Bridgerton: A fantastical depiction of the Regency era

Dearest Gentle Reader,

The release of Bridgerton Season Four, Part One, brings many new and exciting details for us to examine and swoon over. We have brand new characters, fresh romances, shocking predicaments and even fresher looks to get stuck into.

If, like me, you are a lover of the show and have a keen eye for the finer details, I’m sure you have already been engaging in research and watching commentaries of the show, not only regarding the new romance of “second son” Benedict Bridgerton (played by Luke Thompson) and a maid he was never supposed to fall for in Sophie Baek (played by Yerin Ha), but also in the historical aspects of the show.

Additionally, Benedict’s outfits often become less restricted in his scenes with Sophie, generally with his top button being left undone … to emphasise how Sophie grounds and comforts him

One thing we can delve into is the elaborate and intricate costume design, something that has been a staple of the show since its first season. It has to be said that the wardrobe team do an exceptional job every season, intricately designing each outfit in order to reflect the emotional and physical state that the character wearing it is experiencing at the given moment. The team is even split into a variety of departments, specialising in things such as jewellery, embellishment, tailoring and more, allowing the production of hundreds of regency-inspired outfits to run smoothly.

It is important to remember that not all of these gorgeous gowns and tremendous tailcoats are historically accurate; often having a slightly more modern twist that can make characters feel closer to our current reality. For example, the newest season sees Benedict frequently wearing similar ensembles of ruffled shirts, decorative waistcoats and high-collared tailcoats as he has in the previous three seasons – something that is true to the era. Yet, his disguise for the masquerade ball in the first episode of Season Four has him wearing an all-black outfit that does not fully reflect the period, but rather his rebellious and poetic nature that makes him different from other gentlemen. Additionally, Benedict’s outfits often become less restricted in his scenes with Sophie, generally with his top button being left undone – something that is quite a beautiful metaphor for the restraints of high society that effect this Cinderella-inspired story – to emphasise how Sophie grounds and comforts him.

It is a series about finding love in unexpected places and showing how these stories can develop even when they are not conforming to the ideals of society – ‘Benophie’s’ season does exactly this

As well, the outfits for female characters in the show can be seen as having less historical accuracy, but more so on the parts we see less frequently. Practically all of the gowns that the ladies of the ton wear are of the ’empire line’, which is true to the regency period, yet the stays and shifts (undergarments of the era) are less so. As of Season Four, Part One, we have not had any steamy scenes that reveal what this looks like for Sophie, yet previous seasons tend to have a slightly more modern and likely more comfortable take on these garments that allow actresses better movement than those truly worn by women at the time. Even though these are not exactly aligned with history, it must be said that the corset department does a fantastic job of creating pieces that look magical and allow for the structure of women’s clothing at the time to be showcased while also offering better support and wearability for actresses.

So, while Bridgerton may not have a historically accurate wardrobe collection, it is obvious that fans do not watch the show to get an exact idea of the Regency era. It is a series about finding love in unexpected places and showing how these stories can develop even when they are not conforming to the ideals of society – ‘Benophie’s’ season does exactly this. Benedict is a gentleman who cannot love a maid, and Sophie is a maid who dreams of living like a princess after being a ward and an inconvenience her whole life. Arguably, this is what makes Sophie’s “Lady in Silver” dress so special – it takes inspiration from the original animation of Cinderella’s glittering, silver ballgown whilst sticking to the silhouette of the period and giving Sophie the perfect disguise to be a part of the ton, even if only until midnight.

Personally, thinking about all of this only makes me yearn for Part Two even more, so we can witness the pinnacle of this forbidden romance – February 26th must make haste!

Yours Truly,
Lady Whistledown