Bridgerton is known for its iconic fashion. Throughout its four seasons and one spin-off so far, the series has continued to use fashion to make statements about the characters and their respective stories. Dresses are particularly used to highlight certain aspects of a character's personality, intentions, and future. While many dresses may not be strictly historically accurate, they are also used throughout these series to comment on the status of women.
Some dresses, like Francesca's (Hannah Dodd) debut gown, indicate a new chapter for a character. Others, like Queen Charlotte's (Golda Rusheuvel) regal gold gown, represent a character's stature and their place in this world. The franchise uses fashion to blur the distinction between historical realism and historical fantasy. The best dresses worn by the women of Bridgerton signal who they are and how they perceive themselves within this society.
20 Genevieve Delacroix's Mirror Dress
Season 3, Episode 6 (2024)
Image via NetflixGenevieve Delacroix (Kathryn Drysdale) is the ton's most in-demand modiste. In addition to having a keen eye for fashion, she is a confidante to many of the women who visit her shop in search of style and companionship. As the series has gone on, she has shown that she is among the show's wisest characters. Her advice is often underrated, and she has a perspective on things far beyond the world of fashion.
If anyone knows dresses, its Madame Delacroix. While Madame Delacroix remains mostly in the background as she dresses the women of the ton, she is a complex and dynamic character in her own right. In the third season, she shows herself to be a particular friend to Penelope as she comes into her own as a character. The dress she wears when she meets Penelope in Season 3, episode 6, shows that she is all business and that she is serious about her profession and those she considers friends.
19 Hyacinth Bridgerton's Pink Dress
Season 2, Episode 1 (2022)
Image via NetflixHyacinth Bridgerton (Florence Hunt) is the youngest Bridgerton sibling. As such, her dresses are often fairly simple when compared to those of her sisters and the women around her. In the premiere episode of Bridgerton Season 2, she is seen wearing a pink-tinged dress with polka dots. This is a departure from the light-colored, often off-white dresses that she is usually seen wearing. She continues to soak in everything her siblings say and do.
What makes this dress so notable is the fact that it showcases Hyacinth's personality perfectly. This may not be the most elaborate dress featured in the series, but it does showcase the story's future. This dress signals the Bridgerton siblings' continued influence on their youngest sibling. This dress indicates that Hyacinth is the future of the series and that she will continue to grow more like her siblings all the time.
18 Sophie Baek's Maid Dresses
Season 4, Episodes 1–4 (2026)
Image via NetflixSeason 4 of Bridgerton brings fans to the people who keep Mayfair's aristocracy running: the housemaids. Without them, the rich wouldn't be able to eat, bathe, or even get dressed for their silly little promenades. Like any job, maids are assigned uniforms. These usually consist of a simple dress in muted colors and a petticoat. In just four episodes alone, Sophie doesn't work for one household — she works for three.
In each household, Sophie receives a new uniform, reflecting her employer's wealth and how they treat their maids. For the Penwoods, her attire is old-fashioned and striped in darker colors, giving her a wallflower-like effect. Sophie wears something similar at Philip Cavender's estate in the shade of burgundy, and a slightly more stylish upper top. When she works for the Brigdertons, the family's generosity toward their staff is reflected in their uniforms. The maids wear brighter, more contemporary lavender dresses with frills and hairpieces. They have a presence of their own in the Bridgertons' household and are not to be ignored.
17 Marina Thompson's Yellow Dress
Season 1, Episode 3 (2020)
Image via NetflixMarina Thompson (Ruby Barker) made an impact from the moment she was introduced in Bridgerton. She is introduced as a distant cousin of the Featherington family, who all help her enter society. It turns out she needs little help, as she is magnetic from her first moments among the ton. Her personality shines through and is accentuated by her style. The Featheringtons have a fondness for anything bright and yellow, it seems, so it makes sense that Marina would have to navigate this look.
What makes Marina's yellow dress so charming is that it emphasizes how different her story has been so far from the Bridgerton book series. This dress gives Marina a chance to showcase how her personality is distinctive from anything else her family might try to develop. Her individuality is able to be showcased through this dress. Whether or not Marina is personally fond of yellow, she makes it work, which is a testament to how flexible she is as a character.
16 Lady Featherington's Flower Dress
Season 3, Episode 1 (2024)
Image via NetflixLady Portia Featherington's (Polly Walker) dresses typically feature some form of flower motif. In the premiere episode of Bridgerton Season 3, the flowers are back in full force as she tries to maintain her family's lifestyle amid their unique financial predicament. She has to continue to manage three daughters, two of whom struggle to comprehend many of the ways of the world. Her focus remains on practicality and securing her family's future.
