This week, I created five Bridgerton outfits inspired by the fashion in the third season of the popular Netflix series, and then I wore them in real life. Here’s how it went.
(In case you missed them, see my Bridgerton Season 1 Fashion and Bridgerton Season 2 Fashion guides.)
Read on for my full Bridgerton Season 3 fashion guide!
Table of Contents
About Bridgerton Season 3
Bridgerton is a period drama series created by Chris Van Dusen and produced by Shonda Rhimes (Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal). The show is based on a series of novels by Julia Quinn. It premiered on Netflix on December 25, 2020, and was an instant success.
Bridgerton Season 3 follows Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton as the main couple this time.
After her fallout with Eloise at the end of the last season, Penelope has become increasingly determined to find a husband in order to escape her family and continue her double-life in peace. Meanwhile, Colin has returned from his summer away with a new attitude and look that catches the attention of the ton.
To make amends for his hurtful comments last season, Colin offers Penelope lessons to boost her confidence and help her find a match. But when his lessons start working, Colin must grapple with whether his feelings for Penelope are truly just friendly.
Following tradition, we follow multiple plots this season. Two of the biggest are Francesca Bridgerton’s first season in the ton and Eloise’s odd friendship with Cressida amidst her rift with Penelope.
Bridgerton’s Costuming
As in previous seasons, the show’s costuming supports the characters’ development, representing who they are and who they’re becoming.
While historically inaccurate, we cannot deny that the costumes are gorgeous.
Bridgerton Season 3 Fashion Guide
For this post, I’m dressing like Penelope and Eloise since they’re big players during the season.
I’m also adding Francesca and Cressida, who have stepped up into their own storylines, plus our leading male character, Colin.
Outfit 1: Eloise Bridgerton (Monday)
Season 3 finds Eloise in an odd place. After the fallout with her best friend Penelope and the damage her actions caused to her family, she has decided to assimilate a bit more within the ton.
Eloise has become close friends with Cressida Cowper and even tries the latest fashion trends among the ladies. Still, being Eloise, she is inquisitive, rebellious, and impulsive.
This season, her signature colors of pistachio, lilac, and pastel teal are almost gone, with the Bridgerton blue taking over most of her wardrobe. This signals her desire to fit in with the rest of the ladies and her family.
She has also added ruffles, collars, and even more bows to her outfits.
Like the rest of her family, Eloise uses subdued yet luxurious fabrics like silk, lace, and delicate tulle accessories.
For my Eloise look, I wanted something that felt true to her and incorporated the newer details of her styling. And I had the perfect dress.
I started with this long, loose, light pistachio dress. The dress has a gigantic Peter Pan collar, a big element for Eloise this season, with a bit of ruffle detailing.
For shoes, I chose velvet Mary Janes that match the dress.
This look is simple yet very Eloise. I like this outfit, and I think it is something she would enjoy wearing, especially since the dress has pockets. It’s also a great outfit for summer and hot weather. It’s put together and cute but will allow you to breathe.
Tuesday, Cressida Cowper– Outfit #2
Cressida Cowper has long been the de facto Mean Girl of the ton. Each season, she is the rival of the Diamond (first Daphne and then Edwina) and a bully to every other female character that crosses her path.
This season, however, we find Cressida linked arm-in-arm with none other than Eloise.
With this new friendship, we get to see a softer, more vulnerable side of Cressida, which has endeared her to viewers.
Cressida’s styling is loud. Barring Queen Charlotte, Cressida is the female character with the biggest hair, the most extravagant dresses, and the most sparkles. Her signature color is pink, mostly pale pink or mauve pink.
Cressida favors metallic fabrics, sequins, feathers, and tulle details that resemble ruffles or feathers.
If you want to do a Cressida look, you must always start with something pink.
For this, I threw on a hot pink tie-up blouse. Cressida follows trends, so a trendy summer piece like the tie-in blouse was necessary.
Then, to add shine and interest, I wore a pair of pink metallic pants. For shoes, I chose hot pink pointed-toe heels. Finally, to accessorize, I went with pink and gold earrings.
This is not necessarily the most comfortable look, but it’s a cool, unique outfit. Cressida always has the most dramatic sleeves, so I felt like her in these ruffle sleeves.
I love this outfit, but it’s not very summer-friendly. Weirdly, Cressida often sacrifices comfort for fashion, something I refuse to do on a regular basis.
Wednesday, Francesca Bridgerton – Outfit #3
Francesca Bridgerton is the sixth child and third daughter of the Bridgerton family. This season, she makes her debut in society, and unlike the rest of her family, she is only looking for a pragmatic match. (Think, Anthony, at the beginning of season 2.)
Francesca is quiet, reserved, and loves music more than anything.
Like her family, Francesca dons the Bridgerton blue almost every time she’s on screen.
