Fashion History on Netflix & Amazon Prime Video: What to Watch While Social Distancing

The events of the past few months, and especially the past few weeks, have been unprecedented in our lifetime and have resulted in many of us sheltering at home, self-isolating, or otherwise staying in place to avoid further spreading Covid-19. FFF wishes everyone to stay safe and healthy during this time — especially those who do not have the luxury of sheltering at home during the pandemic due to the nature of their work! Thank you to all who keep the world running in times of crisis.

That being said, many of you may find yourself in need of an activity or looking for an escape from the news. FFF recommends its top 5 Fashion History shows on Amazon and Netflix that fall within 1880-1930!

Some of these shows operate as almost a clotheshorse to fantastic period costumes and accurately set the stage with a great amount of fashion history detail. Get ready for some historical binge-watching (*viewer discretion advised, some shows may not be suitable for all viewers):

Downton Abbey: The Exhibition, Review

If you haven’t seen it yet, Downton Abbey: The Exhibition, based on the period drama television series (1912-1926), which opened in November 2017 in New York City, is now extended through April 2, 2018! This exhibit is more of a peak behind the curtain than chronological Museum Exhibition of the Downtown Abbey TV series. It is very enjoyable for fans of the show, but in terms of in-depth historical information regarding the clothing, they were lacking in some descriptive labels and information. In this sense, it differs from the prior, Costumes of Downton Abbey, traveling exhibit. Overall, certainly worth a visit, if only to see more than 50 of the show’s outstanding garments in person!

For those who have trouble remembering what happened in some of the episodes by now (like me), here’s a great episode guide

The show is set on three separate floors. The lowest is appropriately attributed to discussing the kitchen and downstairs activities of the Downton Abbey staff. This included a replica of Mrs. Patmore’s kitchen, the servants’ hall, and servants’ uniforms. New recordings of Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes welcomed guests into the exhibit and interactive tablets, quizzing guests on what their profession might have been during that time, were fun novelties.