'Downton Abbey' Clothing Line Announced Ahead Of Series Four | HuffPost

Now You Can Dress Like The 'Downton' Ladies

The Huffington Post UK

'Downton Abbey' fans are not just drawn to the ITV period drama for its touching storylines and great characters - the glorious costumes are also an attraction.

From Lady Mary's delicate lace gowns to the Dowager's imperious hats, the costumes on Julian Fellowes' 'Downton' allow viewers to coo over the fashion of days gone by.

And now viewers can relive these days themselves, as NBC (the company who owns Carnival Films, the show’s production company) have announced that they plan to release a 'Downton Abbey' clothing line, inspired by the exquisite costumes from the show.

“It’s very rare for a British drama to have this much retail potential and merchandising value,” executive producer Gareth Neame said.

But it's not just pearls and long silk gloves that will be available to to purchase. He told CNBC to expect “an entire range of products… from fashion, apparel and homeware and furniture to wallpapers, beauty products and stationery”.

What do you think about the launch of a 'Downton Abbey' clothing line? Will you be ditching your jeans for a top hat and tail or a twenties-style gown?

20 Do's and Don'ts for a Downton Lady

Downton 'Do's'(01 of22)

Avoid the 'Smart Set'(02 of22)

Wealthy and well-known, the Crawleys could be sucked into the scandalous 'Smart Set'. There as one gossip columnist warned, 'to arouse envy, to out-rival a rival, to steal the lover of the woman she calls dearest,' was considered as exciting 'as a nip of champagne, a liqueur of cognac, or an injection of morphia'. (credit:Downton Series 3, Episode 1)

Keep poorer neighbours in their place(03 of22)

On country estates, the Victorian lady of the manor was supposed to call on her tenants to employ them in 'some little work and...see how best you can be serviceable'. Class divisions had changed little by the early 1900s and while growing up the Crawley daughters would have been expected to call on the local poor, to as one conduct book advised, 'make enquiries into what your poor neighbours have for dinner... get the daughters taught the best way of cooking food suitable to their rank in life.' (credit:Downton Abbey Series 3, Episode 1)

Be mercenary in matters of the heart(04 of22)

It was still perfectly acceptable to refuse a proposal on monetary grounds in the 20s. In the late 19th century canny, but cash-strapped, débutante Alice Miles wrote in her diary that she would not seriously consider a suitor with less than £4,000 a year, unless he was good-looking. She explained 'a flirtation devoid of either of these indispensable elements does not at all enter into my plan of action.' (credit:Downton Abbey Series 3, Episode 1)

Try a 'practise run' engagement, like Lady Mary(05 of22)

Etiquette guru Lady Beatrice Violet Greville advised: 'The most unsophisticated girl learns something after an engagement of three months,' and she'll enjoy 'the hundred and one attentions and trifles that prove the ardour of a man.' (credit:Downton Abbey Series 3, Episode 1)

Always pay your way(06 of22)

'When visiting a fancy shop with a gentleman, refrain from excessively admiring any handsome or expensive article you may chance to see there...lest he should construe these extreme tokens of admiration into hints that you wish him to buy it for you. To allow him to do so would on your part, by very mean and indelicate, and on his very foolish.' (credit:Downton Abbey Series 3, Episode 1)

Look forward to marriage(07 of22)

For upper class women, their wedding was seen as ''the centre-point of life.' But as the Crawley daughters have shown, things were changing. (credit:Downton Abbey Series 3, Episode 1)

Enjoy a spot of needlework(08 of22)

A lady's hobbies should only be things that she can 'without any impropriety indulge' – rather than women's suffrage and being seduced by the chauffeur, Lady Sybil! (credit:Downton Abbey Series 3, Episode 1)

Make-up covers a multitude of sins(09 of22)

'Cosmetics and rouge make amends for faded charms. False locks an, false teeth, everything may deceive' – but not for too long, 'an old flirt is an abomination.' (credit:Downton Abbey Series 3, Episode 1)

Become a 'professional flirt'(10 of22)

Women who have 'reduced flirtation to a study, who...play with a man as a cat with a mouse,' are 'female Machiavellians, for whom no man is a match,' revealed Lady Greville. (credit:Downton Abbey Series 3, Episode 1)

Remember your position(11 of22)

Never do anything if your lady's maid could do it for you, although you might want to treat her well as she knows all your secrets, like Countess of Grantham, Cora's poisonous maid O'Brien. (credit:Downton Abbey Series 3, Episode 1)

Downton 'Don'ts'(12 of22)

(credit:ITV)

Worry about your looks(13 of22)

Take heart Lady Edith, according to conduct books, 'Unless there be any actual deformity, any great infirmity,' then even plain girls have a shot at marriage, especially when defects were cancelled out by a hefty family fortune. (credit:Downton Abbey Series 3, Episode 1)

Expect your suitors to behave rationally(14 of22)

If a man is 'really touched' with love, then 'he will make an abject fool of himself, will do silly things in sober earnest, will wait hours for a glimpse of his beloved, will stoop to the most humiliating attitude, will fawn, and pose and cringe, and generally make himself ridiculous.' Has Matthew Crawley behaved foolishly enough, Lady Mary? (credit:Downton Abbey Series 3, Episode 1)

Ever, ever swear(15 of22)

'It is always better to speak politely, that is with extreme propriety and delicacy, than coarsely, sulkily, or impertinently.' A rule passionate Lady Mary often breaks! (credit:Downton Abbey Series 3, Episode 1)

Take flirtation too seriously(16 of22)

'The essence of flirting is froth,' sniffed Lady Greville, 'andthose who look to find genuine sustenance in it will come away disappointed'. (credit:Downton Abbey Series 3, Episode 1)

Cover yourself in scent(17 of22)

'Perfume should never be used so profusely as to exciteobservation, as it is... liable to create suspicions that you have some peculiar reason for its use'. (credit:Downton Abbey Series 3, Episode 1)

Delay too long over marriage (Lady Mary!)(18 of22)

Conduct books advise a courtship of 12 to 18 months. 'As a general rule, it is not desirable that the courtship should be of a very long duration' or couples risk 'Cupid in his wanderings' failing 'to lead the pair to the altar of Hymen'. (credit:Downton Abbey Series 3, Episode 1)

Talk nonsense to gentlemen(19 of22)

'Try not to fall into the too common practise of talking to them nothing but nonsense,' many ladies 'as soon as they get into conversation with a gentleman, give way at once to something they call excitement – now the fashionable wordfor every feeling that is wrong'. (credit:Downton Abbey Series 3, Episode 1)

Take flattery too seriously(20 of22)

Compliments are just 'agreeable attentions which ever gentleman is expected to pay, and every lady to receive.' (credit:Downton Abbey Series 3, Episode 1)

Allow yourself to fall in love(21 of22)

'If one person is becoming uppermost in your thoughts... it is time to be on your guard, time to deny yourself the dangerous pleasure of his company, and indeed time to turn your thoughts resolutely to something else.' Although this approach hasn't worked very well for Lady Edith. (credit:Downton Abbey Series 3, Episode 1)

And finally, never use the word 'stomach'(22 of22)

It 'should never be uttered at any table... It is a disagreeable word (and so are all its associations)'. (credit:Downton Abbey Series 3, Episode 1)

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