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Bridgerton Brigade
Amidst the dazzling balls and the judgmental echelons of the society, there is a wardrobe brimming with costumes of an era that was chic, regal and dominated by the sheen and splendour of the high and mighty
The Leading storytellers: Daphne Bridgerton & The Duke of Hastings
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Image Credits: Bridgerton
Bridgerton is one of the latest period shows to have released on the OTT platform. Within a week of its arrival, it wreaked havoc with its quintessential costumes and enchanting backdrop of the Regency Era. The story of Bridgerton is set in 1813 – this epoch in history is regarded as-The Regency era, which lasted from February 1811 to January 1820 and was known as the period of opulence. This romanticized period drama is adapted from the romance novel series- with the same name, written by the famous American author Julia Quinn.
The Ball Room where all the parties of Bridgerton was filmed. Image Credits : Bridgerton
The Duke of Hasting's bedroom. Image Credits: Bridgerton
The Ranger's House. Image Credits: Bridgerton
The Ball Room where all the parties of Bridgerton was filmed. Image Credits : Bridgerton
This dreamlike landscape filled with royal aesthetics and a fairytale romance is what helped in getting audiences intrigued to binge-watch the show. The love for some mushy romance- fantasy is always well embraced on these OTT platforms, and with Christmas being the perfect time, this show perfectly blended in and people embraced it with open arms.
Few of the most important characters in the show are of colour and that has helped people from all over the world to relate better with the show. She paints a gory picture of 19th century Britain in her books. However, in the show, the makers have shed more light on depicting subjects such as sexuality, gender and race that form stepping stones to the kind of perceptions people hold in the society.
To get a little deeper into the nuances of how the socio-economic ambience influences various styles of clothing, Nidhi Yasha, aged 38, an India costume designer who holds a degree from IIM Ahmedabad on luxury lifestyle business and NIFT both and she also owns a costuming company that is solely focused on historical films and TV, states, – “Social surroundings are the pinnacle of accurate comprehension of the style of clothing in an era. It plays a crucial role in the process of costume designing as the varying ambiences of a society in different eras gone by, determines the silhouettes, colour palettes and fabrics used in the clothing of different characters.
The various socio-economic strata, is what helps in determining what would help in the proper depiction of characters. For example, the kind of luxurious fabric that a person with a steady job can afford will be very different from the ordinary fabric that a middle-class working man in the society can afford, and costumes have the power to depict that kind of a distinction in character sketch. It sheds some light on the factor of suitability which is directly proportional to the kind of society you are living in.”
This connection was evident in Bridgerton where the costume designer Ellen Mirojnick distinctly specified the two colour palettes picked to represent two different families in the show – The Featheringtons and The Bridgertons.
Colour palette smattered with bright purples and pinks to establish the characterization of the featheringtons who wanted to be conspicuous.
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Image Credits : Bridgerton
The colour palette for the Featheringtons was imbued with vivid citrus colours, whereas, the Bridgertons had mostly subtle ice-cream pastels for their costumes. What is interesting to note here, is how something as mere as two varying colour palettes added on to the narrative of the period show. The Featheringtons were at a juncture where they had the desperate need to make themselves conspicuous. They are in the brink of living in a world where they are experiencing a wafting taste of an affluent lifestyle. The costume designer - Mirojnick was quoted in Vogue, saying “The Featheringtons are new money and [the mother] Portia [played by Polly Walker] needs to marry her daughters off. She sets the tone for them as a family and their colour palette is overly citrus because she wants those girls to be seen.”
Bridgertons had a pastel colour palette as they were a lot more refined
Image Credits : Bridgerton
Whereas, the Bridgertons were much more refined. They were from a higher strata of the society, and the costume designer depicted that in the classiest way. Wedgewood blue was one of the most important colours used in most of the costumes of Daphne Bridgerton who was the lead actress. What turns into a fascinating explanation of the use of colours in characterization, is how the same colour palette of Daphne, is taken a notch higher with duskier tones like mauves and purples, when she gets married to the Duke and now has to be represented as a testament to the transition from a girl seeking marriage proposals to a woman married to the Duke of an influential family.
Lead cast members
Image Credits: Bridgerton
The lead characters around which this story of passion and fantasy revolves is Daphne Bridgerton and Simon Basset – The Duke of Hastings. The 8 episodes worth miniseries revolve around the hurdles faced in the courtship and marriage of these two lead characters.
All the various echelons of people in the society – their friends, relatives, family, and gossipmongers – take deep interest in the unravelling of their relationship. The cast of Bridgerton was vast as it was a period show, set against a background where the role of the society was the pinnacle of interest and requirement.
