A DAZZLE OF COSTUMES FOR BRIDGERTON’S RETURN
Inspired colour palettes and intricately designed costumes make the series a feast for the senses,
At last, the new season of Bridgerton is here. In season 1 of the hit series we followed
Phoebe Dynevor as Daphne Bridgerton fighting to retain her right to choose a future partner during London’s Regency period. It was a lush Mills & Boon-type book brought to life with beautiful people, incredible clothes and, of course, the essential ingredient of romance. It made a star of Rege-Jean Page (whose mother is Zimbabwean) and had everyone nostalgic for more Regency-inspired styling.
Bridgerton Season 2 recently began streaming on Netflix, so if you can’t find your wife, best friend or coworker, it’s because she or he is binge-watching the latest episodes. And these are even spicier and more convoluted than season one.
The sophomore season showcases Daphne’s brother, Anthony, in his quest for an appropriate match. As with any good love story, the person his social circle believes he should be with and the person he actually falls in love with are at odds. Played by Jonathan Bailey, Anthony takes over the central storyline as he searches for a woman to fulfill his familial duties with and to make his viscountess. Kate, played by Simone Ashley, who audiences will no doubt root for as the season progresses, is fresh from India and resistant to the charms of the viscount.
Naturally, their story has many classic romance turns, enhanced by a palette that looks like it’s been cribbed from a Georges Seurat impressionist painting. Sophie Canale, the woman behind the visual feast, who worked on Artemis Fowl, The Last Kingdom and others, reveals the secret of this season’s costume designs.
“Clothing defines us,” says Canale. “The costumes help the actors understand their characters, especially when they’re in a period drama like Bridgerton. The costumes change an actor’s stance, the way they sit, walk, even the way they breathe. As soon as a woman puts on a corset, her posture changes. We develop the costume from the corset, to the dress, to the headdress, to the jewellery.
“I always find that as soon as we add the last element, the gloves, women are fascinated. They hold a reticule (a woman’s small, period-distinct handbag), and the character comes to life in front of you.”
While many think of fashion as a woman’s domain, it’s clear from any period drama that men have been as devoted through the ages to colour, cut and texture as their female counterparts. This attention to fashion can be seen at today’s red-carpet events where men once again are wearing coloured velvet, broaches and experiment with jacket closures.
Canale delights in transforming males into gentlemen: “Men walk into the fitting rooms in jeans and a T-shirt. We put them in tight waistcoats and jackets, and full-front trousers — a different style of trouser than any man would wear today, higher at the waist — that changes the posture so they feel like they’re stepping into their character’s shoes.” Another addition is the men have fob watches. The detail that goes into each of the principal cast’s clothing is specific, with garments handmade for exact fit and impact on the eye. The men’s clothing this season is particularly dashing, with tailored jackets that tighten at the waist and emphasise shoulders, playing up the male physique. There are knee-high boots that evoke a swash-buckling feel, paired with soft, high trousers, and elaborate ties wrapped around the neck and tied softly in an exacting bow. The juxtapositions deliberately capture the sense of restraint against the sensual fabrics struggling to break free.
“Each household has a ‘look’ that is most often achieved by a specific palette,” says Canale. “The Bridgertons retain their pastel colours. The Featheringtons are most often in citrus.” The watchful viewer will note that the Bridgertons have silver buttons, while the Featheringtons have gold. Every ribbon is chosen to match a character and family palette.
“With the introduction of a new family, the Sharmas, I wanted to incorporate the colours of India and the ‘ton’ (an abbreviation of ‘le bon ton’, which refers to Regency-era high society). Kate is the strongest character so you see her in a bolder palette. She has a staunch connection to India, so I’ve kept that in her colours,” says Canale.
Edwina Sharma is younger and more fragile. She wants to please. “Her colour palette is softer. I wanted to keep her in this more naive or innocent palette, so she is closer to the Bridgerton colours. Mary
Sharma, their mother, is in softer pink tones because she’s also softer and more vulnerable.” It’s as though she is a shadow of herself and this is depicted in the subtle hints of colour-infused fabric.
“Last season Lady Danbury was in lots of purples,” says Canale, “but we’ve moved her more into the reds, because as much as she is part of the Sharma world, I wanted her to be distinctive in her own right.”
There are other salacious treats and moments of pure visual spectacle which can only be appreciated when you watch the show, but here are two “must-see” moments to look out for:
Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley) in white thigh-highs on display as she races across the field on horseback, her blue cloak contrasting with and billowing against the green fields. And Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) climbing out of the water with soaked white cotton clinging to his body.