The clothes make the woman, at ‘Downton Abbey’ preview at FDU

By Fran Wood

In the first season of the PBS Masterpiece Theater series Downton Abbey, the estate’s butler Carson reluctantly informs Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham, that a temporary shortage of footmen may require the presence of a maid in the dining room where a duke will be among the guests.

“Cheer up, Carson,” says the earl. “There are worse things happening in the world.”

“Not worse than a maid serving a duke,” replies Carson in stentorian tones.

Yet it is unlikely even Carson’s heightened sense of propriety would have been offended had the maid been Judith Israel in her black gown and white, starched, lace-trimmed apron and headpiece.

Israel, who teaches a non-credit course called Discovering Downton 3.0: Change & Resolution at Fairleigh Dickinson University’s Florham campus, was among those dressed in period attire Monday evening when FDU hosted an exclusive preview of the sixth and final season for the Masterpiece classic, which debuts on PBS on Jan. 3, 2016.

Calm down. We know you don’t want spoilers. So, in the absence of an Episode 1 plot recap, we offer fashion.

Indeed, although “festive dress” was encouraged, only a handful of attendees reflected Israel’s enterprise. So, you may wonder, do Morris County closets perhaps just not harbor many 1920s costumes?

More do than you’d imagine. Several Downton devotees convincingly demonstrated it doesn’t take authentic 100-year-old garments to effectively pull off the flapper-era look. A black outfit and a long beaded necklace will get you there.

Ellen Morris, of Morristown, was a case in point. She wore a long black skirt, a black sequin-sprinkled top and an impossibly long string of pearls that wrapped round her neck in a five-banded choker before the remainder fell to her waist.

But the accessory that instantly conveyed Gilded Age was a large black feather-plume secured by a black bandeau across her forehead.

Ditto Mary Lou Cirello and Ginny Doney, both of Morristown, who made strategic use of similar garments to desired effect.

But neither did you have to look far to spot the real thing. Donna McNamara collects vintage clothing, and her black sheath topped by a black, lace-embroidered net tunic with see-through long sleeves was a sight to behold. Finishing touches included a wide black headband and embroidered black stockings.

Likewise her friend, Lynn Cicero, to whom McNamara had loaned a black,  floor-length, embroidered gown for the occasion. Accessorized with elbow-length black gloves, long pearls and a bronze and velvet-trimmed cloche, Cicero looked every inch the 1920s London fashionista.

Back in the day, this small but fashionable group easily would have fit into any gathering in the drawing room of the Vanderbilt-Twombly Estate. Now an events space in the mansion-turned- FDU main building, the cavernous room retains its Gilded Age appearance, with an imposing fireplace, brocade-draped windows and period family portraits on the walls.

Preceding the showing of Episode 1 were presentations by Peter Woolley, provost at FDU’s Florham campus, and NJTV, the local PBS channel where Downton Abbey airs.

Israel provided a brief promo for her upcoming, eight-session course, which last year drew 87 students, and members of Friends of Florham gave a capsule history of Madison Avenue — once called Millionaires’ Row– and the Twombly family.

As for Episode 1 of the new season, well, suffice it to say the Roaring Twenties changes that were well underway during Season 5 continue apace, with Carson lamenting each and every one – most especially the decline in staff.

(Downton, once the employer of six footmen and five housemaids, is now down to two of each.)

Money – or lack thereof – continues to loom as the biggest threat to a way of life some family members are desperately trying to cling to.

Yet some things seem impervious to the passage of time.

Edith may be better dressed, but she’s still unhappy.

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