Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Uptown, Downton: Lady Sybil's Purple Dress

Uptown, Updated:  Suffragette Jewelry Below

It's no hyperbole to suggest that I have gone Downton this week; Mr. C and I have been enjoying a mini Downton Abbey marathon.

I enjoy how the writer/creator skirts the tension between popular culture (honestly; the Titanic?!) and corseted drama. 

And I'm attracted to many of the skirts too, especially this purple gown worn by the lush Lady Sybil in Season I.

It captures Sybil's youth perfectly, with the pick stitching and sweet embroidery.  And the colour invites my eye to linger.

Any favourite Downton dresses out there?

The dress in motion

The dress at rest.

Thanks to brilliant jeweler Belle de Ville for pointing out that purple, green, and white are the colors of jewels and badges worn by suffragettes (and Lady Sybil is all about women's rights. She even transforms the helplessness of not understanding how to fill a tea kettle into a charming feminist quest for knowledge).  Here are some examples of suffragette style:







3 comments:

Belle de Ville said...

Note: the colors of the suffragettes was purple, white and green so this dress is particularly appropriate for this character.
There is a specific category of suffragette jewelry from this period that used the same color palette. I would love to collect it but it is very hard to find.

Miss Cavendish said...

Very interesting fact. I have a reproduction cup and saucer based on Consuelo Vanderbilt's service that say Votes for Women--blue on white. I'll look for the jewelry you mention.

LPC said...

What a great fact to learn. Makes me want to wear these colors, even now. It's not over, the fight.