Warning! SPOILERS about Bridgerton season 3, episode 4 ahead.
The gowns and outfits in Bridgerton season 3 managed to grab the viewers’ attention just like those in seasons 1 and 2 – here are the best Bridgerton season 3 costumes, ranked from tenth best to first. The outfits always played a central part in Bridgerton, telling a story within the story following the evolution of the characters who donned them. This was the case also for Bridgerton season 3, which introduced consequential changes, in attitude and style, for several characters, including Eloise, the Mondriches, and the newest Bridgerton debutante, Francesca.
However, the biggest changes predictably involved the two halves of Bridgerton season 3’s main couple, Colin and Penelope. If Colin’s new demeanor and “sturdy” build were commented on at length by the Bridgertons, the ton’s gentlemen and Lady Whistledown in Bridgerton season 3’s premiere, Penelope’s calculated changes were visible throughout Bridgerton season 3, part 1, with gowns, makeup and hairstyles being updated with the goal to attract a husband. Penelope’s new gowns all greatly differed from what she wore in the past, but two in particular stood out for how stunning and detailed they were.
Cressida’s story having more space in Bridgerton season 3 guaranteed her extreme outfits would be featured a lot more onscreen. A common trait Cressida’s outfits shared, apart from the amount of detail her gowns and hairstyles always featured, was how much more space her shoulder decorations took, effectively making them much larger than the rest of the outfit. This is evident in Cressida’s pink dress and coat in Bridgerton season 3, episode 3, when Cressida asserted her wish to pursue Lord Debling as a suitor while Eloise warned her against underestimating Penelope.
Like in previous seasons, Cressida’s outfits screamed her wish to belong in high society through how extravagant they were, and this can also be seen in her outfit during her garden walk with Eloise in Bridgerton season 3, episode 3. Although pink and white as colors make Cressida’s gown and coat acceptable by the pastel color standards of the debutantes’ dresses, her memorable statue-like hairstyle, the lapel flowery decorations and the enormous rose-like shoulder decoration all contribute to making her outfit stand out.
Eloise’s style changed as well in Bridgerton season 3, and the coat and dress combo she donned in her second outing at the park with Cressida in the Bridgerton season 3 premiere highlighted as much. The flower embroidery on the light teal coat makes it stand out, perfectly complementing her pink dress underneath. How Eloise swapped her Bridgerton seasons 1 and 2’s high-neck blouses for the pink-teal crossed ribbon is also made evident by the same style appearing in other colors in Bridgerton season 3, episode 3.
Bridgerton’s costume colors’ hidden meaning can also be seen in the shift of Eloise’s costumes in Bridgerton season 3. While during her debut in Bridgerton season 2 Eloise might have favored the Bridgerton blue for many of her gowns, she tended to follow the ton’s rules with her outfits in season 3, using teal, pink, and even white for the second ball of the season. This way, Eloise’s use of pastels reflects her wish to try and see what the ton has to offer, evident in her attempts to make friends with the other debutantes.
Unlike Eloise, who rowed against everything linked to her debut in Bridgerton season 2 and often wore blue, Francesca embodied the debutante qualities, albeit her way. Her dresses in Bridgerton season 3 relayed Francesca’s wish not to be a part of the ton but to make a successful match in the way their colors were always very close to white. Francesca’s gown at the second ball of the season in Bridgerton season 3 highlights how she dressed the part of the debutante, wearing a sparkly white gown with subtle blue influences and clean lines, adorned with mini applique flowers.
Francesca’s outfit complemented her demeanor, at least for the plan Lady Danbury set in motion by sending her to play the piano alone and let the queen stumble upon her. Through Danbury’s scheme, Francesca became the “sparkler” and the queen’s favorite because of her steadfast passion that let her lose herself when playing and her poise and countenance, both necessary if someone wanted to gain the queen’s favor.
Will and Alice Mondrich had already attended a ton party before Bridgerton season 3, episode 3, but the second ball of the season was the one where they tried to mold their new titles to themselves rather than be changed by them. If Alice wore one of Lady Kent’s out-of-fashion gowns while having her fun with the jewels at Lady Danbury’s ball, she shaped her outfit in the way she wanted in the second ball of the season.
