100% agree, regency era fashion for men is probably the best era in terms of mens fashion imo, but you do still have style changes later in the victorian era that are also underated aswell, especially corsets which need to be known that men wore them too because when it comes to corsets films mainly focus on women which is fine since women did where corsets in pretty much every ero but everyone I know doesn't know that men wore corsets to achieve the "perfect shape", and it can look sexy aswell...but I heard that the fashion designer for the film wanted to modernise it to a pretty large extent, which can work in some scenes, like you see what they are trying to do with it but other times it's, it's questionable to say the very least lol
I actually like the 30s almost more than the teens and 20s. Who doesn’t want men in balloon pants with two waistcoats and a coat rat looks like a dress?
If they are trying to "sex things up" why didn't they go for breeches??? They are literally designed to be figure hugging and show off leg muscles, and in my opinion, make everyone's butt look fantastic (padding was also a thing, which means even BETTER butts with no post processing). How on earth they thought those frumpy straight-legged trousers were sexier than the historical equivalent of Captain America's super suit is beyond me.
I feel like everyone these days talks about the dresses in this show, so it's really nice to see someone talk about the outfits the gentlemen are wearing for a change. I really enjoyed watching this!
Background characters are usually better dressed than the main cast in a lot of period dramas because the background costumes will be from rental stock, which are more often and not used in many films and bear a better historical accuracy.
I know a case in Germany when they hired reenactors as extras for a scene including vikings. While the actors were the usual fur-and-leather clad mess, the extras were wearing fancy, historical accurate wool tunics with silk details.
That’s probably even worse because then patients might come to you thinking that they already know what’s wrong with them (at worst they may have tried some remedy that they saw on show once...) I can’t imagine how annoying it is to have to fight with a patient over whether they have a disease, just because they’ve seen a tv show so they must know better than a trained professional. At least with historical clothing, no one’s health is at risk and tailors don’t have to deal with the consequences of misinformation I guess
Or lawyers with legal shows ... in real life lawyers would be disbarred in a minute if they got up to half the shenanigans they do on TV or in the movies ... and the law itself varies so much from place to place.... but clients still believe the fictional version ...
Bridgerton's costumes were honestly extremely frustrating, and I don't think they helped to educate contemporary folks on the misconceptions of historical dress at all. The show furthered a lot of the inaccuracies and narratives that the historical costuming and dress community is trying so hard to clear up! Of course, it's more historical fantasy, but because of the way the show's events are portrayed, it may not be blatantly obvious to some that it is a fantastical version of history.
Honestly I’d love to see a show where the costuming department is made up entirely of costume TH-camrs (Karolina Źebrowska, Bernadette Banner, Rachel Maksy, etc)
Totally agree! Though the most entertaining part would be the sound bytes and quotable moments that would emerge as they grappled with the challenges and compromises one inevitably must deal with while costuming a film. They all have film/production experience so you couldn't ask for a better group, so as long as the director understood the vision and had the budget...
*Bridgerton costume designers* 'We wanted to inject color and fancifulness into the era' *English Regency Court Gowns* 'Are we some kind of joke to you?!?!?'
idk why it brings me so much joy to see people passionately talking about things I know nothing about. Like, yes, Sir..... tell me more about the aglets... I completely agree
A note on the lack of black shirts in the time period: black would not be practical as an undergarment as that would require so much expensive dye to get the right color, and then it would be regularly washed because it’s literally underwear, so the color would fade incredibly fast and look old and dull.
"To expose that much skin as a man would have been a social *disaster*" This is so funny. I'm trying to think of how real Regency people would've thought of the Duke's revealed neck. LOL
Finally I find someone who reviews men’s costumes. I thought it was interesting that the story line was so concerned about social convention and piety but the costumes do not reflect that. I felt your pain Zippers in the boots!
As someone who used to work for a company that makes uniform accessories, seeing the tip of the aiguillette just stabbed through that button hole was... something lol I don't know why anyone would think that's how that is worn. Aiguillettes are all over modern uniforms, you don't even have to look at old pictures to get it right.
YEESSS thank you for bringing up the "sexed up" thing!! I haven't seen that many people talking about this in their reviews/critiques and to me it's VERY odd that they were trying to make the regency "sexier" when the actual fashions of the period were more scandalous than what we see on the show... I was saying in another comment that the necklines should be nipple-grazing and the men should be vacuum-sealed into their clothes ;)
Post-Revolutionary France invented the ‘wet t-shirt’, essentially- they had a new-gen fashionista: the _merveleuse_ (sp?) & they were like the *definition* of _outré_ - like, holy cow- the descriptions of nipple rouging- purposely wetting their dresses to make them cling & wearing ‘suggestively placed’ jewellery.... They took on more of the French Empire style, as opposed to the more accurate English Regency- but they end up failing in both....
