Lily James struggled with 'boob flattener' while filming Downton Abbey

Actress Lily James masked her cleavage by literally flattening her breasts with accessories while filming television show Downton Abbey.

The 26-year-old portrayed Lady Rose MacClare in the British historical drama, which is set during the 1910s and the 1920s, and she saw her bosom pretty much disappear when shooting scenes.

“At times I wore a sports bra and a boob flattener, because at that time the style was, in the twenties, to actually emulate a man’s physique,” Lily noted during a chat with IMDb Asks. “There was the low-cut drop waistline in this sort of very square shape, so the women would flatten their boobs to fit into the style. Women were becoming liberated and doing the flapper and dancing and showing that they were sort of equal.”

Lily has taken on a number of roles in period films recently, having starred in Disney's live-action remake of Cinderella before taking on a part in upcoming quirky horror flick Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

She recently admitted dressing up in the clothing women wore centuries ago has taken a toll on her and she can't wait to wear modern clothes in her upcoming film Baby Driver - a crime thriller about a heist.

"I want to just have my own voice and wear jeans, maybe a tracksuit and no bra!" she told the London Evening Standard.

However, Lily also expressed her gratitude about being exposed to so much fashion from bygone eras.

"My style really changed because I understood accessorising," she told WWD.com when asked how her Downton Abbey costumes affected her personal style in real life. "Every morning I'd go into my trailer and there'd be different necklaces and earrings and gloves and handbags."