Alice’s gold gown with red accents in the form of applique petals and flowers represents her attempt to make her new role in society work for her instead of against her like when she first learned about the inheritance. Although Will wasn’t able to feel like himself in his new role, Alice started doing so at the second ball, flaunting what her style could become with the Kent resources, feeling more like herself, albeit in a completely different setting.
Although by Bridgerton season 3, episode 2 Penelope had already revealed her makeover in a ballroom setting, her light green dress as she walked with her maid on Rotten Row made it permanent. The hidden meaning of Penelope’s Bridgerton season 3 costume change featuring more green in her palette also hinted at her future as a Bridgerton, being green a mix of Colin’s Bridgerton blue and the Featheringtons’ citrus colors. Still, Penelope wore plenty of light green dresses in Bridgerton season 3, and even a blue one.
The reason why this light green dress stands out compared to the rest of Penelope’s new wardrobe lies in the details. Despite being a day dress, it’s adorned in a simple yet elegant way with the dark flowery motive reprised in the dress and the jacket, creating a stark contrast with the light green of her outfit and jewels that highlight Penelope’s green eyes, red hair and rosy complexion.
Eloise’s change of approach when dealing with the ton is reflected in her new wardrobe in Bridgerton season 3. While she tried to escape her season-related errands in Bridgerton season 2, Eloise accepted them in season 3, albeit without actively showing interest. Still, she spent time with Cressida and even tried to enlarge her circle of acquaintances by including the other debutantes, despite having even less in common with them than with Cressida.
Eloise’s “joining the winners” approach instead of fighting everything that didn’t make sense of the ton is exemplified by her relatively sparkly white gown embellished with embroidered flowers and diamond-like jewels that she wore at the second ball of the season. Eloise can be rarely seen wearing white, having done so only when attending the queen’s society debuts, making her choice to adapt to what her peers would do for the occasion by wearing white one of her actions in Bridgerton season 3 most opposing who she was in season 2.
One of the few appearances Kate and Anthony made in Bridgerton season 3 was at Lady Danbury’s first ball of the season, and it included a beautiful dress that perfectly described Kate’s new role. While all of Kate’s dresses in Bridgerton season 3 were representative of her new position as Viscountess Bridgerton, the gown details at the Lady Danbury ball included Kate’s heritage and her having married into the Bridgertons with a mix of the Bridgerton blue and a warm copper-like color.
Moreover, the gown’s cut emphasized how her standing had changed given that she showed more skin than she was ever allowed as a spinster in Bridgerton season 2. Mixed with a more defined empire-waisted cut like Violet Bridgerton’s dresses, her gown essentially relayed the message Kate wanted to be understood in Bridgerton season 3 – that she had married Anthony and become Viscountess Bridgerton, a change that couldn’t be ignored, as beautifully emphasized by her peculiar ballgown.
Alice attending the Queen’s Ball alone in Bridgerton season 3, episode 4 showed how much Will struggled with reconciling their new title with their past life, but her gown also highlighted how little Alice felt Will’s struggle. Indeed, Alice’s Queen’s Ball gown was among the most detailed, including Ancient Greek influences in the jewels and the gown’s cut, even mirroring Lady Danbury’s laurel-like tiara.
Alice’s headpiece and the evidently new dress expertly weaved by Madame Delacroix also show how much Alice had gotten used to life within the ton. While she might have needed Lady Whistledown to understand society only in Bridgerton season 3, episode 3, by episode 4 she was greatly improved, making Will’s opposite reaction even more impossible to ignore.
Queen Charlotte’s most impressive outfit was on show at the Eros and Psyche Queen’s Ball, outdoing everybody else’s for details and grandeur. The gown itself stunned with the vividness of its color and the bejeweled front. The necklaces added even more sparkle to the ensemble, but what made the outfit completely stand out was the wig, hollowed out to look like a lake where figurines in the shape of swans swam around.