Rose’s coat are both original fortuny http://fortuny.com/downton-abbey-wardrobe-visionary-calls-on-fortuny-for-final-season/