Dressing Downton: Downton Abbey Costumes at the Biltmore House

Do you watch Downton Abbey? I do and I can’t seem to stop. I know it’s just a dressed up soap but it’s exactly because it is “dressed up” that I’m beyond hooked. Yesterday I was able to see in person some of the costumes from the show at the exhibition, “Dressing Downton; Changing Fashions for Changing Times” which will be traveling to eight locations in the United States. Lucky for me I live by one of the stops, the first stop, the Biltmore Estate.

The costumes are staged throughout the grand Biltmore house in small groupings suited to the room and placed  to allow the guest an up close view; better to take in the details. Each costume has a placard of information with details of the garment, what season it was seen in and almost always a still from the show of the actor in the garment.

The little scenes of clothed mannequins help us imagine what life in the Biltmore for the real life Vanderbilts must have been like even though the clothes aiding us in this vision belong to the fictional Crawleys and their house staff.

I was surprised, as other visitors were from the comments I overheard, that original period garments were worn for the show’s production. The placard told you if the garment was an original piece and many of them were. On the original Arts and Crafts style coat worn by Lady Edith (pictured above on the right), there was a small area that looked like it had been eaten by something. The damaged area is just above the hem and off to the side so it didn’t show on your tv screen even if you have HD.  Ah, this was exciting to me – it does not have to be perfect because no one is examining it up close.

Before this exhibit, silly me, I thought costumes were made especially for a specific show, and all the other costumed drama I’ve ever seen, by seamstresses hired just for that production. No, of course not, that would be an extremely high cost for any production. Costumes are sourced from costume suppliers who offer a collection of reproduction and original period garments for use. Their costumes are ready to be put on an actor (alterations allowed) or a show’s costume designer can use an original period garment as a model and pattern for sewing a reproduction if say a certain color of garment is needed for a character or scene. And these costume collections are used in many various productions. Many of the garments on display in Dressing Downton are from the supplier Cosprop.

Quite a few gowns on display were constructed with both some original period fabric or bead work and new material. One dress worn by Lady Grantham has a beaded neckline and sleeves which are period original. The rest of the dress is sewn in new velvet. Lady Mary wears a dress made from altering an original Spanish gown which then new silk chiffon in a matching deep red was pleated and added to the dress to make sleeves and bands on the bodice. So clever.

I did walk away confused though from a display of two beaded dresses. One is an original and one is made just for the show. The placard talks about the lovely patina the beads on the original dress have taken on and that this effect cannot be achieved on a dress with new beads. This seemed odd to me because Lady Rose would have worn a new dress so would her beads be already showing patina? Never mind, they were still stunning dresses, both of them.

My husband was surprised that the show could spare all the clothes for the exhibit. Well to answer practically these costumes are no longer needed since the Downton Abbey story has moved on in years and fashion changed so much in the time period covered. But to answer in the snobbish, “you obviously don’t watch Downton” way; “Dear, the Crawleys don’t need wear the same dress twice.” Besides, many outfits were Lady Sybil’s and Matthew’s and they won’t be needing them any longer, will they.

The exhibit was lovely. It was beyond my expectations in the number of costumes shown, the breadth of information and the quality of the display. I am lucky to live so near an exhibition location, and I hope you find yourself just as lucky. As they say, “You don’t want to miss this.”