From towering wigs to $4 million diamond necklaces, it is no exaggeration to say that Bridgerton has achieved some of the most epic fashion on TV. The Bridgerton hair, makeup, and costume team uniquely infuse Regency-era fashion with modern beauty trends. The result is an inspiringly fresh take on period fashion.
Not only were hairstylists, makeup artists, and costume designers working to incorporate historically accurate looks, but they were also creating easter eggs to share details about the story and leading characters in every look. Their creativity and artistry are truly impressive.
Family Colors And Symbols
Bridgerton cleverly uses color and symbols to represent different family values. The Bridgertons wear cool tones of blue, cream, green, and lilac to represent their high standing in society. Frequent symbols in the Bridgerton wardrobe and home include bumblebees, representing Lord Edmund's death, and tulips, Lady Violet's favorite flowers.
The Featheringtons wear gowns in bright citrus colors that are heavily adorned with embroidery and beading. Their wardrobe causes the family to stand out at social events and shows the ostentatious personality of the family. Even while in mourning, the Featherington women's dresses are still colored, although muted with black. The butterfly is a common symbol seen in the Featherington women's dresses and the staircase in their home to represent transformation.
Kate Sharma's Natural Look
Kate Sharma, Bridgerton's most likable season 2 character, is known for being very active and on the go. As such, makeup and hairstylists wanted her look to feel low maintenance but still glamorous. Kate's look also has a more natural and athletic feel to it than other characters.
With her hair tightly drawn back, she looks like she is ready to go for a ride or play pall mall at any moment. As Kate begins to open up more to Anthony, her clothes become softer and her makeup becomes richer to reflect her growing love.
Penelope's Colors
Penelope predominantly wears yellow under the guidance of her mother although she repeatedly mentions disliking the color. The color reflects alternative aspects of Penelope's personality: the bright and cheery side she puts on for friends like Colin, and her deceitful, envious, and at times enlightened side that she shows as Lady Whistledown.
Penelope begins to shift away from the color yellow during season 2 and begins to wear more pinks, a color associated with love and kindness. Perhaps this represents the beginning of a shift for Penelope! In one of the biggest surprises of Bridgerton season 2, Eloise discovers that Penelope is Lady Whistledown. Now that her secret has been revealed to her closest friend, hopefully, she will move beyond deceit and get to live more in the happy aspects of yellow or transition fully into pink.
Queen Charlotte's Retro Fashion
Queen Charlotte's fashion is noticeably different from the rest of the women of the Ton in Bridgerton. This is historically accurate as the real Queen Charlotte preferred the fashion of her youth. Where the show differs is how the ladies dress while attending court. During her time in power, Queen Charlotte upheld rules that dictated hoop skirts, trains, and white ostrich feathers to be worn at court.
The regency style shown in Bridgerton is accurate with slim, a-line, empire-waist gowns, evoking the draped look of a Greek goddess, however, when ladies attended court they wore very odd-looking garments that combined this style with the court requirements. This resulted in a gown with an empire waist and a full hooped skirt.
Anthony's Clean Cut
Anthony's sideburns and long sweeping hair from season 1 were known as the Brutus during the Regency period. This hairstyle and facial hair combination looked to emulate Grecian warriors and Roman senators. This look is symbolic of Anthony's role as the head of the Bridgerton family. His actions in season 1 show Anthony's attempts to demonstrate power and strength in his role, however, he still has a lot to learn.
In season 2, Anthony emerges with a fresh clean-cut look. His sideburns are tamed down and so is his hair. This new polished style reflects his efforts to clean himself up and take his responsibilities in the family more seriously. By the end of season 2, Anthony has grown into leadership and no longer needs the hair as a facade.
Pat McGrath Makeup
Pat McGrath Labs was the official makeup sponsor for Bridgerton season 2. In an interview with Byrdie, Pat McGrath said it was "love at first swoon" when she first watched Bridgerton. "I've always been obsessed with Regency beauty and was thrilled to interpret the era with a modern homage." McGrath along with the show's lead makeup artist, Erika Okvist, is responsible for helping create the flawless complexions and bright dramatic eyes that define Bridgerton's beauty aesthetic.
Fans can now recreate their favorite looks using the Bridgerton-themed line of makeup Pat McGrath launched following the release of season 2. The line is not only lavishly packaged but has also received positive reviews.
The Sharma's Indian Fashion Inspired Dresses And Jewelry
There are many subtle details about Bridgerton costumes that help to tell the story and paint more detailed pictures of each character's personality. Such details can be seen in the Sharma's dresses and jewelry that was inspired by traditional Indian fashion.
The Sharmas wear bright colors such as teals, rich purples, oranges, and pinks. The fabrics of their dresses are typically Indian silk and include patterns that are more common in Indian prints. Indian fashion was even incorporated into the trimmings and accessories of each outfit including gold trims, sleeve shapes, and pashminas, as well as rose gold jewelry.
Queen Charlotte's Wigs
Queen Charlotte's wigs in the show are another aspect of the queen's ensembles that set her apart from the other women, not just as a fashion statement but also as a status symbol. A powder tax was implemented in the kingdom during the Georgian period causing wigs to go out of style for everyone but the upper class by the Regency period.
Queen Charlotte wears a different wig for every outfit that was uniquely designed by a large team of hairstylists. The team pulled off architectural feats with the design of each wig as they discovered new ways to weave the hair and make the wig light enough to keep Golda Rousheuvel from toppling over.
Kate Wearing Bridgerton Blue
One of the colors Kate wears most frequently is blue which foreshadows her eventually ing the Bridgerton family. Blue in the show is associated with the status and luxury of the Bridgertons and Kate wearing this color shows that she is also interested in these things, however much she tries to deny it in the first half of the season.
At Kate's first ball, she wears a powder blue dress that almost matches Eloise's gown exactly. This pale blue is frequently worn by other Bridgerton women including Violet and Daphne. When Kate and Anthony go hunting together, they are perfectly matched in a deep blue velvet, a color frequently worn by Bridgerton men.
The Characters "Let Their Hair Down" As The Season Progresses
One of the behind-the-scenes secrets from Bridgerton season 2 is that Edwina, Kate, and Penelope begin to "let their hair" down throughout the season as their stories progress. As their personal lives change and they grow, their beauty changes with them. In scenes where the characters are more open and happy, audiences will notice loosened strands. As each character lets go and unravels from episode to episode, their clothes, makeup, and hair each become more flowing, glowing, and free.
Kate's journey offers a great example of this. At the beginning of the season, she is unbending in her desire to help Edwina to find love, and her hair is always tied tightly in an updo. As Kate begins to fall in love she has more and more scenes with loose strands and braids. By the end of season 2, once she is married and head over heels in love, she is wearing her hair completely down.