The Tudors/Downton Abbey

Of all period dramas since the new millennium , The Tudors is amongst the most notorious for its reimagining of historical costume. Various reasons were rumoured, including budget, contemporary appeal and relevance, but when costuming such a discussed and culturally important era, the question of duty and accuracy needs to be raised. There are some clear parallels between the costumes, designed by Joan Bergin, and couture and street fashions of the early 2000s, and the question of which inspired which is open to interpretation. Using this case study as a guide, this chapter will consider the tension between “accuracy” and “relevance” when reimagining Henry VIII and his six wives, taking into account the novel concept of a “historical soap opera”. The first episode of Downton Abbey aired just after The Tudors finished, but brought a very different costuming approach to the screen. Designed by Anna Robins, the clothes have received significant praise for their attempts at accuracy but also raised concerns around sugar coating the realities of social and domestic history in the United Kingdom. The influence of both on contemporary fashion is therefore steeped in concerns around elitism, classism and romanticism that allows viewers to wallow in nostalgia for an era they do not remember.