A little while ago I was invited, not to a fancy dress party as the first image might lead you to believe, but a special Downton Abbey dinner. Thomas's mother dresses in period clothes on a regular basis with a group of her friends; sometimes they put on period fashion shows and on another occasion they rode their bicycles at the opening of the Titanic museum in Belfast. This dinner was a more intimate affair; one lady hosted and her daughter and son-in-law acted as maid and butler. The attention to detail was incredibly impressive and the four course meal was delicious. The intricacy of the entire affair definitely made the use of a maid and butler seem necessary and it's hard to not feel like nobility when you're dressed in velvet and wearing a tiara that nearly makes you a foot taller. Of course, then you remember you're wearing fake hair and the number of utensils surrounding your plate is confusing you and it becomes hard not to "break character." Still, it was a truly special evening and I'm so grateful I was invited to attend and loaned such beautiful pieces to wear. It's not every night I get to pretend to be a lady...
CONVERSATION