Opinion | Style Check: 1920s style

I can still remember being 12 years old and watching Pride and Prejudice on television (not the Keira Knightley version). Wearing a side ponytail, black leggings, and my baggy pink "RELAX" sweatshirt, I was transfixed by all those corsets, heaving bosoms, and bonnets.

It was the 1990s, and it sparked off my first real interest in the construction of fashion. Since then, I've always loved a good costume drama.

My latest obsession, like many others, has been the British television show Downton Abbey. There is Lady Sybil's down-to-earth bohemian chic, Lady Mary's uptight glamour and, of course, the dowager countess' elaborate full gloves, luxurious shrugs and corsets, worn by actress Maggie Smith. The lady certainly knows how to accessorise.

I'm not alone. Downton Abbey, along with other shows and films, has sparked a revival in '20s fashion. Just think what Mad Men did for the '50s silhouette.

Those who love styles from eras past will be glad that Downton Abbey's cultural capital just got a whole lot bigger. The producers of the show, NBC Universal and Carnival Films, have announced the launch of a Downton Abbey fashion line, along with other ranges from beauty to houseware and furniture.

This comes after the show's popularity soared in the US during the third season. Merchandising for successful television shows and films is an old game, but I have known few instances where they've brought out a fashion line.