Nicole Conroy

Contributing Writer

nmc6030@psu.edu

With another one of Shonda Rhimes’ hit shows about to air in May, and very few sneak peeks and promo photos being released, I wanted to discuss the upgraded fashion in Bridgerton season 3. First and foremost the leading female character of the season, Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) was given a huge glow up. Fans of the books and the series know that Penelope was considered a “wallflower” and her mother had always dressed her in yellow and sometimes pink dresses. However in season 3, she has transitioned to wearing stunning green and blue dresses which I believe suit her so much better. In the regency era, women did not have much of a say in what they wore as they were put into what they call the “marriage mart”, and Penelope was always put into dresses that did not express her beauty, maturity or confidence. Because in season 3 she is considered a “spinster”(someone who is ‘too old’ for marriage), she now has the freedom to dress as she chooses, hence the green and blue dresses she is seen in for the promos released. The blue and green dresses express her maturity and confidence blooming from the first and second season and it will be very exciting to see more of her makeover in the season, as well as her being the leading lady. Another dress analysis I wanted to make is last season’s leading lady Kate Sharma’s(Simone Ashley) dress shown in the newest sneak peek. Kate’s dress is very different from the ones she wore in season 2, cut-wise and color-wise. In season 2, she wore the classic cut as the other ladies in the first two seasons. I believe that while she was not afraid to speak her mind, her season 2 wardrobe expressed that she wanted to look presentable and was not looking to marry. Her new dress was off-shoulder, which is interesting for the time they were in, and was slightly sheer with hints of teal. However it does display how she no longer has to feel the need to make herself presentable and can now embrace her culture, as well as her new love. While the look of her dress may seem inaccurate for the time, she looks very beautiful and it will be very exciting to see more of her. Last but not least, Eloise Brridgerton(Claudia Jessie), has a more consistent look but looks more comfortable in her dresses for the upcoming season. In her first season, she had not been put on the marriage mart yet, so her dresses were simpler compared to the other ladies. She had a more broader wardrobe in the second season where she made her debut(of age for marriage) and had plenty of dresses that she did look beautiful in, but did not display her confidence and personality that we see on the show and books. In season three, she seems to have a combination of seasons one and two’s wardrobe, and displays the confidence of the Eloise we all know and love. There will obviously be plenty of elegant styles in the new season, however the focus will definitely be on Penelope, Kate and Eloise. Every season, you can see the growth through their dresses, hence why the upgrade each season is very important and a sweet way to show each lady’s development and personality throughout the series. Bridgerton season 3 following Colin(Luke Newton) and Penelope’s love story airs on May 16(part 1) and June 13(part 2), only on Netflix.