Photographer: Nick Briggs
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!
We begin this episode with a walk around the estate…
The dowager comes to visit:
The newlyweds have a dinner alone. But not all is well.
Over at the Dowager’s house…
Another day at the Abbey, another breakfast.
Baxter’s past has caught up with her, but she’s going to fight the good fight.
While Mr. Mason finally gets his farm.
Edith returns to London to meet up with her new-beau.
And Brandon convinces Lady Mary to check out Henry Talbot’s race cars.
Big-time publisher Edith is going to make an important hire.
All the cousins are reunited with Donk and Gramma. We are worried that these children are drugged or something, because they are the mellowest kids we’ve ever seen. They’d have to be to not throw a tantrum over the Downton idea of fun times: looking at books!
Mary deigns to visit a pub because she has the hots for Mr. Talbot.
Cocktails at Edith’s flat, nudge nudge, wink wink!
We’re almost ready for another fancy dinner at Downton Abbey.
Well there you go. Are you as shocked as we were? Hear us freak the fuck out on the podcast and comment below!
Downton Abbey Season Six, Episode Five, Podcast Recap
Listen to our podcast recap of the episode here or on iTunes!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 22:57 — 13.1MB)
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Edith really rocks it in the evening wear for her date with Bertie, the future marquess. Gosh, if she marries him, her rank will be higher than Mary’s.*snicker*
Typo on Mary & Tom. His name’s Branson, not Brandon.
I’m glad you guys are doing costume recaps, because I always thought Downton was a well costumed show, but I couldn’t stand the characters.
I definitely freaked out at the dinner scene! I was so shocked. I yelled “oh my God!” Then “what the fuck!” I think this scene has to be at the top of surprises/shocks in movies and TV.
As for the outfits, the evening wear is stunning. Edith has some great evening wear looks, that coat! I love her aqua and gold combos. The black beaded outfit Mary has on is gorgeous and I love her hair accessory. Edith has been wearing some great hair accessories as well.
And isn’t it nice to see Edith finally looking glowy and chic? (Apart from the straps on that one outfit; I didn’t know ’20s businesswomen wore backpacks…)
Mary is the real shocker, though: applying lipstick in public, drinking–albeit Sherry or something–in a pub. I do enjoy the idea that as she and Tom become closer, they start dressing similarly.
Wish you included better picture of Mary in beaded gown.
Well, they established Edith was born in 1892; was Mary in 1890?
This article in vanityfair.com has a good article/interview about the dinner scene. What a shocker watching this episode! http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/01/downton-abbey-lord-grantham-ulcer-gif?mbid=social_facebook
I agree it was shocking, but this quote from the article you linked is much more appalling: One antique which did not manage to escape Lord Grantham’s ulcer, however: Cora’s dress. “It was very, very tough for costume department, because Elizabeth’s dress was vintage lamé, and they had no duplicates because we didn’t expect it to hit her. They had to clean it up between takes and, as they cleaned it, it started to disintegrate.”
I hear you, but — even wearing a vintage dress and just standing still creates wear (just from body oils), let alone moving and sweating in it. So, I think then we need to debate whether it’s okay to use vintage clothing for movies/film/theater. My thought is, if it’s museum-worthy, it should be in a museum. Otherwise, it’s fair game.
I agree with you. And if worn in movies and TV, vintage dress needs ‘stunt double’ to prevent what happened to Cora’s gorgy vintage lame dress. Hope they paid for it.
Yep, you always run that risk with vintage — so either don’t use it & just put it on a shelf, in a museum, somewhere out of touch, or accept that if it’s going to be used (in a film/tv/theater production or for everyday or special occasions), it WILL get ruined somehow.
Use means damage, either from simple human contact or from unexpected accidents, from stage blood to sudden rainstorms on the way to the set / event, you name it.
You guys are awesome!And so amusing.
My ONE WISH for the end of the series was that somebody was going to neaten up the back of Mary’s hair, but no such luck.
Now that you mention it, I have been staring at her grown-out hair at the nape of her neck and wishing I had some scissors…