As for Downtown Abbey, I haven't seen it yet but it does look like a great show and I definitely see where the idea of that influencing patterns. However, because it's not a mainstream movie, or IMHO one of the major shows currently airing, I dont think it will have much influence. For example, was there a huge surge of patterns when The Tudors started airing? I don't recall one yet that was a fairly major show.
The big fads tend to be for the more wearable eras of clothing according to modern standards. Which I'd say include the early 19th century/Regency period, and the early 20th century, especially the 1910s and 1920s. The MIddle Ages isn't bad from that point of view, and "The Lord of the Rings" movie has sparked a certain amount of mainstream interest in it but for party dresses. There are really a lot of garments that could be picked up, as it were, from various eras without reproducing the silhouette.
I'm seriously hoping steampunk goes more mainstream/daily wear. Fran Lavolta Press Books on making historic clothing www.lavoltapress.com _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list [email protected] http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
