There’s much to love about Bridgerton, from the string covers of pop songs that make its soundtrack to the whispered confessions of undying devotion rife in the storylines to, of course, the over-the-top fashion.
Season 2 of the Netflix series has broken records and quickly climbed to the top, becoming the streaming platform’s most-viewed English-language series of all time, and to celebrate, we reached out to historian Cassidy Percoco, who studied fashion and textiles at the Fashion Institute of Technology, to dive into the looks from the period drama that fans can get enough of.
With expertise in the Regency era and published work examining women’s fashion of the time, Percoco shared the truth behind the costumes and how they would have fared in the ton IRL. (For fun and games, of course!) So, without further ado, let’s rate some Bridgerton ‘fits from season 2 according to their historical accuracy, wearability, and just overall vibes.
Bridgerton’s Queen Charlotte has earned icon status in our eyes, with her towering wigs and ornate jewels. Percoco shares that portrait evidence and surviving garments from her reign show that she dressed quite fashionably until her death, following trends and incorporating distinct rules for court dress (short sleeves, high waist, and dress hoops must be worn).
While the Queen’s lofty wigs in the series are definitely a departure from the real Queen Charlotte, we’re a huge fan of the elaborate and glamorous ways she presents herself in the show.
Accuracy: 5/10
Wearability: 0/10, unless you’re the queen
Vibes: 10/10
Overall Grade: B+
These outfits aren’t exactly our definition of sporty, but the Sharma sisters made it work in this game of pall-mall. Cassidy shares that these gowns are a clear call to the net overgowns that were commonly worn in the Regency, as there is an embellished sheer netted fabric layered over top of an opaque silhouette.
It looks like the embellishment itself, however, is much more modern and likely from a fabric manufacturer with a specialization in bridal wear (perhaps a nod to the love triangle playing out in this scene, with the Viscount’s true bride yet to be determined?)
Accuracy: 7/10
Wearability: 8/10
Vibes: 5/10
Overall Grade: B
Lady Danbury’s style is unique, positioning her as a wealthy woman, with her clothing being a bit more mature than others in the ton. She’s seen here in a deep red pelisse, a commonly worn Regency-era long coat with long sleeves and a front opening. Cassidy tells us that the decorative wrist sleeve is very plausible for the actual Regency, positioning Lady Danbury as one of the best-dressed (and historically accurate) ladies on the show.
Our historian also shares that it’s appropriate for Duke Simon and Duchess Daphne’s baby to be dressed in white, as children were dressed exclusively in white until they were toddlers. If you ask us, Augie is a certifiable fashion baby alongside the Kardashian-Jenner kids.
Accuracy: 9/10
Wearability: 7/10
Vibes: 8/10
Overall Grade: A-
Kate Sharma had a lot to prove when arriving to the ton from India, but this plain blue gown isn’t one of the head-turners in her repertoire. It is, however, not something you would traditionally see in the Regency, according to Cassidy.
The overlapping sleeve details are reminiscent of modern times, making this dress a bit forgettable in terms of Bridgerton fashion. We’ve seen better from you, Kate. Newton, however, maintains an elegant pose beside the future Viscountess.
Accuracy: 4/10
Wearability: 7/10
Vibes: 2/10
Overall Grade: D
With the high waistline and short sleeves, the silhouette of Penelope Featherington’s dress is fair game for Regency dress, but according to Cassidy, the rest is all fantasy and much more ornate than anything from the era.
It would have been physically impossible to make this gown during the 1800s, as the amount of embellishment on the fabric is only possible with modern industrial techniques. Her hair is inspired from more modern bridal updo styles as well, so Penelope was ahead of her time in more ways than one, and we love her for that.
Accuracy: 4/10
Wearability: 7/10
Vibes: 9/10
Overall Grade: C+
Women usually wore riding habits while on horses, heavy duty garments that could be cleaned easily due to the sweat and dirt that come with the whole horseback riding moment. These outfits are complete with a jacket and petticoat, so the cloak that Kate is seen wearing here is a bit overkill and surely would have made her feel too warm, even in the foggy London weather.
It’s also important to note that Kate isn’t riding side-saddle, like women in the Regency would have been expected to. Despite the imprecision, we think this style of mysterious equestrian chic fits Kate’s personality much better than side-saddle and a habit would have.
Accuracy: 4/10
Wearability: 7/10
Vibes: 9/10
Overall Grade: B+
Bridgerton’s Featherington sisters continued to present us with a collection of the wildest prints and color combinations throughout season 2, and honestly, we kind of love it (ironically). The “fantastic concoction of fluffy nonsense,” as they are endearingly designated by Cassidy, that is Prudence and Phillipa’s costumes in this tea-time scene are ridiculous in multiple ways including the fact that they simply would not have existed during the Regency IRL.
While the cut of the gowns are aligned with Regency fashion, our historian shares that the fabrics here are completely modern, and nothing like this would have actually been printed during the time period. She also states that these hairstyles are “deliberately designed to be hideous.” In reality, the sisters would have likely been wearing their hair pulled back in a bun with just a few curls at the temples. We think these birds' nest looks are much more fun, though. Maybe you’ll see them on a prom hairstyle round-up soon?
Accuracy: 6/10
Wearability: 6/10
Vibes: 6/10
Overall Grade: C
There’s a common misconception that the white wedding gown was popularized by Queen Victoria, but our Regency expert confirms that it was actually the norm for women to wear white when they married even during the 1800s.
Edwina’s bridal look is totally on trend here, and she made a beautiful bride with a white satin under layer, with a lace overdress on top, a commonly worn style for the time. The mother of the bride is perfectly fashionable as well, with a similar style of sheer layering with intricate pattern detailing that is calling to embroidery styles of India.
Accuracy: 10/10
Wearability: 9/10
Vibes: 9/10
Overall Grade: A
Fan-favorite Bridgerton sibling Eloise went full stealth mode in Season 2, and we loved this little blue riding hood moment that she donned while visiting a part of London that she wasn’t allowed to be seen in. It was a bit devastating to find out that this outfit was completely implausible for the era, as the norm was for women to wear long sleeves in the daytime, often so long that they covered down to the knuckles.
Cloaks were also not worn with casual dress, as they were only part of highly formal dress (but she didn’t want to be perceived, we get it!) Perhaps the most important distinction made by our historian is that blunt-cut bangs were never worn in the Regency. We’re going to let the inaccuracies slide here, because who amongst us hasn’t had bangs when we really shouldn’t have? Relatable icon.
Accuracy: 0/10 (sorry)
Wearability: 7/10
Vibes: 10/10
Overall Grade: B
The happily married Viscount and Viscountess stepped out in their best in the final episode of the season, and Kate Sharma is stunning in a perfect meld of a Regency gown silhouette that incorporates Indian design and patterns into the fabric, beautifully paying homage to her roots.
Despite this best-dressed moment from his wife, we can’t let it slip that Anthony’s coat actually belongs to a different era. While it looks great on him, Cassidy notes that the way the coat “smoothly swoops away” from the front is typical of the 1770s-1780s and not the Regency era. We’ll let it slide this time, Anthony.
Accuracy: 10/10 for Kate, 5/10 for Anthony
Wearability: 10/10
Vibes: 11/10
Overall Grade: A+++ (we <3 Kanthony)
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