Was life really stinkier during the pre-World War II, Downton Abbey years? It's easy to imagine it probably was, considering deodorant was a new idea and air conditioning hadn't caught on yet. In this regard, the Downton Abbey set was thoroughly authentic, awash in odors modern audiences would find objectionable. That's right. The cast members smelled.
It was hardly their fault though. The show's producers (led by Alastair Bruce, an advisor known as the "Historical Oracle") wanted those period costumes to look perfect, and that meant they could never be washed — at least not to the degree that they actually smelled fresh. "We do stink, as they don't wash our costumes," Sophie McShera, who played Daisy (above) confirmed to the Daily Mail in 2013. "They have these weird patches, which are sewn into the armpits and which they wash separately."
That spot clean may not have done the trick of a proper washing machine or dry cleaner, but it did safeguard Downton Abbey clothing from more serious damage. And, after all, it's not as if viewers could actually smell the show. If the cast was willing to put up with it, fans can only be grateful to them for delivering an impressively accurate portrayal of the period.
