Bridgerton, the period drama adaptation of Julia Quinn’s romance novels, is famous for the beautiful and elaborate costumes that the characters wear. These costumes aren’t necessarily historically accurate, whether it be due to simple artistic license or the limits of what’s available to modern costumers. However, they still manage to make an impression on viewers. After all, a lot of the show’s dresses combine various decorations, patterns, and colors. There are also the various accessories characters might employ, from feathers to tiaras.
Bridgerton
4/5
From Shondaland and creator Chris Van Dusen, Netflix’s Bridgerton is based on the romance novels of the same name by author Julia Quinn. The series follows the eight Bridgerton siblings, Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory, and Hyacinth, as they search for love during the social season and navigate life in Regency-era England.
- Release Date
- December 25, 2020
- Seasons
- 3
Even dresses that look simple at first glance might have a lot more embellishments if one looks closely enough. Some characters are known for liking gaudy and unusual outfits, and some might prefer to wear outfits that are out of date by the time the story is set, but this still helps to set them apart from the other characters and makes them all the more memorable. Other times, a character’s costume is all the more impressive because of just what it represents as part of that character’s story.
10 Queen Charlotte’s Gold Dress
Season 1, Episode 5 – “The Duke and I”
Gold is the color associated with power and wealth, which makes it fitting for royalty. Queen Charlotte is known for her lavish and varied wardrobe, so a golden dress was inevitable. The Queen dons such a dress in the popular episode “The Duke and I,” in which Simon and Daphne appear before her and plead their case after their garden meetings risk their reputation.
Golda & Gold Go Hand-In-Hand
The gown has a bright golden color exterior, with an embroidered skirt underneath. Notably, the Queen is surrounded by courtiers all dressed in shades of white, helping her stand out all the more as a symbol of regality and position. Like most of her outfits, she also pairs this with a lavish pompadour wig. The whole outfit also highlights how Charlotte still prefers the fashion of the past, favoring her own style over fashion.
9 Daphne’s Vauxhall Ballgown
Season 1, Episode 1 – “Diamond of the First Water”
It’s been noted that the Bridgerton family often wears a shade of blue, usually dubbed “Bridgerton Blue” by fans, which they somehow incorporate into their clothing if not wearing the color outright. This is because blue often reflects a high social status. Daphne is especially seen wearing blue, which likely represents how blue has historically been associated with femininity, also reflecting her role as the heroine of the first season.
Beautiful in Bridgerton Blue
In the first episode, “Diamond in the First Water,” Daphne wears an icy blue dress when she is with Simon at the Vauxhall Ball. The dress is paired with white gloves. Though somewhat casual at first glance, the dress is heavily embroidered and the skirt is even decorated with sequins. Daphne also wears a matching blue floral decoration on the side of her hair. The color also highlights Daphne’s role as the first Bridgerton daughter to make her debut.
8 Queen Charlotte’s Silver Dress
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story Season 1, Episode 6 – “Crown Jewels”
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Storysees the future Queen as she meets and marries King George III. Even in these early days, depicting her rise to the throne, she still dons elaborate costumes, such as her golden wedding dress.
The King & Queen of the Ball
In the episode, “Crown Jewels,” the final episode, Queen Charlotte and her royal husband are seen at a ball celebrating the birth of their son, Prince George IV. The young queen’s ballgown is made of silver taffeta, with a stomacher decorated with lavish beadwork. She pairs this outfit with a variety of jewelry, including a silvery bracelet and a necklace. As befitting a queen, her hair is also adorned with a layered tiara.
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7 Queen Charlotte’s “Into the Light” Ballgown
Season 3, Episode 8 – “Into the Light”
One driving question throughout Bridgerton is the true identity of Lady Whistledown, who is revealed to the audience early on to be Penelope Featherington. In the fourth book, and the third season episode, “Into the Light,” the mysterious writer’s true identity is finally revealed to the other characters. Penelope plans on revealing herself, having invited Queen Charlotte herself. In the scene, Queen Charlotte appears in a green ballgown, decorated with flowers in a variety of colors.
“What Is Life Without a Little Gossip?”
The dress is second to her wig, which is done up in a towering pile of curls, covered with colorful decorations and topped with feathers. While the green matches the outfits of the Featherington women in the scene, it also foreshadows that she will allow Penelope to continue her writing, agreeing that there is some value in gossip. The dark green hues also make Penelope’s dress look blue by comparison, especially when she steps out into the light, reflecting her role as a Bridgerton by marriage.
6 Lady Danbury’s Opening Ball Outfit
Season 1, Episode 1 – “Diamond of the First Water”
Lady Danbury is an established lady within the Ton. She claims she was once shy and meek when she was younger, but one day decided she would not let herself be overlooked. She certainly lived up to this, always giving a commanding presence whenever she enters a room. Naturally, her outfits always reflect a great and established sense of style.