What makes this dress so effective is that it captures the chaos that exists within this character. The excess flowers attempt to mask the disarray that characterizes Lady Featherington's life and that of her family. The drama that exists in this dress mirrors the drama that always seems to follow this character. The flowers overpower Lady Featherington, which is a mirror of how she feels when faced with her family's uncertain future.
15 Eloise Bridgerton's Debut Dress
Bridgerton Season 2, Episode 1 (2022)
Image via NetflixEloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie) is a subversive character and never fails to articulate how she rejects so much of what the ton stands for. This extends to her fashion choices, which are typically plain. At the beginning of Bridgerton Season 2, Eloise dons a uniform dress to indicate that she is ready to be "out" in society. From the moment she puts this dress on, her discomfort is evident. However, she pushes through and gets through her debut...sort of.
At first, this dress appears to be one of many that look alike. However, it is the fact that Eloise wears it that transforms it into one of the most important dresses featured in the series. This dress adds depth to Eloise's character, as it shows the disconnect she feels between the society in which she finds herself and her own feelings. Bridgerton continues to showcase Eloise's growth, and part of this is showing how she interacts with her family and society.
14 Cressida Cowper's Ballgown
Season 3, Episode 3 (2024)
Image via NetflixBridgerton's third season saw Cressida Cowper (Jessica Madsen) come into her own after being the ton's designated mean girl. Her fashion statements were a crucial part of her development this season. So many of her dresses featured massive shoulders, bright colors, and shapes in which her body can get lost. These dresses symbolize Cressida's desire to disappear and live her own life and to forge her own identity.
What made Cressida's dresses, this gold one in particular, so effective in Bridgerton's third season is that they showcase her personality and insecurities. The sleeves can't mask Cressida's deep lack of sense of self, especially seen throughout this season. This dress serves as a kind of armor for Cressida as she attempts to navigate the reality of being married off to an uncaring man by an uncaring family. These massive shoulders signify a character trying to take up more space.
13 Daphne Bridgerton's Lavender Dress
Season 2, Episode 1 (2022)
Image via NetflixDaphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) was the main protagonist of Bridgerton's first season. Her lavender dress indicates where she is in her married life after going through her own wardrobe evolution during the first season. Although she ultimately marries the Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page), she keeps a similar wardrobe throughout her tenure, including her return for the second season. Daphne wore this lavender dress when returning to visit her family.
Many of Daphne's dresses featured throughout the first season look similar in their simplicity. This indicates an innocence that the character demonstrates repeatedly. However, this dress also showcases Daphne's own flexibility and the fact that while she may be innocent, she is not naive. The lavender dress is emblematic of the finalization of Daphne's character arc throughout the series. It shows her ability to stay true to her roots while developing a new identity in her married life.
12 Araminta Gun's Black Dress
Season 4, Episode 2 (2026)
Image via NetflixWearing black in the Regency era is a bold choice, but it's the most fitting for Araminta Gun (Katie Leung). Black traditionally denotes the loss of a family member. In Araminta's case, she is not only twice-married but also twice-widowed. Yet black also reflects her darker idealisms, setting her apart from the joyful crowd of her wealthy peers.
Araminta is no one to be pitied. She's ruthless and straightforward, and that shows in her sharp, slick silhouettes. She may be in mourning, but she also means business. When Araminta steps foot into these balls, she is well aware that she's the talk of the ton — and she quietly thrives on the attention. Just like what she did back in her prime, she is adamant about pushing her two daughters to find honorable suitors, whose names could elevate them into society.
11 Francesca Bridgerton's Debut Dress
Season 3, Episode 1 (2024)
Image via NetflixBridgerton's third season features Francesca's debut into society. It is white with puffy sleeves and a long train. The dress has distinctive trim that adds to its character. The first time this dress is seen, it is seen on its own without the headpiece of feathers. This initial appearance is the dress at its most basic. Francesca is in her own world, enraptured by the music of the piano while her family searches for her throughout the house.
Like her sister Eloise, Francesca's debut dress represents the disconnect between Francesca's upcoming debut in society and what her future ultimately holds. This dress is also important for this character, as it is featured during the first moments, fans are introduced to the newest version of this character, since Dodd stepped into the role. This debut dress sets the tone for Francesca's storyline in Season 3, which involves her coming into her own and accepting that her wishes will take her far from her family.








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