Didn't stick with the show for season 6, but yes, that wardrobe switch ought to have been written into the dialogue.

Just look at all of the fuss the critics made over Annie Lennox's ties when Eurythmics first started making hit records.

Brits generally notice things like that. If it were true that they did in the 1980s, then they certainly would have noticed ladies' ties in the 1920s.

I watched all the seasons of this series, but never was truly "in" to it, instead kinda just went through the motions as I'm a longtime regular PBS viewer who for decades has followed a majority of PBS Masterpiece productions.

I personally never thought it unusual when Mary sometimes wore a tie, as (myself being a huge enthusiast of the 1920s and its movies, therefore I've endlessly seen how women dressed back then) that definitely was a popular fashion accessory, and a style trend, that some women opted to wear to show their modernity.

I think since other characters in the series know Mary is decidedly fashionable, plus that she's bossy and imperious in nature, I suspect everyone just figures the look suits Mary and that she's making a fashion statement.

Btw, welcome to TMDb, Wantin! I see you joined sometime this month.

Thanks genplant29. Don't usually respond much myself but thought to sign in instead of just lurking like that Mitt famously does.

That makes a lot of sense. You see those old fashion pictures or at least 1920's period scenes where the fashionable lady wears bows and ribbons for ties so maybe Lady Mary does the upscale bit that way.

PBS has presented many fine British productions. Others have I also followed but then lose track of their changing schedule or else lose interest in over-hyped productions like Downton.

I believe I've seen more than one Silent film during just the last couple or so weeks alone in which one or more stylish female character was wearing a smart (as in fashionably trendy) tie at some point.

Regarding PBS, I enjoy its period productions, especially when they're set anytime during the '20s through '40s. Something about that years span always has very much "spoken" to and really appeals to me. PBS, via its British co-productions, certainly does vintage better than anyone.

Just to follow up on my own thread, almost as soon as I posted this the series left her tie-wearing fashion season behind. Again, I only mentioned it as it seemed to stick around longer than other fashions she went through and with no conversation. It is fairly stated that those closest to her would have been normalized to her non-conforming dress habits, perhaps to the point of not even raising dialog whether positive or negative. It was just funny to me that as soon as I had found it a bit of a distraction (enough to post here) it all but went away. I had begun to assume it was going to endure for the remainder of the show. :)