1920 Downton Abbey Fashion
Starting in 1912, we have watched the characters on Downton Abbey dress in the finest of fine Belle Époque gowns and Edwardian lawn dresses. Now as we move into season 3, it is time for a radical change in fashion with the 1920s. I love the roaring 1920s. Both the culture and fashion are fascinating to study. No matter how much I read on the subject, I can’t get enough. Watching Downton Abbey certainly aids my 1920s fervor.
Let us take a look at the history of ladies fashion in the year 1920 and how Downton Abbey demonstrates its simplicity and beauty.
Day Fashion in 1920 – Downton Abbey
Young Ladies’ Day Dress
1920 is a great year. The clothing was in transition into the new “boyish” figure that was to dominate the next 10 years. Abrupt changes to the fashion world would come soon enough with new short dresses and bobbed hair. In the year 1920, hair was gathered and pinned to look short without actually cutting any length off. Dresses lost their conforming hourglass shape and became shapeless sheets of fabric. Out went tight undergarments, too, and in their place, simple slips and chest squishing brassieres. The overall look was free, loose, and comfortable — which isn’t to say they were unattractive.
Long sleeve dress for fall had some colorful choices such as a copenhagen blue and a wine red. Navy and black were the mainstays of the year.
Watching the sisters in Downton Abbey season 3 set in 1920, you can see that what was left out of dress construction was made up for in elaborate decoration. All over beading, clusters of crystals, feather plumes, and exotic Asian motifs added a level of finery that reflected the wealth of many in the ’20s (and those who were not wealthy acted as if they were by increasing spending on clothing. Clothing budgets nearly doubled in the ’20s in the USA, and gradually rose in the UK too).
The costumer for Downton Abbey did an excellent job dressing the Crawley ladies in the correct dresses for the year.
1920 simple day dress for wearing at home
Day dresses we simple in design and materials favoring cotton, wool, and twill in plaids, checks, and stripes. Silk taffeta was also popular for indoor activities. Embroidery or hand painted designs added interest to plain fabrics. A thin fabric belt or long wide sash tied around the waist added what little shape there was to the dress. Ruffles of fabric on the hips was one interesting style of dress that was popular in the early ’20s, although very unflattering for most figure types.
Pretty sheer blouses with embroidery and button up front. A slip or step in was worn underneath.
Blouses, worn under jumper dresses or with skirt separates, featured round oversized eyelet lace collars and long sleeves that bagged a bit at the wristband. They buttoned up the front, making it easier for women to dress themselves. More formal blouses, like Mary’s below, still buttoned up the back and was inset with lace panels around the collarless neck. I LOVE ’20s blouses. So refined and so comfortable looking.
Mary’s Blouse- Soutache trim decorates this sheer blouse
Another common day outfit we see a lot in Downton Abbey is the two piece walking suit. Ideal for going into town for all classes of women, the suit featured a very long-torso jacket with side fastening buttons. Jackets had round necks in an open collar form or tall muff for cooler weather.
Suits for stout women (plus size) were being made in the new slim lines.
Suit skirts were one, two, or three tiers at the hip with the hem tapering slightly above the ankle. Wool for winter, silks for summer and minimal decoration throughout.
Edith and Mary sported many fine walking suits in season 3. Their hats, gloves and purses always accessorized beautifully.
Walking Suit
Hats were not yet the helmet shaped cloche of most of the ’20s. Instead, they had wide side brims, short crowns, and simple decorations. Large brim picture hats were still enjoyed during the summer months and by older generations who embraced change slowly.
Wide Cloche Hat
New styles of hats for winter 1920
1920 Summer Hats
Downton Abbey Evening Fashion in 1920
French evening fashions gowns and coats
Formal evening dresses were light and airy in rich metallic tones and fine silk that had shine to it. Gowns were heavily decorated with jewels and bead work. The dress length was still quite long – coming down to the ankle, although slightly shorter tea length gowns were entering the picture in America. Dresses were usually sleeveless for evening wear. Necklines, too, were simple with wide boat neck openings or large V-neck cuts. If the dress featured gathering at the waist, it was in the form of sashes that pulled to one side and tied low on the hip. The blurring of semi formal and formal dresses had begun. A formal afternoon dress could now be worn at dinner! Gasp! Maybe not at Downton, but certainly by most families.
Two Dinner Dressed Ladies 1920
Mary’s Formal Gown
Edith’s Dinner Dress
Evening headwear was just as elaborate as the dresses. Rhinestone headbands, hair combs, tiaras, and clips were placed in the hair to add ornamentation. Plumes of feathers were also popular although we don’t see them in Downton Abbey. For many, an evening hat shaped as a turban was preferred. Global travels and the discovery of the eastern world such as Asia, Egypt, and India influenced everything from headwear to jewelry and even dress design.
Rhinestone Grecian Hair Clip
Dressing in 1920 Fashion
If looking at pretty stills from the show isn’t enough to quench your thirst for 1920 fashion, then perhaps you need a 1920 outfit of your own. I have a number of articles and shopping resource pages to help you find new clothing with plenty of 1920s style:
- Dowton Abbey Inspired Clothing– From dresses, to hats, to shoes and headbands, I show you where to buy 1920s inspired fashion.
- Downton Abbey Dresses – Online options for 1912-1920s inspired dresses. In the UK shop here and in AU here.
- Ladies 1920s Shoes – Shop for vintage style 1920s shoes. Read more about the different styles of 1920s shoes here.
- FREE eBook 1920s Fashion or Your Body Type – A must read before you shop for 1920s clothing. Choosing the right dress and hat using fashion rules written in the 1920s.
- 1920s Accessories – Learn a bit about the different accessories needed to complete any outfit. Hats, Jewelry, Stockings, Hairbands, etc.
- (Pinterest) Fashion in the Downton Abbey Era – Some picture inspiration for you.
- 10 Downton Abbey inspired costumes – 10 examples of women’s DIY costumes for a 1920s themed event.
- More examples of clothing in 1920.
If you need any help finding something to wear, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Debbie Sessions has been teaching fashion history and helping people dress for vintage themed events since 2009. She has turned a hobby into VintageDancer.com with hundreds of well researched articles and hand picked links to vintage inspired clothing online. She aims to make dressing accurately (or not) an affordable option for all. Oh, and she dances too.