If the Tiara Fits, Wear It…
One of her most elegant outfits appears in the first episode, “Diamond of the First Water,” where she hosts the season’s opening ball. Making an impression on her guests, she wears a white silk gown that is decorated with gemstones. The dress has a high raised collar, giving her a regal look. She also wears a necklace and a tiara, highlighting herself as a lady of great wealth and taste. The dress is also notable as it is one of the few times Lady Danbury wears light colors.
5 Portia’s Picnic Outfit
Season 1, Episode 2 – “Shock and Delight”
Portia Featherington is known for her gaudy tastes. After all, she is the one to have her daughter Penelope wear her infamous yellow dresses early on. She is also known for having her daughters dress with a shared theme. However, for viewers, this all helps to make her outfits some of the more memorable in the series, effectively making her stand out in the crowd.
Dressed up for the Promenade
“Shock and Delight” sees Portia and her daughters promenading at a picnic. Portia is wearing a dark purple brocade dress that is covered in pink and gold flower patterns. She compliments the dress by wearing pink and purple flowers in her hair. Like many of Portia’s outfits, the dress shows off her figure, in contrast to the shapeless dresses that were in fashion at the time. Notably, her three daughters also wear similar floral-themed dresses in various shades of pink and purple.
4 Cressida’s Crowned Ensemble
Season 1, Episode 6 – “Art of the Swoon”
Cressida Cowper is a haughty debutante who serves as a rival and bully to characters like Daphne and Penelope, though she is somewhat more sympathetic than her book counterpart. She is known for her lavish and impractical outfits, which help reflect her elitist nature. In fact, she’s also known for wearing her hair in over-the-top styles, too.
Cressida’s Crowning Glory
In “Art of the Swoon,” Cressida dons an embroidered peach gown trimmed with floral decorations. However, the most notable feature of the outfit is a lavish crown made up of pearls and crystals that sits atop her head, with ringlets flowing down. This reflects her ambitions early in the series as a possible candidate to marry Prince Friedrich, who is also Daphne’s suitor.
The crown is all the more notable as Cressida stands next to her mother, who only has a few flowers in her hair, though it is similarly done up in an elaborate style.
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3 Daphne’s Debut Dress
Season 1, Episode 1 – “Diamond of the First Water”
Daphne is the eldest Bridgerton daughter and the heroine of the first series. As the Queen herself declares her the diamond of the season during her big debut, soon becoming the most desired debutante in the Ton, it makes sense that her first outfit would make an impression.
The Diamond of the Season
Daphne’s debut outfit is an ivory-colored satin dress decorated with hints of gold, most prominently seen in the patterns on her sleeves and heart-shaped patterns seen toward the bottom of her dress. The gown also has a long, flowing train. The white color might paint her as a debutante, but she still manages to make an impression on the Queen. She pairs her outfit with a necklace and a gold tiara. When she first appears before the queen, she also sports lavish feathers in her hair.
2 Cressida’s Rose-Sleeved Gown
Season 3, Episode 3 – “Forces of Nature”
Cressida’s outfits were known for becoming more and more elaborate as the series went on. This is especially seen with her sleeves, which become more prominent in her later dresses. While it makes her stand out, this also helps to evoke the image of her as some sort of winged “caged bird,” suggesting a possible reason behind her haughty demeanor. One of the more notable outfits reflecting this is the one she wears while talking with Eloise in the garden in “Forces of Nature.”
A Dress Fit For a Nature Walk
The pink dress already has a noticeable floral theme, but the dress really makes an impression with its massive sleeves that are designed to resemble rosebuds. Cressida has notably used such rose decorations in another dress, once using them to decorate her neckline instead of her sleeves. While in her garden outfit, Cressida also has her hair arranged in massive braids, which vaguely mimic the shape of a flower.
Notably, the outfit is also worn when Cressida explains her plan to marry Lord Debling, the naturalist, perhaps suggesting an attempt to blend in with nature.
1 Penelope’s Emerald Green Dress
Season 3, Episode 1 “Out of the Shadows”
For years, Penelope lived under her mother’s thumb and was put in unflattering outfits reflecting her mother’s style. Ironically, when her mother resigns herself to believe Penelope won’t ever marry and allows her more freedom, Penelope’s true self begins to shine through as she wears clothes, and especially colors, that better suit her, which ends up attracting more suitors.
Penelope Comes Into Her Own
In the third season, “Out of the Shadows,” Penelope shines in a dark green dress, which is adorned with jewels and paired with dark, translucent gloves. The green especially helps to compliment Pen’s red hair, showing she has a good sense of color contrast. Ultimately, what makes the dress one of the most notable in the series is what it represents: Penelope ultimately starting to come into her own.
