When Maggie Smith delivers her lines on Downton Abbey, the world stops to take in every tiny word. As the Dowager Countess in Downton Abbey, she has stolen the hearts of people all over the world by delivering her lines in a most witty way. Don’t you just love her?
Backing up, when Downton Abbey premiered no one could believe a show like this would take the world by storm. One of our magazines, Victoria, featured a story on the costume designer of Downton Abbey, Susannah Buxton. Her gift for fashion and historical accurateness is stellar. One of the major reasons people love the show is the outstanding fashions. I actually wish we dressed like that again…so feminine. But my goodness all they did was change clothes, eat lavish meals, and walk in the gardens. Where can I sign up for that lifestyle? Oops….they didn’t change clothes; they were dressed by maids and valets.
Ok, back. When our article in Victoria was published, we received an invitation to come to the Winterthur Museum in Wilmington, Delaware, to see the exhibit. This past week, that is exactly what I did along with Barbara Cockerham, Victoria’s editor. We were like teenagers heading out on a trip without parents—all smiles. Apparently there were hundreds of people who had the same idea. When we arrived on a rainy, dreary day, we expected to have the place to ourselves. But instead we encountered lines of women wearing “Downton” hats who came in groups to see this amazing collection. And everyone there was speaking “Downton.” The curator told us that they could have never anticipated the response to this exhibit. People are coming from all over the country.
I really couldn’t believe that we were seeing the actual clothes from the show. The exhibit was wonderful, and the clothes are stunning. In fact we were so close we could see the actual stitching on the garments and photograph them. Barbara pointed out that they looked totally different on mannequins, but the garments are so beautiful down to the last detail. One of my favorite garments on exhibit is the embroidered coat that Cora, Lady Grantham, wore to Edith’s wedding. I got close enough to take a few photos of the hand embroidery on the silk coat.
The Dowager’s lace jacket that has been seen in several seasons was elegant. What a work of art! This exhibit runs through January of 2015. If you are a Downton fan, don’t miss this. You can visit the museum’s website for the details.
My favorite outfit of all time is the white suit trimmed in black that Cora wore to the Flower Show. Oh my heart stopped when that scene came on.
If you missed this special Downton Abbey issue order now!
What is your favorite outfit from Downton Abbey? Or what is your favorite scene?