1910s, Downton Abbey, Edwardian, Film Costume Recreations, Historical, Winter

Snowed in at Downton Abbey

February 9, 2026by Simply Megan Joy2 Comments

I’d known about the Downton Abbey Costume Exhibit at one of my favorite museums for months. And when do I remember to go? The very last day before it leaves the museum. Which meant if I wanted to see it at all, I would have to go that day, the day of a snowstorm. Now, as most in Northeastern America might agree, this winter has been a long and difficult one, but my love for historical costumes and this museum urged me to go no matter the weather. So my sister and I started shoveling.

We finished clearing the driveway and unburied my car in laughter, urgency, and shivers. I had put on an outfit of vintage wool that wasn’t exactly Downton fashion, but it was warm!

At the museum, I learned two things. One: the snow did not deter anyone else from visiting the museum as I had anticipated, the parking lot was busy as usual. And two: my camera battery was nearing its untimely death. I’ll spoil it right now for you, it miraculously lasted the entire day while on red, even in the cold.

Now, let me take your hat and coat and welcome you to Downton Abbey:

I believe this purple gown on the left was worn by Dame Maggie Smith herself. I was practically giddy standing in front of it!

Before we go further, I must earnestly confess that I’ve never seen a full episode of Downton Abbey. I don’t know why, but of all the eras in the last 200 years, post-Edwardian fashion is one of my least favorite. I love Edwardian fashion, give me Gibson Girl galore! And then I also love 1930s fashion and on, but what comes in between was a strange twenty years of abruptly changing dress lengths and silhouettes, like a battle between the old and the new. And I personally can’t stand the idea of a hobble skirt; I wouldn’t want to wear anything I couldn’t run in. But each new fashion trend soon gave way to more practical designs in the end. Shorter skirts, less corsetry, lighter materials, more freedom for movement. And I know there’s a big difference in fashion between the first and last seasons of Downton, and while I didn’t necessarily like the heavily beaded mid-twenties styles, there were many gowns on display that I adored, like this sidesaddle riding habit below.

Additionally, I do love the series’ soundtrack, written by John Lunn, and have for years. I’m listening to it now! It’s accompanied my life during many a time: writing, driving, doing farm work, sitting at a window and contemplating the existence (or lack) of joy during the dark and depressive depths of winter. . . um, and stuff like that.

I like the lace and color of this one! And the museum put so much effort into many of the display sets; it made it easy to imagine I was in a stately English mansion. Some of the costumes were true vintage gowns, selected carefully for the series, while others were original designs by Susannah Buxton (season 1), Rosalind Ebbutt (season 2), Caroline McCall (seasons 3 & 4), and Anna Mary Scott Robbins (season 5 & the feature films).

Even though I’ve never seen Downton, many characters’ outfits were worn by people I did know from other shows and movies. It was amazing to see costumes worn by Shirley MacLaine, Lily James, Penelope Wilton, and of course Maggie Smith, all of whom I love.

And in doing some Downton research for this post (okay, watching YouTube videos) the more I see, the more I might become interested in watching? What are some of the best episodes to get me hooked? Anyone have any favorites that are a must watch? I’m looking for suggestions!

And this above would undoubtedly be my attire and position if I lived at Downton Abbey, a scullery maid at best.

Unrelated, I absolutely love the vibes and ambience of museums. Quiet but exciting. And this stairway in the museum has always been a favorite of mine. It’s also in a previous post I wrote about a different exhibit, Katharine Hepburn film and TV costumes.

*whispers* “I want to take all of these and put them in my room.”

The rest of the museum had its usual exhibits, but we only got to a few of them before it was time to venture outside to an absolute wonderland!

Narnia anyone?

This was right around the time we stumbled upon a group of ghost hunters bundled up and following their phones with what seemed like some satanic version of Pokémon go. So we left saying “not today” and took a lovely drive around the city and bought some snacks to enjoy.

At the first sight of a fresh falling snowflake, my sister and I decided it was time to head home. The drive was slow and slippery and frightening at times. The squalls had turned the roads white, erasing all possibilities of seeing the yellow line. At home I couldn’t make it up my street and started sliding backwards into both lanes, tires spinning, prayers abundant. But finally, my little 2003 sedan maneuvered back down the hill safely and we took a flatter route home. Of course, the shoveling job we’d done earlier was all for naught. I am quite tired of the snow. I think it can go. Time for Spring, isn’t it? *checks watch*

(only 39 days left!)

