When it comes to Netflix’s Bridgerton, what’s the first thing that comes to mind?
For most people, it’s the story, particularly the passionate romances of the Duke of Hastings and Daphne Bridgerton and Anthony Bridgerton and Lady Kate Sharma. It’s the gossip, the heated love scenes and the intense storylines. Others think of the nearly accurate portrayal of the Regency era, which is a big plus if you’re a huge history buff.
But for some people, it’s the fashion — most specifically, the Bridgerton dresses.
From the vibrant and sweet-looking cap sleeve day dresses to the gorgeous ball gowns capped off with tiaras, Bridgerton’s wardrobe department had fans wanting their own Bridgerton-inspired dresses. Who can blame them? After all, we’ve been watching the characters don beautiful Empire-waist gowns and opera gloves in a modern mash-up of sexy boudoir dressing and cottagecore.
Bridgerton’s costume designer, Ellen Mirojnick, enticed viewers with the Regency era fashion by banning bonnets from the set while changing the fabrics and exploring different color palettes.
If you’re a fan of the show, you might’ve wanted your own modern version of Daphne’s costume or rock the jewels like the Queen. Fortunately, it’s not a hard fashion challenge. All you have to do is learn more about the Regency fashion (as per Bridgerton), know the style that suits you and shop!
What Kind of Dresses Do They Wear in Bridgerton?
Phoebe Dynevor, the actress behind Daphne, describes the costumes as “Regency with a twist,” referring to the cornflower blues, lemon yellows and cotton-candy pinks of the costumes. The “with a twist” part could also refer to the fact that some of the styles in Bridgerton wouldn’t have existed in England during the early 1800s, but these wardrobe choices were intentional since the showrunners decided to put a modern spin on the Bridgerton dresses.
According to Chris Van Dusen, the show’s director and creator, all of the costumes are rooted in the Regency era but with “the volume turned up.” As mentioned above, the show doesn’t use bonnets, which were a staple for women during the Regency era. Instead, they wear hats.
As for the dresses and overall wardrobe palette, Bridgerton is all about the pastels. Inspired by Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette, Mjornick decided to go pastel with the wardrobe, which was continued by season 2’s costume designer Sophie Canale.
Despite the slight modern alterations to Bridgerton’s dresses and costumes, the show gets plenty of things right about the Regency-era wardrobe. One of the most accurate aspects of the show’s wardrobe is the silhouettes of the dresses. The tough silhouette includes a high waistline under the bust and the columnar skirt.
Hiked-up bosoms were also a thing during the early 19th century. Bridgerton is coming from the 18th century, which was a very bosom-forward era. While the bosom-forward look was one of the show’s fashion highlights, in reality, showing off skin happened during a very specific time of the day. In the morning, women had to cover their chests during the day. You were allowed to expose some skin during formal evening events.
Corsets were also an important part of the Regency-era fashion. Upper-class women wore corsets (otherwise known as ‘stays) were often short. It’s not the type of corset that we often see today. Instead, older corsets go down to the hips, giving the wearer a tiny waistline. Crop-top length corsets went well with the high empire waist.
How Do You Dress Up Like a Bridgerton?
So, now that you know how the show approaches its wardrobe, it’s time to plan your Bridgerton-inspired dresses.
Here’s how you can dress like some of our favorite characters from the show.
How to Dress Like Daphne Bridgerton
So, you want to be the modern-day version of Daphne Bridgerton and hopefully catch a Duke of Hastings, too.
Start by dressing up as the Duchess. First, cotton might not be her favorite, but it’s the perfect fabric for the summer months. Look for a light blue cotton dress complete with puff sleeves to channel Daphne’s pastel blue look, which she wore often during the show. While blue is a Daphne color, you can go crazy with pastels when it comes to choosing your Bridgerton-style dresses.
When choosing a dress, go for dresses that have a sweetheart neckline so you can enjoy a Regency-era silhouette. Most puff sleeve dresses are also reminiscent of the dresses Daphne wore during the garden parties.
How to Dress Like Kate Sharma
If Daphne’s soft and sweet approach isn’t your thing, go bold like Kate Sharma. This lady is a bold woman who is willing to fight for her family. At the same time, she’s not a big fan of pastels. She loves bold jewel colors that reflect her personality. On top of that, she strays away from common Regency-era dress options.
For example, a blazer dress would look out of place in a Regency-era setting. But during Kate’s hunting trip, she wore a blue riding coat so well. Also, the actress behind Kate, Simone Ashley, has been very open about not liking the corset she wore. So, she mimicked the look of a corset by wearing a similar blazer dress, minus the discomfort of a corset.
We can’t forget the beautiful purple dress with silver threads. If you want to copy this look, shop for a lace mermaid hem dress in the color purple.
How To Dress Like Eloise Bridgerton
If you’re a little more conservative, Eloise is the Bridgerton to follow (in terms of style). The youngest Bridgerton may wear some short-sleeved dresses, but most of her dresses cover up her neckline and allows for more movement. You can duplicate her look by shopping for a layered ruffle detail dress with gathered sleeves.
How To Dress Like Edwina Sharma
Compared to the other Bridgerton characters, Edwina is less fond of patterns but she is a big fan of the color peach. She looks good in peach and it makes her stand out. If you have a peachy personality, you might want to go peach with your dresses too. Puff sleeve dresses in peach could help you look like Edwina.
How To Dress Like the Featherington Sisters
While Madame Delacroix often makes fun of the Featherington sisters’ dresses, they can pull off bold fashion.
Take Penelope Featherington for example. She’s often dressed in yellow, even during big events. You can get the same dress online! Look for a puff sleeve romantic mini dress in a bright daffodil color so you can pull off the Featherington energy.
Thanks to Bridgerton, many are falling in love with the idea of passionate love and gossip. On top of that, Bridgerton also inspires fans to do their modern version of the show’s dresses. You can do the same too! Just channel your inner Bridgerton persona and you’re on your way.
