Downton Abbey Season 2 Featurette

Even stars get starstruck! Downton Abbey actress Laura Carmichael reportedly got to try on Meryl Streep’s trousers from the 1985 film Out of Africa. In season 2 of the PBS series Lady Edith Crawley (Laura Carmichael) does a brief stint as a tractor driver which excited Carmichael because of the wardrobe change. Season 2, now out on DVD features a behind the scenes look at fashion and uniforms for the drama, a well as many other bonuses. In one of the featurettes Carmichael talks about trying on Streep’s trousers.

Normally outfitted in corsets and dresses, since the show is set in the early 1900′s this was a chance for the actress to not only wear something “comfortable” for a change, but also something that was worn by another famous star. Although Carmichael did not actually get to wear Streep’s trousers on set; the costumers made a new pair pants for Lady Edith, however, Carmichael does believe she wore one of Streep’s blouses from Out of Africa which she was quite happy about.

Downton Abbey is a British television period drama produced by Carnival Films – a British media company. Created and primarily written by actor and writer Julian Fellows, the series was developed for the ITV network and premiered in September 2010. The series takes place in Downton Abbey – a fictional setting – at the Yorkshire country house of the Earl and Countess of Grantham. The story follows the lives of the Crawley’s, an aristocratic family, and their servants during the reign of King George V. Now here is where it gets a little complicated. The first season spans the two years before World War I, beginning with the news of the Titanic sinking. The second season covers 1916-1919, and the Christmas special ends the series in 1920, which means there are varying degrees of costumes needed for these periods.

Because of the fluctuating styles that the period covers, there have been some changes in costumes for season 2. Costume designer Susanna Buxton has showcased the evolution of the skirt length for the new season, commenting that the only good thing to come out of the First World War was women’s ankles. The costumes for Dowton Abbey have come under close scrutiny by viewers as well as magazine editors who have commented on attire and accessories for the show. Some have even accused the show of being anachronistic but its no secret that period shows recycle costumes.

Elaborate Edwardian costumes are very expensive and time-consuming to create only to be worn once or twice on set. Often times period pieces rent the costumes or transform donated attire. Supplying originals to every show would make an already expensive program completely unaffordable. Lady Sybil and Isobel Crawley both wear outfits from The Duchess of Duke Street and Lady Mary dining in a red evening dress was previously used by Catherine Zeta-Jones in Death Defying Acts, and of course Lady Edith sporting Meryl Streep’s blouse from Out of Africa. Despite the costume debate, Downton Abbey has been a major success in the UK as well as in the U.S. With approximately six million viewers in the U.S. the show has already been commissioned for a third season.

Catch the season 2 finale of Downton Abbey on Sunday February 19th.