Here are some Bridgerton dresses for you to live your best Regency life
Let's be honest, escapism is the only way we're going to survive this dreary Tier 4 January, and luckily, Netflix's Bridgerton is the perfect solution. Bridgerton dresses in particular, in all their Regency glory, are the ideal antidote to sweats fatigue (it's a thing).
Whether they are historically relevant or not is besides the point, you can't help but smile when you see all those bright colours, sequins, feathers and flowers. And don't even get me started on the hairdos which defy the laws of gravity.
We do know that bright colours were in vogue at the time, with yellow, green, pink and purple being the hues of choice amongst the ladies of high society.
In fact, ScreenRant recently pointed out that the fact Penelope Featherington wears yellow all the time is actually a nod to her secret double identity, as the colour is associate with deceit and jealousy. And we all know Pen is mistreated by her family and ridiculed by everyone else.
Either way, while we may not be dressing up anytime soon or indeed going to a ball, there's no harm in doing some virtual window shopping.
Believe or not, many designers such as Alexa Chung, Valentino and Erdem are taking their style cue from a Jane Austen-esque heroine this season, serving up whimsical high-waisted tulle designs that demand to make their societal debut.
Longbourn Maxi Dress, £174 at Alexa Chung
Needle & Thread Regency Garden Ballerina Prom Dress, £220 at Liberty
ERDEM Alvaro tiered floral-print silk crepe de chine gown, £1,397.50 at Net-A-Porter
DÔEN Nola embroidered silk-satin maxi dress, £217.50 at Net-A-Porter
PRINTED ORGANZA EVENING DRESS, £1,950 at VALENTINO
Of course, it is a fine line between vintage-inspired and looking like you've walked off a stage production of Pride and Prejudice, so I've rounded up some designs that have just the right dose of modernism.
The key is in the styling, make sure you don't overdo it by teaming a Regency-style dress with a fussy updo and heels. Wearing yours with box fresh sneakers or chunky boots will give your look a fresh twist and be much more unexpected.
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Penny Goldstone is the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire, covering everything from catwalk trends to royal fashion and the latest high street and Instagram must-haves.
Penny grew up in France and studied languages and law at the Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris before moving to the UK for her MA in multimedia journalism at Bournemouth University. She moved to the UK permanently and has never looked back (though she does go back regularly to stock up on cheese and wine).
Although she's always loved fashion - she used to create scrapbooks of her favourite trends and looks, including Sienna Miller and Kate Moss' boho phase - her first job was at MoneySavingExpert.com, sourcing the best deals for everything from restaurants to designer sales.
However she quit after two years to follow her true passion, fashion journalism, and after many years of internships and freelance stints at magazines including Red, Cosmopolitan, Stylist and Good Housekeeping, landed her dream job as the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK.
Her favourite part of the job is discovering new brands and meeting designers, and travelling the world to attend events and fashion shows. Seeing her first Chanel runway IRL at Paris Fashion Week was a true pinch-me moment.
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