As a theatrical tailor who has made Regency menswear, what bothered me most about the men (of the MANY things which bothered me) was how badly their trousers were cut, pulling across the fronts as well as not shaped to the leg -- a very modern cut as if their maker had never seen a period pattern before.
I didn't watch the show, so it was highly entertaining to see it through your eyes! Zips! ZIPS? AIGLETS 😖 What?? But I love hearing you talk about the details of the menswear so much. Thank you for powering through all the hard work and last minute frustration that went into this video. You must be so relieved to have it done and published!
Something that always annoys me about modern tv and movies trying to “sex up” period dramas is that they fail to realize or remember that history was in fact very sexy
Glad to see someone else raging about the inaccuracies of historical costumes in TV shows and movies. I've never watched Bridgerton because of it's historical inaccuracies. Incorrect uniforms, and uniform accoutrements worn incorrectly get me really angry. I can't believe they have allowed those aiguillettes to be worn so wrong. He is alsi wearing his breast star much too high. Maybe he was left to dress himself. Well done on this video and on your channel.
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If you don't clean them often, white fabrics quickly become yellowish and stained. Impeccable white shows you're wealthy enough to afford the luxury of changing clothes often and have them promptly washed. Any other colour, particularly dark ones (including black) can take longer periods of use without washing before they show it.
I am generally not a fan of the regency women’s fashions. Probably because they really don’t suit my figure. Give me defined waists, big sleeves and big skirts to make the most of my curves! But the exception to that is the men’s fashion of the time, which is one of my favourites. I think the men of the time looked dashing. The silhouette was flattering (to some at least), and showed off the body in a nice way. I love the curves of the trousers and britches, the smooth cutaways of the jackets, the high collars and cravats. It’s all just so lovely. And it was wonderful to see someone focusing on the male fashions. It’s not terribly common- which is understandable, most of the people in this little corner of nerdery tend to be women, and we tend to focus on the clothing that we would make for ourselves. But it’s still nice to see a focus on menswear. Thank you for this lovely video. I greatly appreciated the aglet rant.
As a Regency romance author and a Jane Austen ball attendee who sews my husband's and my own gowns, that show drove me bonkers. There's something so alluring about the cravat. Why did it get ignored in this series? Wish you could have consulted on this show. The accuracy in fashion would have been cool to see on screen.
My two biggest issues were: seeing evening gowns worn outside with full boob exposure (and yes, bonnets!), and, that Anthony's mistress seemed so concerned with being more to him than his paid-for-woman. The second in particular bothered me a lot because, as I have come to understand, mistresses had a contract with their Protector. It was kind of like having a prenup and it protected both her and her Protector. She never had illusions about it being more. And when it was over, when he ended it, there were things she got to keep or money given to her so she had enough time to find a new Protector. They were highly prized escorts who slept with the men that put them up in fine houses. For a show that was touted as supremely feminist, they really missed the ball on that to show a real business woman in charge of her own body and income.
Also- mistresses were often prized for _more_ than their performance in bed; they were often very accomplished women, who could & often *did* have lives away from their lovers - be they known as courtesans, mistresses or _demimondaine_ over the ages- she was expected to be witty, & socially gifted, not just beautiful, attentive & ‘skilled’. Obviously, it’s set in the later half of the 16th c, as opposed to the early quarter of the 19th, but- while ‘Dangerous Beauty’ wasn’t perfect (the courtesan dresses of that movie are like a whole subject of discussion unto themselves- & it felt like some scenes were missing, in terms of the story)- I like how it gave the impression that life for them was **different**- both in good _&_ bad ways. Btw- I prefer the Australian version of the movie’s title: A Destiny of Her Own... Have you ever seen either it or ‘Gigi’? It’s also an interesting story about courtesans- & their expectations of the relationships they enter into - I really wish I could find the books that they were based on...
I think I remember reading something like that a long time ago... thanks for the reminder! It's too bad they couldn't have included that, but I suppose the common narrative of wanting to be "something more" was easier for the author to make dramatic & romantic I wish more period shows explored historically accurate relationships in that way
Yes! A gentleman wouldn’t just say to his mistress “ I can’t see you anymore,” they had a contract and ending it was done with style and required gifts to set her up in the interim as she found a new “protector.” The obvious lack of historical research really bothered me.
@@OcarinaSapphr- Gigi is a novella by French author (and feminist icon) Colette. It's a classic. The Honest Courtesan is by Margaret F. Rosenthal. Both books are for sale on Amazon.
