Where can I find this shirt from a Downton Abbey episode?

May 31, 2014 6:40 PM

I'm looking to find a shirt (blouse? top? I'm not really sure of the proper terminology) that the character, Lady Mary, wore in Downton Abbey (season 4, episode 7). Screenshot links inside.

The front and the back.

Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

posted by lea724 to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (6 answers total)

I'm almost certain that the costumes worn on Downton aren't off-the-rack modern day clothes that can be found in any shop. It's likely that it was custom sewn by the tailors in the Downton Abbey costume department.
posted by Sara C. at 7:27 PM on May 31, 2014 [4 favorites]

I'd call it a 'tunic' with tatted edgework and yeah it looks custom. (And beautiful!)
posted by carsonb at 8:31 PM on May 31, 2014 [1 favorite]

If you wrote to Masterpiece asking about a prop or costume, you wouldn't be the first. I don't know how they deal with those inquiries, but they'd get back to you and it might provide some fruitful leads. Shop PBS sells some replica items (mostly jewelry, but who knows their future plans), so if you added to a throng of people asking about the top, it's not inconceivable that they might license it. I think it's worth the effort to drop them a line.
posted by Mayor Curley at 4:51 AM on June 1, 2014

The blouse itself is quite simple--scoop neck, 3/4 sleeve, hip length-- it's the needlework around the neckline that will be tricky. You could learn to tat from Youtube or find a great-grandmother who learned as a child. You could do a fair imitation with crochet and a fine gauge cotton yarn. You could find a similar motif already done up and tacked to tissue paper at a large store in NYC selling notions and trim like M&J (chance of finding it in the color you want? Nil). You could go to thrift shops/antique shops/garage sales looking for old (i.e. pre-polyester) linens to repurpose by carefully cutting around the motifs, dying them to match your material, and then setting them into the bodice. Yup, it's a lot of work and no guarantees that it will look as nice as Lady Mary's. Good luck!
posted by TWinbrook8 at 5:20 AM on June 1, 2014 [1 favorite]

The costumes for Downton Abbey are done by a costume company called Cosprop. Maybe they could give you some info. But my understanding is they are custom done or sometimes modified from existing pieces.
posted by interplanetjanet at 5:51 AM on June 1, 2014 [1 favorite]

Just throwing this out there, but you may be able to hire someone on Etsy to make it. I have only ever bought vintage clothing on Etsy, but I understand that some people will make custom orders for you, so you might want to look around on the site for someone who does tatting and sewing. I have seen some incredible creations on Etsy, so I wouldn't be surprised if you meet with success.
posted by ClaireBear at 10:39 AM on June 1, 2014