First things first: Part of the brilliance of Shonda Rhimes’ Regency-set series (and the many Bridgerton dresses worn by the cast) is its historical inaccuracy. Fashion-wise, we know the series’s costume designer Ellen Mirojnick is taking major creative liberties—and for good reason. Without them, Daphne Bridgerton would be promenading in an untelegenic bonnet, hiding her pretty little face, and the scenes of ladies being tight-laced into their corsets would be cut, as corsets of the 19th-century did not nip the waist and were actually worn over a chemise. (This also means Daphne’s back wouldn’t bleed, as she would have had a protective layer.) Day dresses would be more modest, with no bare chests on display… And so on, and so forth.
But never you mind; there are string renditions of Taylor Swift songs and a delicious Duke of Hastings to focus on (although everyone’s favorite leading man will not be returning for the series’s second season, which arrives tomorrow). In celebration of the eye-candy show, we’ve pulled 24 Bridgerton dresses to help transport you to the magical world seen on screen. They’re about as historically accurate as the show—and they’re all the better for it.
