Culture relates to objects and is a phenomenon of the world; entertainment relates to people and is a phenomenon of life. (Hannah Arendt)
- Downton Abbey Fashion
We all enjoy watching certain television shows and Downton Abbey is a British series that is very popular with many people. Ashley’s in Toronto hosted a magnificent Downton Abbey Day yesterday at their store in the Manulife Centre and I was lucky enough to stop by and get these wonderful images.
Throughout the afternoon, there were talks on different themes such as setting a table Downton Style, Period Fashions, History of Great Food, Servant Life, Perfect Household Tips and Techniques (with Eric Robertson, Butler) and also a talk on table manners and etiquette. I arrived there in time for the talk by the Butler and for the Etiquette Challenge. There were displays of clothing that servants wore back then and also a very stylish gown that was worn by one of the elegant ladies of the period. In the photos, you will see that there were two beautiful ladies who were dressed for that period and were milling around the store. It was nice to be in this grand setting for even the short time I was there.
There were refreshments and I had some nice Earl Grey tea. I got to choose my own fine teacup and saucer. Some people were drinking wine. There was a table which, I believe, had some treats – but by the time I got there after the talks, only grapes were left. This was a lovely touch to all things fine and elegant and I’m grateful to see that a store such as Ashley’s could do something like this.
Tea to the English is really a picnic indoors. ~Alice Walker
Hope you enjoy the collages and for those of you who haven’t watched Downton Abbey, I found a short summary that you might find interesting.
The series is set in the fictional Downton Abbey, a Yorkshire Country House, the seat of the Earl and Countess of Grantham, and follows the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their servants during the reign of King George V. The first series spanned the two years before the Great War beginning with news of the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, which set the story in motion. The second series covered the years 1916 to 1919, and the 2011 Christmas Special covered the 1919 Christmas period, ending in early 1920. The third series picks up soon thereafter, covering 1920 through the autumn of 1921.
Downton Abbey is aired on Vision TV Wednesday nights at 9 p.m. You can catch the series that is on now if you want to take a look. Here’s a final insight into Edwardian society:
Edwardian Society Menus
Caviare, truffles, snipe, partridge, oysters, quail, ptarmigan (white grouse), pressed beef, ham, tongue, chicken, galantines, lobster, melons, peaches, nectarines and specially imported jams and biscuits could always be acquired in the hope of pleasing him. His desires set the tone of extravagance associated with the era. A typical society dinner menu for twenty persons cost approximately £60. That was much more than the annual income of a maid.
Conspicuous consumption by the rich was seen as normal and even desirable. That consumption varied from extensive menus, to newly decorated interiors, costly travel abroad, and sartorial art at its most complex. Rich ladies were dressed elaborately and with great variety which was costly. Society hostesses wore different clothes for every occasion. The ultimate consumption was that the art of dressing was so complex that they could not even dress properly without the help of a ladies maid. They epitomised the mood of Edwardian high society.
What a life, wouldn’t you say? The black and white dress is a maid’s outfit and there was even a lady sitting there in a maid’s outfit acting out the part of a maid. She was conspicuous but maids were not participants – unless you needed them. She played the part well.
Hope you enjoyed this post and got a taste of what Downton Abbey Day in Toronto was like.