MANI

HOW TO LOOK DOWNTON ABBEY

Theme parties are hotter than ever and Downton Abbey seems to be the most popular theme (closely followed by the 1920s and Mad Men) during next year. For those who don't want to spend a fortune on an outfit from the early 1900s, follow our little guide on how to dress yourself in the true spirit of Downton Abbey. Less expensive and better to wear when going to party!

The series is set in the fictional Downton Abbey, the seat of the Earl and Countess of Graham, and follows the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and the servants in the post-Edwardian era. During this period the upper classes embraced leisure sports, which resulted in rapid developments in fashion, as more mobile and flexible clothing styles were needed.

Fashion in the years 1910-1919 were characterized by a rich and exotic opulence in the first half of the decade (in contrast to the more somber practicality of garments worn during the Great War). Fashionable women who followed the trends of the Edwardian era embraced lots of feathers and exotic details.

Here we got a burgundy felt hat from about the 1940s with an attached dark blue feather from the early 1900s at the front. The crazy hat with the stuffed bird and the feathers may well be from the Edwardian era. So a good advice for achieving the right Edwardian feeling is an ornamented headdress decorated with feathers, flowers, bows or ribbons. Go nuts!

Above we got a summer hat from the mid 1900s, made here in Malmö. Perfect to wear with a light sheer dress (like this one) and a pearl necklace. This hat can also be decorated with a lot of colorful flowers. The lace collar is from the period and the necklaces are from the 1920s.

Large hats with wide brims and broad hats with face-shadowing brims were the height of fashion in the early years of the decade, gradually shrinking to smaller hats with flat brims.

This is a great scene from the series showing a wonderful and very elegant outfit. We attached some sheer Edwardian lace to this top hat to get the same look. The black high collar is from the beginning of the 1900s and the white collar with the little bow is from the same period.

Like now, a number of fashionable accessories supplemented the woman's wardrobe, including gloves. Why don't match your shortsleeved evening dress with a pair of long gloves?

In the middle of 1910s the fashion began to change. The war played a large part in bringing modern fashion to the women. Dresses were comfortable with waistline placed anywhere between the just under the bustline and the natural waist and skirts rose from floor length to well above the ankle.

The high collars of the previous years were replaced by square and V-shaped necklines. Evening dresses were made of sheer fabrics embellished with beads and lace and popular colors were steel or pale blue, lemon yellow, cream, pink and white. However, the new influence from the orientalism introduced stronger colors like black and royal blue. The two black dresses, the dark blue one and the orange blouse on the picture above is in the MANI store right now and they are all really beautiful creations.

Hopefully, this blog post has given some ideas on how to transform yourself into a real Downton Abbey girl. Just think sheer, orinental and embellished to create a amazing outfit!