Clothes-Minded Bit of Frivolity

The Series: “The House of Eliott” (4 p.m. Sundays, Arts & Entertainment channel).

The Setup: Third and final installment of the BBC series that follows sisters Beatrice (Stella Gonet) and Evangeline (Louise Lombard, pictured above at left with Gonet) Eliott, couturiers and party animals in 1920s London.

The Costume Designer: BBC staff designer Joan Wadge.

The Look: A weekly feast of flapper frivolities. Think of it as “Dallas” with spit curls. Running a fashion house, Beatrice and Evangeline have a professional duty to dress stylishly day and night. The wonder is in the sheer size of their wardrobes--each character has an average of 14 changes per hourlong episode. Even an ordinary day at the office might involve a belted, hip-length sweater paired with a short skirt, a rope of amber beads and dangling earrings. And should they walk out the front door, add a fur-trimmed coat, gloves and cloche.

Hit: The beaded dresses Beatrice and Evangeline wear with a vengeance on their evening rounds. They have an authentically rich look, and they are authentic, sort of. Many are made from original period beaded panels that are dyed and patched together into chemise shapes.

Trivia: Although Charles (Bill Thomas), the little cutter in the House of Eliott workroom, wears original suits from the ‘20s, Beatrice’s strapping husband, Jack Maddox (Aden Gillett), can’t. Like many modern men, he pumps iron, which makes his shoulders and arms too large for period clothing. His suits and dinner jackets are custom-made.

Quoted: “We chose the ‘20s because the fashion was so good and, surprisingly, many couturiers were women. It was a period of great change for women, the biggest change being that they got out of corsets. It was also a time when conspicuous consumption was just horrendous. There was great wealth and great poverty. Some women would spend as much on a jacket as other people would have to live on for a year,” said Jean Marsh, the show’s host and co-creator.

Sources: Principals’ costumes, including hats, were custom-made at Cosprop in London. Jewelry is both period and costume. Marsh’s clothes are mostly from Barneys New York.