Besides the steamy romance, the fashion in Bridgerton, from the stunning dresses to the impeccable hairstyles, is one of the most important elements. The hit Netflix series is set in London during the British Regency era, and it is based on the Bridgerton novels by Julia Quinn. In the show, the eight siblings of the noble Bridgerton family fall in love during the social match-making season, and each season of Bridgerton follows a different sibling’s love story. The series is produced by Shonda Rhimes’ production company Shondaland, and it became a hit on Netflix since it first premiered in 2020.
The series is not only a commercial hit with fans, but also an award-winning show that elevates the creators involved with it. Bridgerton hairstyles created by Marc Pilcher, Adam James Phillips, and other stylists won the show an Emmy Award for Outstanding Period and/or Character Hairstyling in 2021. Like the dresses worn by Bridgerton characters, the hairstyles on Bridgerton do more than look good on camera. Each character has a specific style that represents their personality and the emotional journey they go on throughout the show.
Queen Charlotte
In each season of Bridgerton, Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) presides over the social season and picks the woman she views as the most eligible for marriage as the season’s diamond. The Queen’s Bridgerton hairstyles are the most elaborate in the entire show. When onscreen, Queen Charlotte is seen wearing large wigs in the form of up-dos, and each wig features layers of hair, jewels, and other accessories that showcase her extravagance.
These hairstyles match the Queen’s lavish gowns, showing that she has not adjusted her style to the Regency time period. In Bridgerton, Queen Charlotte’s outfits and hairstyles represent her love and dedication to her husband, King George (James Fleet). Sometimes, the jewels and patterns from her costumes represent George’s interests. By not wearing Regency-style clothes and hair, Queen Charlotte makes sure she always resembles the woman George fell in love with decades before.
Daphne Bridgerton
Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) is the star of Bridgerton season 1 and the first Bridgerton sibling to find true love. Typically, Daphne wears her hair pinned back with her short bangs styled around her face. If Daphne accessorizes her Bridgerton hairstyle, the character can be seen wearing a fancy headpiece. While at home, Daphne typically wears her hair partially pulled back, but even in private her hair is rarely loose around her face. Daphne’s simple hairstyles show off her face, reiterating that she has a classic beauty. Because she is known for her kindness, this hairstyle also shows off Daphne’s kind and expressive eyes.
Kate Sharma
In Bridgerton season 2, Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley) is almost always seen with her hair pulled back into a tight up-do with no hair out of place. As the oldest sister of her family, this represents the responsibility Kate feels for her family’s future. Whenever Kate is around someone she loves in private, her hair is let down with loose curls, showing that she is able to relax in certain company. As Kate and Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) fall in love, in many of their key scenes, some pieces of loose hair fall out of Kate’s tight updo, symbolizing her falling for Anthony and feeling comfortable in his presence.
Eloise Bridgerton
Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie) is a free spirit, and her Bridgerton hairstyles reflect this. She frequently pushes against societal norms and questions why things must be the way they are. Whenever she is not at a social event, Eloise’s hair is let down and unstyled, showing her love for childhood and her resistance to joining society. Once Eloise makes her debut and begins attending events during the social season, she typically opts for wearing her hair in loose curls and with her only accessories being colorful headpieces showing her youth.
Penelope Featherington
Unlike her best friend Eloise, Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) is enamored with society, and she longs to not be overlooked. Penelope frequently wears her long red hair in half-up, half-down styles with tight curls. The elaborate hairstyles on Bridgerton show Penelope’s desire to be noticed in a crowd. Penelope’s love interest Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) is set to be the subject of Bridgerton season 3, and photos hint that Penelope will undergo a style change in the new season, opting for blue outfits instead of yellow and wearing her hair in looser curls. This look suits Penelope better and will no doubt play an important part in the third season.
Cressida Cowper
Cressida Cowper (Jessica Madsen) is one of the antagonists in Bridgerton, and is often seen bullying Penelope and being unkind to the Bridgerton family. While Cressida is beautiful and desires a husband, her desperation to be married and be considered high status brings out her cruel side. Cressida frequently sports intricate hairstyles in Bridgerton that are tight updos with layers of braided hair and accessories. This excess and style demonstrate Cressida’s desire to appear in the ranks of nobility and royalty and how she looks down on others.
Anthony Bridgerton
When Bridgerton first premiered, Anthony Bridgerton’s hairstyle included long sideburns nearly down to his jaw. A flashback in Bridgerton season 2 revealed that Anthony’s father had prevalent sideburns before his death. Knowing how traumatized Anthony was after his father died, it seems Anthony was unsuccessfully trying to emulate his father’s hairstyle and leadership. In the second season, Anthony’s look is more clean-shaven, showing his confidence in being himself and how he is taking his role as head of the family seriously by finding a wife and leading his family through scandals in his own way.
Simon Basset
Even though Bridgerton covers the Regency era, it incorporates modern themes through music, writing tropes, and its purposeful inclusion of race relations. Daphne’s love interest Simon Basset is one of the most eligible bachelors in the show’s first season, and his Bridgerton hairstyle noticeably features stubble. He starts out the series as a playboy who does not want to get married because of a vendetta against his late father. Simon keeping his stubble when it goes against societal norms of the time shows how he values his personal feelings and desires over what society dictates.
