If you love historical romance novels as much as I do, about to marry the only girl who has never disappointed him and perfect, you are already working to save your wedding day. Here, we have a unique way to have a day of celebration to remember.
Embracing vintage fashion is all about believing that what went old could be re-energised and relived as something unique and inspiring. Looking glamorous and fabulous was probably the ideal longing for women in the 20th century. Within every era, whether it be the jazz age, the Victorian, the funky 80′s or denim crowded 90′s, women have always wanted to look smashing. And what better way to glamorise the trends in those eras than through modern-day TV shows showcasing the best from the previous eras?
Yes ladies, among the emotional volatility of Gossip Girl and a gripping clutch of Bridgerton regency fashion, there are shows that pay an extra mile of attention to details, especially details that concern fashion. There are a lot of modern-day TV shows with vintage settings, but not all manage to convey and successfully deliver the message of vintage fashion glory. We’ve come up with a list of vintage-themed TV shows with the best sartorial taste that manages to bring out the best and truest of fashion in the eras they each represent. The vintage fashion comes from a range of casual everyday wardrobe to high-end luxurious corsets we all dream of having (like the gowns in Bridgerton. Or if you are seeking wedding dress inspirations for 2022, then Bridgerton glamourous galas will send you into wedding design frenzy for both bride and groom.
Bridgerton – Regency Wedding Inspired Fashion
Based on Julia Quinn’s historical romance novels, the story centres on two families: the old-money Bridgertons and nouveau-riche Featheringtons. The image below is the cast for The Bridgerton family in their posh pastels: Hyacinth (Florence Hunt), Colin, Lady Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell), Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor), Eloise Bridgerton, (Claudia Jessie), Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) and Gregory (Will Tilston) and Benedict (Luke Thompson).
Photo: Liam Daniel/Courtesy of Netflix
This period drama is about competing against each other’s family. The marriage market season commences with the ultra-Brit-sounding Danbury Ball. The first of many glamorous galas. Intrigue and scandal proceed to rock the swishy Grosvenor Square set, thanks to a widely-distributed (by hand) society scandal broadsheet (like, printed on paper) written by Lady Whistledown, a Regency Period “Gossip Girl,” voiced by legend Dame Julie Andrews.
Costume Designs
Every costume designers dream is to be given a massive budget. Netflix, costume designer, Ellen Mirojnick and her 230-plus strong team were responsible for the custom-designed outfits. A whopping 7,500 completed costumes were made for this series. From foundation garments to gowns to shoes. The principals alone had upwards of 700 changes. It is why everyone is obsessed with this series. The dresses are from the Regency era and it is all about showcasing one’s bosom or bust. The Bridgertton fashion is also about the nap dress, nightgown, lots of silk and organza fabrics. The dress designs consisted of square neckline, bows and puffed sleeves.
Corset designers like Erdem were bought in as there was an immense amount of corsets been worn. Netflix’s Bridgerton has been a huge success due to fashion. Online brands like net-a-porter are selling lace, gloves, gowns and corsets.
Photo: Liam Daniel/Courtesy of Netflix
This was the vastest show I’ve ever done in my entire career and the most fabulous show I’ve ever done in my entire career,” says Mirojnick, at right, fitting Dynevor.
Wedding Inspirations
As 2021 is on hold for wedding celebrations. Design teams across the globe are in full swing of capturing what brides are wanting for 2022. The Bridgerton fashion will be at the heart of every bride. Diets will be in overdrive to fit into the corset wedding dresses.
I am wondering if white wedding dresses will be replaced with pastel colours like blue and purple?
TV Series Vintage Fashion Obsessions
Why are we so obsessed with TV series and films with vintage fashion. It is are we all about believing that fashion that went old could be re-energised and relived as something unique and inspiring. Besides the recent Bridgerton series here are some of the older ones to inspire you.
Mad Men
Saying that Mad Men is the king of underrated TV shows might be an exaggeration. But, once you’ve jumped into the world of these unorthodox, self-fulfilling, and women chasing advertisers, you will have some trouble breaking out. We weren’t crazy about the show at first, but when the story developed and the female characters became stronger, we started to take note. Alongside tracking the journeys of Joan Harris. Betty Francis, Peggy Olsen and Megan Draper, we became glued to the fashion they showcased, how this changed over time and just how accurately the clothing team behind Mad Men have recreated the wardrobes of our favourite vintage ladies!
