The 1920's was a time when decorum and ceremony was celebrated. People had a resounding sense of self-respect, they dressed up and went to dances and drank until their heart’s content. How fun!
Despite the obvious drawbacks like no wi-fi, there were some pretty cool things around at that time. Here’s just a few:
1. Women ate breakfast in bed: And they didn’t feel guilty about it. Men dined downstairs at the table but women were served their breakfast in bed. Why? Because, why not?
2. Men wore suits all the time: Everyone knows how fine a man looks in a three-piece and back in the 1920's it was the first thing they put on in the morning. They even upgraded to full black tie for the evening and it’s hard not to love a man in a bow tie.
3. Family was everything: While I don’t mean to curtail the virtue of friends, do you notice in Downton Abbey that no one has any? Mary, Matthew and Edith live in a time when you eat dinner at the table with your family every night and you play Bridge with them after dinner. Your parents and siblings are your family, your friends and sometimes your foes but they are all you have got, so you stick by them.
4. Tiaras were suitable dinner attire: There are very few acceptable occasions to rock a tiara these days but the Crawleys whip out a jewel-encrusted headwear at dinner and no one bats an eyelid.
5. Guests enjoyed a sticky wine: I’m very partial to a sticky wine or a nice port but it’s not on the modern day menu. Few people have it on their wine shelf at home and even fewer can handle the often super sweet taste. But not back in the 1920's. They were sick for it … and the little glasses it comes in.
6. There was no such thing as low-fat: The residents of Downton are always eating. Always. But there is never any discussion about whether this or that will make them fat. Food advisor on Downton Abbey, Lisa Heathcote, tells news.com.au that the era had a strong French cuisine influence. “Everything from creamy sauces to pastries to cheese on toast was popular back then but people weren’t diet conscious,” she says. “There was a lot of butter used but portions were much more controlled and people ate food off their estate so veggies were fresh and plentiful.”
7. 'Social' meant attending a dance. The word 'social' has been bastardised by modern day technology. I long to go back to a time when you had tea with your relatives and twirled with your courters. Social engagements were taken very seriously in the 1920's and required a great hat.
Tune in to the finale of Downton Abbey on Sunday night, 8.30pm, on Channel 7. Downton Abbey season 3 will be released on May 2.
News_Image_File: Downton AbbeyNews_Image_File: Downton Abbey