Unlike her sisters, she wears simpler dresses without much fuzz around the styling. She just wants to get through the season as quickly as possible.
Silk, boucle, and lace are her most used fabrics, while pearls, jackets, and bows are her signature details.
To create a Francesca outfit, I wore a light blue square neckline blouse and a long silver skirt. Then, I threw on a light blue blazer and closed it to emulate Francesca’s jackets.
For shoes, I chose light blue flats with pearl details. Finally, I accessorized with a pearl necklace, as another nod to Francesca’s penchant for pearls.
Francesca is simple yet elegant, and this outfit encapsulates her femininity and guarded personality. It is comfortable to sit and move in, which is always a must when working from home (or playing the pianoforte).
While this look is not my personal style, I would wear this again with a couple of tweaks.
Thursday, Colin Bridgerton – Outfit #4
Colin is the third Bridgerton son and, as such, is struggling to find his place within society. He compares himself unfavorably to his older brothers, and this season, like Eloise, he tries to fit in more with young men his age.
Unlike the other men in his family, who are almost always in blue, white, and off-white, Colin wears a variety of earthy colors and tones, like brown, green, and beige, in addition to the signature Bridgerton navy.
He also wears floral details in his vests and cravats throughout the season.
To emulate Colin’s style and character, I wanted an outfit that was cool yet down to Earth.
A big part of Colin’s character is his love of travel, so I wore a map print button-up shirt and tucked it into a pair of navy blue wide-leg pants. Then, I layered with a brown blazer.
For shoes, I went with brown suede booties. Finally, I accessorized with an off-white ascot to emulate Colin’s affinity for cravats.
I’m not going to lie; I love this look!
Funnily enough, I had a lot of options for Colin’s look, and I had a hard time deciding what to use. But I landed on the map shirt because Colin is always traveling, talking about his travels, and writing about them. It’s a big thing for him and Penelope since she is the only one who has always been interested in his stories.
Again, this outfit is not very summer-friendly. When I wore it, I had to change midday because I couldn’t deal with the heat. But I will definitely wear it again during fall and winter.
Friday, Penelope Featherington– Outfit #5
Finally, we have the lady of the season: Penelope. After deciding to find a husband to gain a bit of freedom, Penelope changes her whole style and wardrobe to set herself apart from her family.
In previous seasons, Penelope wore a lot of bright, almost neon, citrusy colors. This season, Penelope’s color palette is full of greens, transitioning into lighter blues.
Her dresses and accessories are toned down a lot, to further contrast with her family and start blending better with the Bridgertons. Silk, lace, and glittery mesh are the primary fabrics for Penelope’s Season 3 outfits.
When I saw Penelope’s makeover dress, I immediately knew what I wanted to wear.
First, I started with this dark green dress with black glittery mesh on top. It’s a very similar color and effect to her dark green makeover dress.
Then, I layered on a sequined bomber jacket and a pair of black booties as a nod to the velvet cape and walking boots she wears as Lady Whistledown.
While Penelope’s palette gets lighter and more blue-toned as the season goes on, I love what this dress means for Penelope’s character.
Overall, this was a comfortable look, a bit more dressed up than I usually go for, but I really liked it and felt great in it. Sometimes, we just need to dress up to make our days brighter.
Final Thoughts
Bridgerton season 3 is fun, and I cannot wait to watch the rest of the episodes!
I adore Nicola Coughlan, and anytime she’s onscreen, it’s magical. Her chemistry with Luke Newton is only rivaled by last season’s Jonathan Bailey and Simone Ashley. The friends-to-lovers arc has been done masterfully through three seasons.
Another aspect of the season I loved was Eloise’s friendship with Cressida and Cressida’s increased role. At first, I was hesitant, but I love how they make each other better and actually work on their friendship. I miss Eloise and Penelope, but it’s interesting to see them navigating society without each other.
Oh, and we can’t forget Francesca’s relationship with John Stirling. They have amazing chemistry for a couple that barely speaks, and Francesca’s quiet yet gleaming comfort with John made me root for them from the first moment.
My favorite outfits this week were Colin’s, Cressida’s, and Francesca’s. But Eloise’s is probably the one I’d wear the most for summer.
Bridgerton’s Season 3 fashion is a great place to look for outfit inspiration. There are a lot of tiny elements that tie into the narrative of each character and a whole array of items from which you can get inspired.
If you want inspiration for a colorful summer look, definitely give Bridgerton a watch. Also, it’s just a fun, girly show that you’ll definitely want to binge-watch.
What do you think of my Bridgerton Season 3 fashion guide?
Would you wear any of the outfits? What’s your favorite Bridgerton season? What do you think of the season so far? Are you excited for the new episodes?
Let me know in the comments below!