THE FASHION IN 'DOWNTON ABBEY: A NEW ERA' GOES TO THE SOUTH OF FRANCE AND A PERIOD FILM SET

 For its sophomore outing on the big-screen, "Downton Abbey" outdoes itself, the upstairs and downstairs families going on not one, but two glamorous adventures set in 1928.

An bevy of Crawleys — including Lady Edith (Laura Carmichael) and her mother Cora (Elizabeth McGovern) — head to the south of France to settle real estate matters and uncover a romantic mystery behind Dowager Countess (Maggie Smith) inheriting a villa from a late French nobleman. (Granny!) Meanwhile, Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) holds the fort at home, as a movie production takes over the estate, also setting the stage for the most self-aware "Downton Abbey" installment ever. (The franchise famously films in Hampshire's storied Highclere Castle, thereby also helping the Carnavon family fix the leaky roof, as detailed in the PBS documentary. So meta!)

Naturally, two costume designers were needed to help bring "Downton Abbey" roaring toward the '30s, in story and in style. Edith turns the Riviera jaunt into a working vacation, returning part-time to her swishy magazine gig. ("You're a writer?" someone asks. "A journalist, I'm afraid," responds Edith — also way too real.) "We did a lot of research into the French Riviera at the time: the writers and artists, like Coco Chanel and her contemporaries," says Robbins, who discovered the late-'20s Riviera set luxuriated in silk pajama sets.Casting a "wide net" in her vintage sourcing, Robbins found a pristine printed kimono (above) from a vendor in California, then custom-building a camisole and v-front wide-leg trousers to complete Edith's boho-chic journo look. "She's a professional career woman," she says. "She's cutting edge in a different way to Mary, in terms of the fashion choices, and it felt right that she would take that sartorial step forward into trousers." (Although, the late Lady Sybil, played by Jessica Brown Findlay, did pioneer that space in the Edwardian Era, a.k.a. season one.)

"She's always ahead of the trends," says Robbins, who looked ahead to the upcoming decade to incorporate "those little '30s accents that are already starting to emerge." She points to a '20s devoré dress (above), which is "a little nod to the LBD," as well as Chanel in that era.

Robbins sourced immaculate original vintage for Mary, including a polka dot devoré blouse worn to the cinema with Barber and a dream of a champagne chiffon gown featuring dazzling silver-beaded deco patterns (below). "That was an original Jean Patou, which is just incredible to see in real life," says Robbins.Robbins also incorporated cinematic Easter Eggs into Mary's forward-looking style: When Mary finally convinces Robert to agree to the movie shoot at Downton, she wears a navy high-low dinner dress (below), with "radiating" gold-threaded discs "that felt Hollywood, like spotlights."