Bridgerton is known for its iconic fashion. Throughout its three seasons and one spin-off so far, the series has continued to use fashion to make statements about the characters and their respective stories. Dresses are particularly used to highlight certain aspects of a character’s personality, intentions, and future. While many dresses may not be strictly historically accurate, they are also used throughout these series to comment on the status of women.
Some dresses, like Francesca’s (Hannah Dodd) debut dress indicate a new chapter for a character. Others, like Queen Charlotte’s (Golda Rusheuvel) regal gold gown, represent a character’s stature and their place in this world. The franchise uses fashion to blur the distinction between historical realism and historical fantasy. The best dresses worn by the women of Bridgerton signal who they are and how they perceive themselves within this society.
Bridgerton
- Release Date
- December 25, 2020
- Creator
- Chris Van Dusen
- Seasons
- 3
10 Lady Featherington’s Flower Dress
Bridgerton Season 3, Episode 1
Lady Portia Featherington’s (Polly Walker) dresses typically feature some form of flower motif. In the premiere episode of Bridgerton Season 3, the flowers are back in full force as she tries to maintain her family’s lifestyle amid their unique financial predicament. She has to continue to manage three daughters, two of whom struggle to comprehend many of the ways of the world. Her focus remains on practicality and securing her family’s future.
What makes this dress so effective is that it captures the chaos that exists within this character. The excess flowers attempt to mask the disarray that characterizes Lady Featherington’s life and that of her family. The drama that exists in this dress mirrors the drama that always seems to follow this character. The flowers overpower Lady Featherington, which is a mirror of how she feels when faced with her family’s uncertain future.
9 Eloise Bridgerton’s Debut Dress
Bridgerton Season 2, Episode 1
Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie) is a subversive character and never fails to articulate how she rejects so much of what the ton stands for. This extends to her fashion choices, which are typically plain. At the beginning of Bridgerton Season 2, Eloise dons a uniform dress to indicate that she is ready to be “out” in society. From the moment she puts this dress on, her discomfort is evident. However, she pushes through and gets through her debut…sort of.
At first, this dress appears to be one of many that look alike. However, it is the fact that Eloise wears it that transforms it into one of the most important dresses featured in the series. This dress adds a depth to Eloise’s character, as it shows the disconnect she feels between the society in which she finds herself and her own feelings. Bridgerton continues to showcase Eloise’s growth, and part of this is showing how she interacts with her family and society.
8 Cressida Cowper’s Ballgown
Bridgerton Season 3, Episode 3
Bridgerton‘s third season saw Cressida Cowper (Jessica Madsen) come into her own after being the ton’s designated mean girl. Her fashion statements were a crucial part of her development this season. So many of her dresses featured massive shoulders, bright colors and shapes in which her body can get lost. These dresses symbolize Cressida’s desire to disappear and live her own life and to forge her own identity.
What made Cressida’s dresses, this gold one in particular, so effective in Bridgerton‘s third season is that they showcase her personality and insecurities. The sleeves can’t mask Cressida’s deep lack of sense of self, especially seen throughout this season. This dress serves as a kind of armor for Cressida as she attempts to navigate the reality of being married off to an uncaring man by an uncaring family. These massive shoulders signify a character trying to take up more space.
7 Daphne Bridgerton’s Lavender Dress
Bridgerton Season 2, Episode 1
Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) was the main protagonist of Bridgerton‘s first season. Her lavender dress indicates where she is in her married life after going through her own wardrobe evolution during the first season. Although she ultimately marries the Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page), she keeps a similar wardrobe throughout her tenure, including her return for the second season. Daphne wore this lavender dress when returning to visit her family.
Many of Daphne’s dresses featured throughout the first season look similar in their simplicity. This indicates an innocence that the character demonstrates repeatedly. However, this dress also showcases Daphne’s own flexibility and the fact that while she may be innocent, she is not naive. The lavender dress is emblematic of the finalization of Daphne’s character arc throughout the series. It shows her ability to stay true to her roots while developing a new identity in her married life.
6 Francesca Bridgerton’s Debut Dress
Bridgerton Season 3, Episode 1
Bridgerton‘s third season features Francesca’s debut into society. It is white with puffy sleeves and a long train. The dress has distinctive trim that adds to its character. The first time this dress is seen, it is seen on its own without the headpiece of feathers. This initial appearance is the dress at its most basic. Francesca is in her own world, enraptured by the music of the piano while her family searches for her throughout the house.
