Downton vs. du Pont: A look into the historical costumes of Downton Abbey coming soon to Winterthur

 When I was first introduced to Downton Abbey I spent an entire day watching episodes until I was thinking in a British accent and staring at my empty bottle of wine wondering where my bell was to call up Mr. Carson to fetch me another. From the moment Maggie Smith’s character, Countess Violet Crawley, in the very first episode, uttered the words, “What are week-ends?” I knew I was hooked. While many of us are still trying to cope with the loss of Mary and Matthew’s love scenes, Winterthur Museum, owned by the du Pont family, has managed to bring a bit of our love for the iconic show to their historic home in Delaware. 

Beginning March 1, 2014, forty of the best fashion moments from Downton will be on display at Winterthur.  While the styles are not completely historically accurate it is interesting to view the contrasts between styles of the early 20^th century with their modern influences. The creators of Downton actually took vintage fragments of garments and incorporated them with new fabric in order to create the styles seen on the show. As a historian the exhibit offers a chance to contrast American High Society to the Downton way of life. English aristocracy of the 1920’s and 30’s seemed to have an aversion to new technology and ways of life, and this is a constant theme in the show as Mrs. Patmore, the cook, continues to argue that she likes the way things are and she does not appreciate the new technology bugging her in the kitchen. The opposite was true for the du Pont family as modernity and comfort were central in the creation of Winterthur during the same time period. Unlike Downton, Winterthur boasted an elevator and telephones as well as refrigerators and a heated swimming pool. In addition, the exhibit will also host a number of costumes worn by the staff at Downton as well as the staff at Winterthur to see how each were an integral part of the families lives. 

The fashion on display at Winterthur ranges from breakfast attire, to staff outfits, to evening wear. There will also be the more memorable looks such as Lady Sybil Crawley’s blue harem outfit, and Matthew Crawley’s tweeds and that adorable jeff cap. I mean is there anything better than a nice Matthew outfit? I digress on the outfits; yet if this all sounds as wonderful to you as it does to me then visiting Winterthur should be your next stop in learning more about the early 20^th century fashion and lifestyle. Lastly, if you have been living in a bubble and have no idea what I am talking about I suggest you go buy a bottle of wine (priorities first), and  find Downton Abbey pronto in order to view a very successful drama on English Society during the post-Edwardian era.

For more information please visit the Winterthur website