So please send your Downton episode recommendations! And hopefully I can find a place to watch it free somewhere?

And if you could pick, which costume above would you choose to have? (I would choose the riding habit)

Dresses, Film Costume Recreations, Historical, Jane Austen, Movies, Sewing

Recreating Lizzie Bennet’s Brown Frolicking Frock

June 11, 2022February 10, 2026by Simply Megan Joy2 Comments

“First, I must tell you how ardently I love this dress. From the moment I saw it, I never wished to be parted with it from that day on.”

If you’re as big a fan as I am of the 2005, Pride and Prejudice starring Keira Knightley and Matthew MacFadyen, you’ll recognize the above quote, though it is slightly altered. 🙂 There are a few films that I can play all the way through in my head, scene by scene and this is one of them. The other two are The Wiggles Magical Adventure, and The Apple Dumpling Gang. Take that information as you will.

Here’s my recreation of the opening title.

Fun Fact: the book Lizzie is reading as she walks in the opening scene is actually text from the last page of “First Impressions,” the original title Jane Austen put down for today’s Pride and Prejudice. The book I’m holding is a 1903 edition of Pride and Prejudice. I recently discovered that walking and reading at the same time is a skill yet to be acquired.

Keira Knightley, *Pride and Prejudice*, 2005.

Out of all the beautiful gowns in the film, this one is my favorite, and I instantly knew I had to make it for myself. After a LONG time researching and looking for the right materials (I went to so many fabric stores to find this exact fabric, and finally found it at a random Joann’s) I started to self-draft the pattern. As with any of my recreated film costumes, I always watch the movie it appears in as I sew. It’s a cool experience! Until the movie is over and there’s only half a bodice completed because Mr. Bingley is having a ball, Lydia has run away, and Charlotte Lucas is engaged to be married!

I looked at a LOT of still shots of Keira wearing this gown, and attempted to replicate (almost) every pleat, seam, and detail visible. The most important thing for me was getting the silhouette right. Long live trial and error. I also had the white blouse to figure out. I was about to start drafting a pattern when I realized that I already had a white blouse exactly like this. It even had the overlapping shoulder seams like the original. All I had to do was make a wider collar and hand sew it on, which I must admit, is already coming loose. That’s something I’ll have to fix.

A little disclaimer: this dress is not historically accurate to the era in which Pride and Prejudice occurs. It was designed by Jacqueline Durran, (who also designed the dreadfully inaccurate costumes for Little Women, 2019 which I despise and ranted about in this post. . . but let’s overlook that). As long as it is duly stated that this gown is not accurate to the regency times, we may continue. I may be a bit of a hypocrite, but I do believe Durran’s work in Pride and Prejudice proves much more historically accurate than in Little Women. Speaking as someone who has studied Victorian fashion, and not Regency.

This was absolutely the most fun day, running around in fields with my sister until sunset, playing the soundtrack to the film along the way, and saying almost every quote we could remember. I felt like I was in the movie. Although dressing like a fictional character from another century can definitely deliver you some odd looks, finger points, and quiet conversations as people walk away, it wasn’t as bad as I had predicted. Even in the mall afterwards, I didn’t seem to notice too many people questioning my attire, (yes, I went into a busy mall in this dress to pick up my other sister, and yes it was pretty fun).

I’m definitely not the first to recreate this design, nor the last. There are multiple YouTuber’s videos/tutorials out there that show the whole process of creating this gown, if you’re interested in making one of your own. Here are some of my tips for recreating this gown:

Make sure your fabric is correct (I used a thin linen.) I’d also recommend buying it in person and not online. Photos and descriptions can be deceiving.

2. Make it a wrap dress. I’m not sure if this is specific to the original, but I think it’s a lot easier not only to make, but to put on and actually use as a functioning dress. I added ties to both the inside and outside flaps. The buttons aren’t really doing much.

3. Wear proper undergarments. I wore a cotton chemise, regency half-stays, and a white petticoat under the dress, but by all means you don’t HAVE to. (After all it’s not even a historically accurate dress). Putting on any ankle length skirt underneath should be good enough to fill out the dress properly and help with the flow of the fabric. But you definitely need something to help with the fullness of the skirt.

