Lady Felicia's outfits in BBC's Father Brown (2012-13)

Having not read the books on which the television show is based, I had no expectations of BBC's adaptation of Father Brown and chose to dismiss the negative reviews before I had a chance to judge it for myself. And I'm glad I did because after ploughing through fifteen episodes in the course of an equally long flight, I've decided that it's not nearly as inane or poorly produced as some naysayers claim. Granted, it can't measure up to the caliber of detective-show heavyweights like Poirot, Marple, Morse, among others, but it does satisfy the sleuthing itch when one is devoid of better alternatives.

I haven't taken to Father Brown like I did to the aforementioned characters - he's just not all that interesting nor unique and at times, can come off exceedingly annoying. The murder cases are not complicated and the characters appear even less so; the show can't seem to decide if it wants to be a comedy or a drama series and often veers into the unfortunate territory of "camp." BUT despite all of that, I still find myself enjoying it, if only for the gorgeous costumes, particularly the dresses donned by Lady Felicia, a minor character who pops in and out on occasion, usually just at the moment when a handsome stranger strolls into town. And it is Lady Felicia's wardrobe that is the focus of today's post! As a wealthy socialite with a wandering eye and a frequently-absent husband, Lady Felicia is actually my favorite out of all the characters on the show. And yes, her clothes are responsible for the majority of this bias. Just look at these!

Light green and blue striped satin dress. 

Bold red dress, black gloves, oversize clutch, and straw hat



The scarf is timeless.

Light olive green satin dress with damask stripes. I want this fabric for my curtains...




Beautiful green patterned dress with a fur stole, black gloves and large clutch



Here's the same dress without the fur stole covering up the lovely scalloped neckline.

Burnt red-orange sundress with cute button details.

Lady Felicia is often found with drinks in hand, sometimes two...Very pretty lace dress topped with a light yellow fur capelet.

Here's the same lace dress without the capelet.

Oh, look, more champagne!

Cute red belt buckle.

You can't see this dress all that well but it's a gorgeous and iridescent dark redddish brown satin with small polka dots.

A cream coloured ensemble. I like how the belt is made from the same material as the dress.

Love the bright yellow shoes! And the cream/light blue/yellow colour combination.

A close-up of the top half of the previous outfit. Love the ribbed texture of the yellow coat.

She likes to wear red a lot!

I love the lapels on this suit jacket. And the white blouse underneath (which we don't get to see unfortunately).

A full-length view of the beige suit dress.

Mauve dress with white polka dots, gloves & clutch. (Once again she spots a handsome stranger). 

Armed with flowers and a raunchy classic, Lady Felicia shows up at the hospital to visit the handsome, bedridden stranger who, according to the nurses, is "quite dashing under the sheets."


Even though this blog entry is mostly about Lady Felicia, I wanted to include some miscellaneous images of a few of the other characters whose outfits I also loved.

Loved this lavender dress with the tiny white polka dots. Notice the small bow at the bottom of the bustline. She wore it with white gloves and carried a small white handbag (which isn't pictured). Very Grace Kelly-like.
The bottom skirt was poofy, with many layers underneath. It fluttered beautifully every time the wind blew.

I like the button detail in the front of Suzie's dress here.

Let's go a bit artsy bohemian, shall we?

What adorable curls.

Lovely way to dress up the lapels on a cardigan sweater.

Even though the Father Brown stories written by G. K. Chesterton (1874-1936) were originally set during the 1920s, the show seems to have taken a more lenient attitude regarding the clothes historically accurate to that period. (Not to mention the manner of speech....) In all, it's as if the characters were living and speaking in the modern era but dressed in vintage inspired clothes. [update: I'm told the show changed the era to the 1950s...which now makes more sense and the clothing styles more appropriate!]

Hope you enjoyed these images. Have a wonderful [belated] New Year's and stay warm! 

Posted in: British TV shows,fancy hats,Father Brown,films made in the 1950s,hairstyles,murder mystery,pinched waist dresses,skirt suit,vintage hair