The storyline, the diversity in vintage fashion, the bold silhouettes of the clothes, and most of all the elegant nuance of the 60′s are the whole package that makes Mad Men a must-follow series for vintage enthusiasts. Sure, not everything depicted on the show can be 100% accurate, as it is common practice to glamourise, sexualise, and dramatise situations in television. But, even without all the drama, chain-smoking, and prolific adultery, Mad Men would still come out on top with its embodiment of glorious vintage clothing.
Don Draper (Jon Hamm) and Megan Calvet Draper (Jessica Paré) in a scene on Mad Men.
Betty Francis (January Jones) in a scene on Mad Men.
Downton Abbey
Conceiving this list would be close to impossible without putting Downton Abbey in it. The show blew minds ever since the premiere of the pilot, opening the first scenes with news of the Titanic crash. But that’s not what we’re truly interested in, is it? With the amazing costumes, period accessories and detailed set designs, we can’t help but wonder the great works the backstage crews had put on to bring all those feasts in our eyes. Of course, the show was set to attract fanciers of royal British blood, but it also gave more insights to viewers regarding the Edwardian era, the era most often overshadowed by the more well known Victorian era.
If a Victorian wedding dress is what you seeking then this is the series to watch for.
Many shows set in vintage years usually fail to deliver the genuine and authentic spirit of the era and end up appearing “fake” or “corny”. That is definitely not the case with Downton Abbey. Earl Grantham, Lady Mary, The Crawleys, and the rest of the DA cast managed to make full-length skirts, bustiers, and well-tailored suits go wild once again. Downton Abbey definitely is the cure for our aristocratic vintage longing.
Lady Mary Crawley (Michelle Dockery) in a scene on Downton Abbey.
Boardwalk Empire
This dark, nuanced and emotionally gripping series is a great insight into the world of American vintage 20′s. Unlike the other series mentioned in this list, Boardwalk Empire gets to show you more sides of the “normality” throughout the vintage era, such as the streets, the dirty trades, the racism. In short, it doesn’t just focus on the incredibly chic dresses and couture suits.
Maybe you want to get married in a suit with pearls. You will have plenty of time to figure it all out.
The story follows Nucky Thompson as he dominates the mob world in Atlantic City. As an upperclassman, he is surrounded by a lot of luxury around him, and with that, a lot of very fashionable women as well. Margaret Thompson, Gillian Darmody, and Angela Darmody are some good examples of the beautiful characters you’d love not to be. As for the guys, Arnold Rothstein and Charles Luciano are eye captors. And to make you feel even more motivated to follow the series, you should know that the women in the series are pretty much like the women you would see in real, proportionate women with natural beauty enhanced with makeup that doesn’t go overboard. A change in the way films depict glamorously, beautiful women are definitely welcome.
Gillian Darmody (Gretchen Mol) in a scene on Boardwalk Empire.
Magic City
Set in the late 1950′s Miami, Magic City revolves around the glamour and the dark side of running a five-star hotel by the famous Miami Beach called the Miramar Playa. The story centres on the founder of the hotel, Ike as he struggles between maintaining his position in the hotel, keeping his enemies at distance, and ensuring his loved ones are safe. Fascinating story, don’t you think? Wait until you see the whole glamour involved in the series. Fancy dancers, smoking cigars, bold red lips, and the whole Miami glamour all combined in one place…
Even though the series has a rather dark storyline, it still manages to bring up the allure of wonderfully polished beautiful women (yes, they have Olga Kurylenko as Ike’s wife) without being awkward. Also, because the story is set in a five-star hotel with “five-star entertainment,” we get to see the blinding lights of pin-up girls, mood swinging bar songs, and burlesque magnetism. And we all know burlesque has quite a lot to do with vintage glamour, don’t we?
When it comes to jewellery for your wedding this series gives you plant of ideas.
That 70′s Show
The series was a heart warmer for many people across the globe during its airtime. Sure it was a comedy, but it wasn’t about upscale life nor some complicated high-end problems. Instead, the show pretty much shows you a perspective of living in the 70′s in a suburban town in the U.S, where pot smoking was considered pretty much mandatory among the youth, where hip clothing was essential, and where feminism was starting to take root.
The outfits shown throughout the series pretty much resemble what you’d expect to see in the 70′s. Yes, the series shows an era when pretty much anything you wore was considered acceptable (even fashionable, perhaps): high waisted trousers, plaid shirts, cashmere sweaters, jumpsuits, colourful tanks, and a lot of denim. For those of you who have lived some good memorable years in the 70′s, you would find the clothes in the show nostalgic because they were things you would wear on a daily basis. They’re not overrated, they depict real colourful fashion in the 70′s, not overboard but still eye-catchy and inspirational. 1970’s wedding dresses were a lot more simple back then. For 2021, if your budget is tight I would opt for a style like this.
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