4. If you don’t feel comfortable drafting the pattern yourself or just hand draping it as you go, find some paper patterns that are similar to this design. Maybe you can find a separate one for the skirt, one for the bodice, and one for the blouse. Having a dress form really helped with draping; it’s nearly impossible to make a fitted garment without one.

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Which did you experience first: the book or the movie (or the 90s series in which I do not find favor)?

Who’s your favorite P & P character?

When was the last time you ran around in a field? If it wasn’t yesterday, my sincere condolences.

Dresses, Spring, Vintage Fashion

The Spring Brings Art Shows and Allergies

May 21, 2022November 24, 2024by Simply Megan JoyLeave a Comment

Every spring my family and I attend an annual art show, held at an historic site. It’s been tradition, for almost as long as I can remember. As kids, we would always be given a scavenger hunt paper at the front door: find a painting with five dogs in it, how many red barns can you spot, can you find a sculpture made out of marble? We’d work together, give each other hints until we found everything. I know there was a prize at the end, but I don’t remember what it was. We’ve all grown taller now, so we don’t get scavenger hunt papers anymore, unfortunately. I did glance to see if they still had them, and I didn’t see any. Perhaps the children of today are not as lucky as we were in our youth, without any artistic scavenger hunts.

It was a cloudy and humid day with puddles reminding us of the morning rain. There’s something about this kind of weather that makes my allergies worse than usual, and from the time I woke up, I knew it was going to be a sneezy day. Then put me in an old (and somewhat musty) building and I WILL NOT stop sneezing. Since it’s hereditary, my family knows better than to say “bless you” after every sneeze. They say, “bless you for the rest of the day” and that’s that. However, the strangers throughout the building just trying to look at art peacefully couldn’t have known this and gave their blessings anyway.

The first floor of the building is where the larger (and most sizably priced) art pieces are displayed, many by well-known artists from the area. Room after room full of art, some old and some new. I wish I had remembered to choose my favorite among them, but I was too busy sneezing, I think. These photos are from upstairs, where the smaller pieces are kept. Some of them are so pretty, I’d like to fill an entire bedroom wall with tiny little frames, instead of wallpaper. And I would paint them myself in order to make that happen, however, I have no talent for painting. Truely, it’s something I am absolutely no good at. (Insert a horrified Lady Catherine de Bourgh scoffing at the fact that I do not draw).

There are so many paintings each year, they resort to hang them over the windows, so there is this odd sense of dimension to the art. There’s a canvas with its colorful display, then the frame, then behind it a sheet of glass encased in its own frame (aka the window), and then another display beyond that, one of nature.

These old ruins have intrigued me since forever and seeing them from afar makes them look all the more mysterious. It reminds me of Jane Eyre. P.S. who else thinks that Mr. Rochester is totally creepy and not romantic at all? Anybody?

Being out in the fresh air again seemed to lessen my sneezing, long enough to get some photos outside. And a big thanks to the lady who offered to take a few pictures of my sister and me, even though I had my eyes closed in all of them, as I usually do.

Despite the allergies, it was a wonderful day spent with people I love, and filled with childhood flashbacks. There’s really nothing like the feeling of reliving a day from your past. It was so familiar, yet still new. And nothing makes you feel more like a kid again than running around some old ruins.

And here is a completely unrelated photo of Raisin and Charlotte the sheep, being absolutely adorable.

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dress: Little Women Atelier

shoes: thrifted

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How do you deal with Spring allergies?

What kind of art is your favorite?

Have you read Jane Eyre? If yes, seriously why did he think it was a good idea to dress up like a gypsy? Why?!

Anne of Green Gables, Dresses, Film Costume Recreations, Historical, Movies, Sewing, Skirts, Summer, Victorian, Vintage Fashion

Diana of Avonlea // Victorian Outfit

September 9, 2017November 24, 2024by Simply Megan Joy11 Comments

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If you remember, in “Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel” Diana Berry wears something like this; a white blouse and a creamy off-white skirt. The outfit is plain and simple, yet glorious in all its splendor! I wanted to recreate the outfit, so I gathered some of my Victorian things to piece together.