One of the best things about Downton Abbey is the costuming. In fact Downton Abbey has been nominated for several Outstanding Costumes for a Series awards at the Emmys, BAFTA and other award ceremonies. Who wouldn't love to dress in the opulence of Lady Mary, or the sweetness of Lady Sybil? Downton Abbey characters inspire dreams of luxury.  I have searched around the web to find costumes that would make the perfect Downton Abbey DIY Halloween costumes. Many of these lovely gowns would also be perfect for a Downton Abbey style wedding!

Seasons 1 and 2 of Downton Abbey take place in the Edwardian period.Edwardian clothes was quite different than the preceding Victorian period. Clothes from 1901-1919s were design to accentuate a woman's figure with flowing, long lines and very detailed laces and trims. Of course daughters of an earl would be expected to change several times a day, as there were different outfits to be worn if one was walking, paying calls, or horseback riding. Of course everyone dressed in their finest evening ware for a dinner at the manor house. These dresses are floor length or perhaps just to the ankle.

Click on any gown or costume picture to see buying options.

Lady Edith, Lady Sybil and Lady Mary, Downton Abbey, Season 1. 

These gowns are elegant representations of some of the dresses available online. Some are "costume" quality while others are elegant gowns that could be worn as evening wear. To find these online, try searching "Downton Abbey costume" or "Edwardian dress costume". Any would look great for unique Halloween costume party. 

Christmas Special  - Season 2. One of the most beautiful scenes in the whole series was when Matthew and Mary were standing out in the lightly falling snow, and Matthew proposes to Mary. (oh why did you have to break our hearts and leave the show, Dan Stevens?)

In the post World War I years the fashions became so much looser. Waistlines were dropped or non-existent. Embroidery and chiffon were often used as an over-layer to the silk or satin sheath shell underneath. Sequins adorned everything, especially 1920s "club wear". 

Lady Rose MacClare shows the brilliance of the flapper dress of the 1920s. The dresses haven't quite gotten "short" yet, but they are definitely quite opulent.  

To make the difference between looking like Lady Mary and just going on a night on the town, you need to concentrate on the accessories. Click on any photo to go to the product pictured.

Fans in Britain are gearing up for the new season of Downton Abbey (Series 5) that will air in mid-September. Rumour has it to be September 14th 2014 but it it not official yet.

The August 2014 issue of Harper's Bazaar in the UK features a photo shoot of all the Downton ladies, including the downstairs staff including Phyllis Logan (Mrs. Hughes), Leslie Nichol (Mrs. Patmore), Sophie McShera (Daisy), Raquel Cassidy (Baxter, Lady Grantham's ladies's maid) and Emmy nominee Joanne Froggatt (Anna Bates). While we are used to seeing Michelle Dockery (Lady Mary), Laura Carmichael (Lady Edith), Elizabeth McGovern (Cora, Lady Grantham), and Lily James (Lady Rose) in amazing gowns in their roles on the show, they are still stunning in these modern designer gowns. 

The accompanying article has many fascinating clues to the "behind the scenes" world of Downton Abbey. The women have high praise for writer/creator Julian Fellowes. Elizabeth McGovern, who plays Lady Grantham, is quoted saying how Fellowes has a ‘sixth sense for character and… the politics of emotions, class, familial status’.

You can read the full article on line at Harper's Bazaar UK.

We know how you feel.

Poor Matthew is dead, Mary is a widow with a baby, and Tom is trying to keep the Abbey in business. Yet the producers of PBS insist on making us wait 4 months later than when Downton Abbey is shown in the UK. In the meantime the spoilers fly around on Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr and the surprises get ruined anyway. 

But what can you do besides move to Britain for 8 weeks in the fall?

There are ways to catch the latest episode of Downton Abbey online after it airs in Britain. We told you about some last year, but we have found a much better alternative.

Expat Shield is a nifty little software package than can assign your computer a UK-based IP address. The assignment is only temporary and can easily be turned on and off. This allows you access to the itv player where you can watch Downton Abbey after it airs in the UK. 

Expat Shield is simple to install. Simply go to the Expat Shield homepage and click on the Download button. The software will install and put a shortcut on your desktop. 

To use Expat Shield:

1. Open the shortcut from your desktop.
2. Your default browser will open and Expat Shield will launch. Wait for it to launch until you see Connected in the window. 
3. Open another browser window and go to the ITV player or the ITV Downton Abbey home page
4. Find the episode you want to watch, and open it.
5. When you are done watching, simply launch the Expat Shield shortcut again, and click Disconnect. If you don't disconnect you will find you are brought to the UK version of sites like amazon.com and google.com.

We do not offer any legal advice on this page.  

 Here are some links to help you decide for yourself. 

Expat Shield Terms of Use 

How to watch BBC and ITV 

Expat Shield for Brits Abroad

Tunnel Bear is an Expat Shield type software program. Read more about it here. 

This Facebook page, Downton Abbey Series 4, may have links to watch episodes after they air.  This page WILL contain season 4 spoilers when the season starts. 

Yes, there are other alternatives too, such as illegal 'torrents'.  We do not recommend these because, apart from the moral issues, they usually involved registering email addresses, allowing cookies and other downloads of software that could be malicious. 

There is a tentative date of September 15, 2013. The official date has not been announced yet. 

The series will air on January 5, 2014 on PBS in the United States. And we'll all be watching then, too!