Hemlines are rising and waistlines are dropping as Season 4 of the beautifully costumed drama Downton Abbey takes viewers into the Jazz Age. At AETN’s preview of the season’s first episode on Dec. 19, costumed guests looked as if they could be extras on the set.
The Roaring ’20s cocktail reception was held at Wildwood Park for the Arts and attendees were encouraged to dress the part. The costume contest was won by Patricia Green, who wore a tweedy English ensemble, and Josh Landers, who was dressed as chauffeur Tom Branson. There were many women in jazzy beaded dresses, boas and feathered headbands, and gentlemen in period tuxes, but costumes from other seasons were also represented.
Downton-inspired cocktails “Bitter Mr. Bates” and “Lady Edith’s Elixir,” created by Phil Brandon from RockTown Distillery’s line of Arkansas spirits, were served, along with a variety of hors d’oeuvres. There was dancing and a photo booth where guests could pose either in front of a backdrop of the estate or in a set created to look like a sitting room.
As guests sat down in the theater to watch the Season 4 premiere episode they received goody bags that included recipes for the cocktails they were sipping earlier and recipes for a 1920s-inspired meal from another AETN show, America’s Test Kitchen. Bingo cards with photo stills from the first episode provided a way for viewers to interact with show.
The evening was hosted by the AETN Foundation. All proceeds support programming. For the rest of us, the latest Downton saga premieres Jan. 5 on AETN.
High Profile, Pages 36 on 12/29/2013