Lead cast members
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Image Credits: Bridgerton
CHARACTERS
Blue Moon
The Duke of Hastings
Illustrations Credits: Aimen Tamboowala
The Duke’s colour palette was the exact opposite of that of Daphne’s. The Duke’s character had to be represented as someone who is used to be in power. His sensuous demeanor was craftily represented with a colour palette rich with dark hues.
Even the fabrics picked for his clothing were rich in nature like velvets and heavily brocaded jackets. A simple touch such as- leaving the buttons of his shirt open, was also a representation of his frivolous nature and his irresistible charm that draws Daphne in eventually.
Daphne’s character was also dressed simplistically in the most consistent manner. The idea was the accurate representation of the character. She had an underlying innocence about her that had to come out in the most organic way.
The use of heavily adorning jewellery and glaring colours like the citrus hues picked for the opposing family, would be an innocuous designing element for her character.
Daphne Bridgerton
Illustrations Credits: Aimen Tamboowala
The Eligible Suitor
Smarty Pants
Eloise Bridgerton
Illustrations Credits: Aimen Tamboowala
The contrast in the characterization process between two of the Bridgerton sisters, can be seen through Eloise’s costumes. She was Daphne’s younger sister. Eloise was against all the romantic frills and delicate lacework as she was more of a daredevil.
Her character specifics did not include bending to societal norms and barriers, and her clothing was a representation of her vivacious character. She was not a conformist, she was a pragmatic woman.
​Further spilling details of the costuming process which includes other clothing elements as well as accessories, Mirojnick stated in HelloGiggles, “Lady Danbury's gowns are exquisitely detailed with lace and metallic piping, and she often favours a deep burgundy palette to signal her affection and alignment with the Duke of Hastings. Her hair tends to be pulled back almost severely, giving her a look of austerity; the high collars of her gowns feel like an extension of her steely spine.”
Sugar In the Plum
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Lady Danbury
Illustrations Credits: Aimen Tamboowala
Shows how Lady Danbury was a woman of substance. The woman who took up the responsibility of the Duke when his father had abandoned him.
She was strong and independent, and her expensive gowns with gaudy fabrics typically represented her posh status. The costumes worn by her, was an attestation to her character specifics.
The Compassionate Matriarch
Lady Violet Bridgerton
Illustrations Credits: Aimen Tamboowala
Lady Violet Bridgerton is the head of the Bridgerton family. Her only aim in life is to see her daughters getting married. Ellen was quoted in HelloGiggles, stating facts about Violet’s character and the relevance of her costumes to it, “Her fabrics are softer and airier than most, reflecting her gentle nature and her desire for her children to marry for love rather than duty.
Violet's necklines are higher and her chest is often covered, as her primary focus is not to attract men but rather to focus on her family. She often wears earrings or necklaces to symbolize her elevated position in the household.”
Penelope Featherington
Illustrations Credits: Aimen Tamboowala
Penelope Featherington comes from the opposing family-one has to reach the end of the show to realise that she was probably the most important characters throughout the series.
She always felt rejected and unwanted. However the conspicuous colour palette is the need that her mother imposes on her. The need to be the centre of attention and attract marriage
proposals.
The style of clothing seen during that era was a stark reflection of the mindsets of the people in varying social surroundings, and how they perceived the background of the residents of the society, through their clothing.
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There were a total of 7,500 costumes made for this show, and there were riveting conversations of how major faux paus had been committed, and the deviation from the accuracy of details of the fashion seen in Regency era led to the topic of heated arguments. However, the costume designer had proper justification to contradict the imposed accusation of deflecting anachronisms through her costumes.
The beauty of Bridgerton, is how the focus was more on using costumes in narrating the story and bringing a character to life on screen, with whom the audiences can relate through their attires, rather than being a stickler for the circle of verbatim costumes from the era being represented in the period film.
A Drop of Golden Sun
The Bridgerton’s costume designer wanted to have the show be encrusted with modern storytelling and fresh modifications, through the costumes worn by the cast. It could not be a repetitive representation of the Regency Era fashion, as there was nothing new and enticing about it.
Jane Austen’s novels have had the same context of how dressing in a particular way was interlaced with your social standing. Bridgerton could be called as a rip-off and a modernized version of a Jane Austen novel, however the contemporary touch given to it by the designer is what sets it apart. Hence, the deviation from cent percent accuracy is rightfully justified.
Reza Sharifi, an Indian costume designer, aged 53, provided some valuable insights to this argument saying – “At times, creative manipulation is of utmost need. You cannot be so particular about being era appropriate because, that negates the possibility of relatable and believable character depiction. You will have to improvise. There might be some technical concerns such as budgetary issues or unavailability of era- appropriate fabrics or it must just be the need to fit into a contemporary world of fashion, in order to create a production that has mass acceptance and relatability.”
