PRODUCTION BRIDGERTON
WORDS Katie Kasperson IMAGES Netflix
E scapism is the name of few shows are more fantastical than Bridgerton , a Regency-era romance set to remixed pop music, with characters clad in occasionally scandalous and often outlandish outfits. Creating these enormously detailed ensembles was a formidable task for costume designers John Glaser, Dougie Hawkes and George Sayer, who developed the show’s one-of- a-kind style from the ground up. the game when it comes to bingeable television, and
Bridgerton’s costume designers explain how they blended historical accuracy with romantic fantasy on the Netflix hit
STARTING FROM SCRATCH Because Bridgerton ’s costumes break away from restrictions of historical accuracy, ‘there wasn’t the stock anywhere to hire’, recounts Sayer, meaning each piece was brand new. “We had nothing, so we made everything – we threw the kitchen sink at it,” says Glaser. “If we made men’s coats, we made them in every colour. Eventually, we learnt what worked and what didn’t, but in the beginning we had everything in the mix.” Besides avoiding ladies’ bonnets and vintage fabrics, there were no hard-and-fast rules. “It’s such a distinct look,” notes Sayer, with the women wearing embellished Empire-line gowns and the men in fitted wool jackets and flowy white shirts. Glaser argues that the series ‘is not a history lesson’, which allows the designers plenty of breathing room. “The male body has changed from that period, and now they’re much more muscular, so we’ve adapted it,” he states. “It’s about what looks pretty, what looks romantic, what works for the characters. It’s a fantasy.”
PINPOINT Sayer (above) discusses the distinct looks given to each character in Season 3
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