Like her sister Eloise, Francesca’s debut dress represents the disconnect between Francesca’s upcoming debut in society and what her future ultimately holds. This dress is also important for this character, as it is featured during the first moments, fans are introduced to the newest version of this character, since Dodd stepped into the roll. This debut dress sets the tone for Francesca’s storyline this season, which involves her coming into her own and accepting that her wishes will take her far from her family.
5 Lady Agatha Danbury’s Dress and Hat
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story Season 1, Episode 6
Lady Agatha Danbury (Adjoa Andoh) has always been one of the style icons of the Bridgerton universe. Her cane elevates any dress she wears. Lady Danbury plays a crucial role in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, and gives viewers even more fashion choices from one of the franchise’s matriarchs. In the Bridgerton spin-off, Lady Danbury appears with even more dresses as viewers get a chance to see how this character has grown and changed over the years.
What makes this particular dress so effective is that it showcases how subversive Lady Danbury has always been. This dress and its associated hat represent Lady Danbury’s fierce commitment to her individuality. Lady Danbury’s dress in this episode also showcases how willing this character is to set her own trends and exercise her own power over this society. There is a regalness in this dress indicating that Lady Danbury will always be an indispensable part of the ton.
4 Edwina Sharma’s Wedding Dress
Bridgerton Season 2, Episode 6
In Bridgerton‘s second season, Edwina Sharma (Charithra Chandran) is set to marry Lord Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey). Edwina and Anthony’s journey to the wedding day was overshadowed by Anthony’s growing romance with Edwina’s sister, Kathani, also known as Kate (Simone Ashley). Edwina ends up left at the altar, but not before several heartwarming moments that showcase this character’s sweetness.
Edwina’s wedding dress has a tragedy on its own, since Edwina is cheated out of her own romance. The beautifully detailed dress symbolizes everything that this character deserves. There is an additional poignance in having Edwina show love and support to the King and Queen during one of the King’s mental health episodes. This demonstrates Edwina’s compassion and the fact that she is keenly aware of the power of love.
3 Queen Charlotte’s Golden Gown
Bridgerton Season 1, Episode 5
In the Bridgerton universe, Queen Charlotte is noted for her fashion, particularly her hair. Her gowns signify that she is a woman of power. In the fifth episode of Bridgerton‘s first season, Queen Charlotte receives Daphne and Simon, who are seeking her approval to marry. When she does so, she is dressed in a glittering golden gown, surrounded by her ladies-in-waiting. She never waivers in showcasing that she can materially impact the love lives of the upper classes.
The moment featuring this golden dress is a critical moment for Queen Charlotte as well as Daphne and Simon. At this time, the Queen is compelled to confront the fact that her husband is becoming more and more incapacitated. Watching her be so moved by Simon’s declaration of love for Daphne in this regal gown reminds viewers of this character’s humanity in spite of her stature. This dress symbolizes Queen Charlotte’s romanticism and her ability to be an effective monarch.
2 Kate Sharma’s Hunting Dress
Bridgerton Season 2, Episode 4
Kate Sharma made a massive impact when she was first introduced in Bridgerton‘s second season. As she grows closer to the Bridgerton family, she invites herself on a hunt with the men of the family. She is prepared with a sturdy and stylish dress that allows her to not only keep up with the men on the hunt, but to outpace them at many moments. While wearing this dress, Kate and Anthony’s romance continues to grow.
Kate’s hunting dress showcases this character’s fierce independence, even as her love story continues to grow. Kate and Anthony’s romance The dress’s utility is a match for the character’s flexibility and ability to forge her own destiny. The dress is also a reminder that while Kate has an endearing love story, there is so much more to her than this. Kate is at her best when she is allowed to fully acknowledge both of these aspects of her character.
1 Penelope Featherington’s New Dress
Bridgerton Season 3, Episode 1
The most charming dress featured in the Bridgerton universe to date is Penelope’s (Nicola Caughlan). Until this moment, Penelope often wore citrus-colored gowns when making her way through society. There was a concerted effort on her mother’s part to ensure that this was always the color scheme associated with Penelope Featherington. At the beginning of the third season, Penelope takes her wardrobe into her own hands, and crafts a new look featuring a light, teal-colored dress.
What makes this dress so captivating is that it symbolizes Penelope’s new beginning right at the start of Bridgerton‘s third season. Penelope’s journey to love herself first is represented by this new dress. The fact that Penelope is able to pay such close attention to her own wardrobe, including what she feels comfortable wearing and what flatters her, means that she is growing as a character. The dress is the start of Penelope taking hold of her own future rather than relying exclusively on her mother.
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