Accessories
Coming to how accessories are a very imperative part of the costuming process along with the clothing essentials, the balance was maintained impeccably by the designer here.
Marina Thompson wearing a minimalistic crown and pendent made of Swarovski jewels
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Image Credits: Bridgerton
Daphne Bridgerton wearing a feather headgear
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Image Credits: Bridgerton
Lady Danbury wearing a crown made of Swarovski crystals
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Image Credits: Bridgerton
Mirojnick mentioned in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar Arabia, that, "We used Swarovski tiaras from their archives; all accessories are a mix of modern and vintage. We had an extraordinary jewellery maker with us for the entire show. He made everything from headpieces to necklaces, bracelets, earrings and rings, to the crown."
The need to mix modern with vintage was seen in the designing and sourcing for the accessories as well. While it was important to stick to a certain basics of styling from the era, the designer made sure to have a line of accessories replete with modern day jewelleries that strike a chord with the audience.
There were deviations, but at the same time few aspects were kept intact in terms of period-appropriateness. For example, the lavish use of fine jewels, feathers and dripping finery as accessories, helped in the characterization process, and demarcating the wealthy from that of the destitute class.
The mandatory use of corsets to achieve an unrealistic but desirable waistline for the women in the Regency Era was seen in Bridgerton
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Image Credits : Bridgerton
As corsets are an inseparable part of the period, it had various interpretations for its use, but young women could not do without having a corset in their wardrobe. Even though Mirojnick went for the corsets, one of the accessories that was a strict no were the bonnets from that era.
One of the clearest observations in the entire show, is how no bonnets were used, which were one of the most important accessories in that era. Clearly for the purpose that it did not juxtapose itself in the scandalous and modern aura that Bridgerton was trying to create.
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The storyline had treacherous brawl scenes and furtive assassinations taking place within the high walled palaces – something as passé as bonnets would never fit into this context. When we say creative manipulation, this is what we try to depict. Sometimes, that leap is needed in order to use costumes for a more believable storytelling, and not just being a threshold of proving information on the fashion seen in an era.
Puffy sleeves with rhinestone details, and silk fabrics, delicate pastels and romantic ruffles were the kind of exquisite detailing that helped in representing the different families and the central characters, and at the same time maintain a semblance with the era.
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Image Credits : Bridgerton
Nidhi Yasha, also stated, “Research becomes even more primal in period films. The process is a lot more different from that of commercial films. You cannot skip on the details, because that is what leads to adding details in the costuming process, what kind of sourcing would be required, how different fabrics, textures, colours will be mixed and matched to make sure it goes with the character wearing those outfits, and also maintaining certain level of accuracy with the era.”
On asking Reza Sharifi, an Indian costume designer, aged 53 who has done the costuming for both commercial and period films such as Devdas, to comment on the context of the additional factors included for the sourcing of period film costumes, he stated – “Sourcing is one of the biggest challenges you will face when it comes to period films. Most often you never get the era-appropriate clothing elements, or the accessories and they have to be embellished or made into something closest to the era. Practicality is also very important when you are making period film costumes. You have to see the context in which a particular costume will be worn and whether it is viable to use a flowy gown or a pannier for that matter. Does it fit into the contemporary storyline?”
Ellen stated in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar Arabia, “Bonnets were banned. Vibrant hues and pops of colour replaced the muted tones and shades of cream prevalent throughout regency period dramas. From the fiery red hair of the Featheringtons women to the floral hair accessories Eloise Bridgerton sports at the dinner table, Ellen bends the rules when it comes to dressing the characters – but her creative liberties are refreshing, adding to the storytelling and certainly helping to add to the eye candy aspect of the entire series.”
Bridgerton lead to a path of complete re- imagination. It was a modern day regency world, where elements of pragmatic fashion was seen. It was a mix of all things vintage and contemporary.
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Characterization is like a detailed poetry that gets strewn with era-appropriateness in the genre of period films. The details get amplified and the role of the costume designer becomes as important as the director. A story is being told from two diverse visions, however, the role of the costume designer is to narrate that story solely with the use of Costumery specifics.
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Deconstructing few of the key elements of these ensembles worn, citing examples of how and why they were manipulated for reasons such as character representation and era depiction, is what gives a whole new dimension to these films, and beds concepts of relevance, recreations, characterizations and cinematic accordance to behind the scenes constituents such as costume designing.
If you want to know more about the story, you can buy the book series of this period show from the link below :
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