The Man who dressed Mr. Darcy - 60 Years of period dress at Cosprop

After my adventure to the cinema to see Sense and Sensibility, I thought I'd prolong my Period Drama daydream and wandered into Dovecot Studios to look at yet more gorgeous dresses created by quite literally THE costume house to go to for Period Wear.

I am honestly such a fan of period drama dresses. For sure I am watching my adaptations for the plot - but I could get that from the book. I am mostly at the cinema because my inner 7-year-old just wants to frolic in a time period that hadn't heard of AI, or smartphones or impending environmental collapse. Yes, it is partly the sets, and the acting decisions and the script writing and I don't know, editing modern streetlamps out of whatever Bath street they are shooting in this time. But I think a good 50% of the immersion factor comes down to those costumes. And if its a period drama, then almost all of those costumes have had something to do with The House of Cosprop.

Costume Couture at Cosprop

The house of Cosprop was founded by John Bright. His experience as a stage actor and an auspicious trip to a Parisian flea market led him towards the worlds of vintage clothing and costumery - and in 1965 he established a specialist clothing house, Cosprop, to source and create period costumes for theater and film. 

Bright wanted to develop costume design firmly routed in historical accuracy. At its heart is Bright's collection of over 800 historical garments which can be handled, inspected from all angles and sometimes even picked apart to allow his team to create authentic, period-accurate costumes. The House currently employs 40 specialist textile artists, including dye experts, seamstresses, historians and milliners. 

The Golden Age of British Period Dress at Cosprop

The rise of Cosprop coincides with the development of the British Period Drama to it's golden age in the 70s – 90s. British TV companies like ITV and the BBC were involved in commissioning many of these works – from the breakout success of The Forsyte Saga in 1976 to the fabulous 1995 sense and sensibility adaptation. And actually, the two are kind of inseparable. Quite apart from those costumes surely helping actors inhabit those characters, the caliber of Bright's costumes shown in cinematic detail makes that world so vivid you can almost feel the lace cuffs... I digress. And when I tell you Cosprop has been part of EVERY. SINGLE. PERIOD. DRAMA. EVER. I am not exaggerating. I'm talking The Duchess, Pirates of the Caribbean, Elizabeth, even the 2026 adaptation of Sense and Sensibility that I'd just watched!

 The following is a tiny fraction of the wonderful garments on show - enjoy!

A Room With A View (1985)

Costume design by Jenny Beavan and John Bright

E.M. Forster's Romance set in Florence and England is both a romance and a commentary on English stuffiness. It follows a young couple, Lucy and George, who meet while on vacation in Florence and fall in love – that is until Lucy's chaperone whisks her off to Rome. Back in England, Lucy  accepts a proposal from a very stuck-up Cecil, only for George to show up again.  

This white 1906 ensemble is worn by Helena Bonham Carter's character Lucy Honeyman on two occasions; once overlooking Florence for her crazy romantic and cinematic first kiss with George Emerson - and once overlooking some of the fellas in her party frolicking in the buff. The duality of life, I fear. 

A Room With a View was produced by Merchant Ivory, a film company based in the creative (and also romantic) partnership between Indian producer Ismail Merchant and American director James Ivory. They were well known for adaptations of classic literary works by E.M. Forster and Henry James. The pair frequently worked with Cosprop to create original costumes for their films.

Sense and Sensibility (1995)

Costume design by Jenny Beavan and John Bright

Emma Thomspon's 1995 adaptation of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility remains a defining period drama. The story follows sisters Elinor (sense) and Marianne (sensibility) navigating life and love after the death of their father forces them to the outsides of their social circle.  

We had Colonel Brandon and Marianne's wedding outfits!  Brandon (Alan Rickman) wore a red military coat and britches. What is crazy is that in person that jacket is LOUD - I guess red must have really been Alan Rickman's color. 

Apparently Marianne's wedding dress involved straw-work (as in hay bale) that was original to the 1790s placed around the neckline. How come that straw remained intact for hundreds of years – and how come it looked to me like gold thread until just now?? The mind boggles.  

Pride and Prejudice (1995)

Costume design by Dinah Collin

1995 was a bumper year for British Period Drama! This adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice launched Colin Firth into international sex symbol status, and brought one of histories finest love stories to a new generation. Lizzie Benet's pride and Darcy's prejudice make for one of the most electric love stories Austen has ever written.

Yes, I have been within touching distance of THE wet shirt – now much less sodden though still tastefully un-starched. I have learned that it is made of White Irish Linen, and that the notorious wet shirt moment was a happy compromise between Sexy Man Emerges From A Lake and Male Semi-nudity is Not Period Accurate... 

Also... I LOVED the cross necklace detail on Lizzie Bennet's costume! This charm is almost identical to the tiny yellow topaz crosses that Charles Austen sent to his sisters Jane and Cassandra while serving as a Royal Naval Officer. In Mansfield Park, Fanny's brother William gives her a similar necklace. I love details like these, they really show how much care and research goes into these costumes!

Emma(2020)

Costume design by Alexandra Byrne

Jane Austen's Emma is all about its sparkling and incisively funny namesake: a young woman from a small town whose good nature is surpassed only by her self-confidence. The novel follows her well-meaning misadventures in matchmaking, ballgoing and befriending all those new in town. 

Costume designer Alexandra Byrne noticed that Emma takes place across a twelve-month period, and wanted Emma to serve Spring/Summer 1795. She is "a big fish in a small pond" with the means, focus and resources to closely follow seasonal trends. It is very Cher from Clueless (maybe I mean that the other way round), and it underscores Emma's growth and maturity which we love to see!

Agatha Christie's Poirot (1989 – 2013)

Costume design by Sheena Napier

Poirot is a fictional Belgian detective created by English crime writer Agatha Christie. He solves murder cases across almost 100 novels and short stories. David Suchet's performance in the TV series has come to define this lovable, affable, slightly puffed up icon of British culture.

This fabulous white linen suit was integral to bringing Poirot to Life. to create it, designer Sheena Napier studied Christie's original descriptions of Poirot ("a small, dandified man") and modified Suchet's shape with flexible rubber padding and a very tight shirt collar. Once suited, it was about enhancing Suchet's performance with accessories like this straw panama hat and black brogues polished to a mirror shine.

There you have it - my very Austen-biased write-up of a fabulous journey through period dress at Cosprop. Do you have a favorite period drama? If so, look up who made the costumes and I'm sure John Bright and/ or Merchant Ivory will have had a hand in creating it!

Love,

Eve x

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