According to USA Today, U.S. fans of the highest rated drama series in the history of PBS, will be able to keep the magic alive and extend their viewing experience following the end of series 4 by getting a first hand look at the likes of Edith’s wedding gown, the scarlet dress that Lady Mary wore when Matthew proposed (the second time) and one of the highly recognizable purple gowns donned by the Dowager Countess, herself.

In all, 40 costumes will be on display at the Winterthur Museum and Library in Wilmington, Del., from March 1, 2014 through Jan. 4, 2015 as part of the ‘Costumes of Downton Abbey’ exhibition. While much of the exhibit will feature the fashion from the first three series, rumor has it that there will be costumes from the forthcoming series 4 also.
 

Winterthur historian Maggie Lidz combs through racks of clothing looking for specific dresses from Downton Abbey. (Photo: Gannett/The (Wilmington, Del.) News Journal)
 
The museum, which is home to the estate of stylemaker Henry Francis du Pont, planned the exhibit to put the historically accurate outfits in the context of British and American country homes such as the fictional Downton Abbey and real-life Winterthur.

Winterthur’s director of collections and senior textile curator, Linda Eaton, points to the historical accuracy of the series’ fashions as being one of the reasons the outfits connect so well to Winterthur and duPont’s taste. “He was living in Downton Abbey clothing, and he was a real dandy, a very snappy dresser,” Eaton says. “He would have recognized the clothing in the Downton Abbey show and judged it according to his criteria of beauty. That is what he would have been interested in, and he would have been aware of all the nuance of status and fashion.”

And you were wondering what on Earth you were going to do to pass the time for the 10 months between the end of series 4 and the beginning of series 5…