I suspect the background actors often looked more put together because their costumes started life in productions that cared about historical accuracy. Likely they were not constructed especially for this show but rented from a company that purchases and supplies historical costumes.
There are huge rental facilities for theatrical costumes. Our opera costumers, in the days before the internet, would order catalogs by the time period of the garments. Big 3-ring binders. You selected the garments and reserved them for the run of the show. The garments all had deep seam allowances so they could be altered to a certain extent. The stars got custom made, but we plebes got rentals. No eating or drinking other than plain water, fines if you were caught. They were coming from the UK. Everything from head to toe including corsets.
"Yes, it's an opinion, but also IT'S CORRECT." Thank you for talking about aiglets as "scrambled egg" because I read that once years ago and never found it again!
So what I get from this is, that regency men would have been absolutely delighted by elastic skinny jeans because you can put them easily into the high boots, they emphasize the musculature but you don't have the hassle of buttons down the lower legs xD
Lmao I always downplay my emotions like that was well. 😂😂 He was clearly more than "a bit bothered" about it. But it was an amazing rant and honestly what I was HOPING for. Someone who knows their stuff about the subject and being passionate about it. Love to see it.
The Duke’s buttons drove me crazy! I kept wondering what shape it would be if you actually tried to button them all (obviously it couldn’t be done while a human was actually wearing it). I picture a giant fabric funnel.
The books talk extensively about the court dresses of the previous generation, the panniers, and all the girls being afraid they will trip in unfamiliar skirts as they back out of the queens presence. So I was extra bummed not to see those court dresses!
As an equestrian, the riding boots were a big "WHAT!" Riding boots even 50ish years ago were pulled on and an absolute pain in the ass to put on and get off. There are whole contraptions to help people wear them without the assistance of a second person. The spur rests are also an issue - ladies didn't wear spurs because sidesaddle horses aren't trained to go off the leg like an astride horse.
even 20 years ago, girls at my riding school were buying pull-on boots and taking them to a cobbler to have a zipper put in, but my coach forbade showing in zipper boots. Now pretty much all the tall boots I see have zippers, I can't remember the last time I saw ones that didn't!
Jumping on your Daphne rant, I’m actually surprised you didn’t point out a MASSIVE ISSUE with her undressing scene. She’s wearing her stays AGAINST THE SKIN, with NO shift underneath them. In fact, she even puts a new shift on OVER TOP of her stays! It’s one of my personal costuming pet peeves - people putting corsets against the skin thinking they’re just sexy Big Bras, when in fact they have to have a protective garment between the skin (and sweat and oils and dirt and germs) and the very valuable, very difficult to wash corset or stays. I can understand the boots distracting you though - that’s egregious
It also made me nuts that this girl changed her clothes to trick her maid, who would be the very person to collect her soiled shift and know her mistress was up to some bs. Lol
Firstly, this was brilliant and educational and everything I've been dying for in a men's regency review. Secondly, "Don't fight me in the comments" had me laugh so hard I nearly choked on my tea! Well done, sir!
The women’s costuming drove me crazy. No corsets with empire waists! Corsets didn’t have metal eyelets. Stays not corsets! And should have head coverings outside the home.
Having grown up reading Georgette Heyer's descriptions of amazing court dresses I share Zak's dismay that they don't get used properly in film and TV. I live in hope!
The one "costume" that drove me absolutely crazy was the Duke. In the books he wears black coats all the time to portray his serious nature. Not to mention how much skin he showed and the cut were atrocious. They really tried to make him super sexy. Which is not how he is in the book. He's more like Darcy from Pride & Prejudice. Serious, trying to overcome his fathers abuse and censure. They actor playing him was obviously gorgeous, but they pushed it a little too much on the sexy.
OMG, I was legit TRIGGERED by that scene with Daphne's boots! Until VERY recently pull on tall boots were standard turnout in English riding disciplines, and some traditionals STILL don't consider zips appropriate for show. And if hunter jumper girls in 2000 needed to help pull each other's boots off, a high class woman like Daphne in 1813 would have used the assistance of at least one lady's maid!
I went to buy silk satin for the collar of my 1890s Worth style prom dress, and the lady at the shop heard my description and asked "is that, like, Brigderton?" Noooooo... it's not.
Zachary!!! Im apparently ten months late in saying this, (thanks, TH-cam algorithm) but I’m so excited you’re making videos!!! As a man who loves historical fashion, it’s so hard to find others who are so passionate about men’s historical costumery, which makes your work extra valuable! Not to mention it makes me feel a little better and more confident about attempting such projects myself. :”) I get nervous, too. Your voice is crisp and pleasant, you’re funny and polite, and you’re so well informed! I really hope you continue, as I really believe you have every desirable attribute for making a wonderful channel.
Yaaaayyy guys that love historical clothing DO exist then! I'm so happy, it is sooo difficult to find information on men's fashion comparing to women's fashion, maybe this will change :)
@@tmay4703 I'd say the baseballcap is the direct successor/descendent of the flat cap. It's a working class head to keep your head warmer in winter and cooler in summer and the sun out of your eyes. Both pretty casual and easy to combine.
So nice to hear the perspective of someone who knows about men's wear. I've heard many many critiques on the subject of women's wear in media, but rarely have I heard anything about men's wear
This really hammered home to me that we don't get enough of those super tight pantaloons with the buttoned ankles in historicals. They look great! Everyone goes for breeches all the time but I'm beginning to think pantaloons are severely under-utilized.... Also I totally agree about the English court dress. As it is they had that gag with the one Featherington sister tripping at the queen's feet - think how much funnier it would be if she fell because she was unused to wearing panniers! Ham up the comedy!
For those of you in the comment section who have never worked a reenactment, one can be eating a something bought on site from one of the food stands and patrons will still walk up and ask "is that real food?" they can be watching a smithing or cooking demonstration and their first question will be "is that real fire?" Very few people are going to walk in to a period setting with enough base knowledge to talk to them about detail and it takes too damn long to educate them. For a piece of entertainment going for full historical accuracy is often a detriment to effective communication, borrowing from visual vocabulary the audience is already familiar with will convey more and more accurate information as far as story and character are concerned. Zach, your analysis is wonderful and it's refreshing to see someone who comes to one of these critiques with even the bare minimum of acknowledgement towards design choice v period accuracy and I wish more historical dress enthusiasts came at these pieces with a goal towards education by example rather than condemnation and gatekeeping.
So, on the subject of “women wearing their hair down/not wearing a hat to show their free spirit isn’t accurate”, that’s really interesting because it’s where history is interacting with changing social mores and cues. It’s like with flappers. Flappers are often portrayed as having really short skirts, and flappers did have *shorter* skirts than usual, but they never went above the knee. But to get across to modern audiences used to decades of miniskirts and stuff, a below the knee skirt just wouldn’t register as shocking. So, as a filmmaker, you have to choose between being historically accurate in dress, or being historically accurate in...I dunno if you’d call it the mood or the sensibility of the time that you’re trying to portray.
It’s like transliteration. You sometimes have to translate something from one language to another, not through direct representation of it, but by expressing it in equivalent terms. It’s sometimes more effective to get the feeling across than to show something as it was and have viewers see it through a lens that isn’t their own
Thank you. You've stopped me screaming. It's about as accurate to its chosen period as The Tudors is to the early 16th century. But people are taking it as gospel, sadly. And shirts were linen because they could endure the vigorous washing techniques of the period, along with the other linen, sheets, tablecloths, etc. You don't get black linen, black was a notoriously fugitive dye. Anything dyed black would turn greenish or reddish in no time.
I enjoy your comments (and your irritation about historical inaccuracies) so much! I too wish to see a movie or show with truly accurate, not-dumbed-down, over-the-top styles that I've only read about or seen in engraved pictures. It's been a while since I read the books, so I might be confusing them with other Regency books I've read, but I SWEAR that in one of them, it's a major plot point that the young lady who is the focal of the story knocks over a candelabra with her bonkers huge court skirt and sets one of the other ladies being presented ON FIRE. It is SO disappointing not to see any of the panniers skirts at court, they would have been so much fun.
I love the male POV. Not familiar with men's ware myself so it's quite educational. I watched it cringing about the lack of petticoats and hair all over the place but I did enjoy for what it was since it's an "alternate universe".
I'm so glad to hear a review on the men's fashion. I love hearing about the ladies but I've been so curious about the gentlemen's fashion in these dramas.
This show absolutely inspired me to begin sewing Regency men's clothing for myself (I'm working on a shirt currently), but by the Gods did I have to turn around and do several hours (more like 20+ hours with a silly amount of tabs on my PC open) of research to teach myself the actual silhouette and look I should be going for XD
Someone PLEASE meme/ gif Zack at 21:56 - 'Yes, it's an opinion- but it's *also* CorrecT' is a MOOD and I need to throw that around in my life thank you
Rant of my own - the zippers in the ladies dresses really bothered me. Lapped zippers, not even invisible ones - right up the back of the dresses. Just no please. The zipper boot closeup was pretty big oops too, but I didn’t watch that far yet. Wasn’t my jam and I didn’t watch all the eps....
As an historian/ teacher of Western Civ I really appreciate your scholarship and knowledge- and your presentation-- I could listen for hours! many thanks from US
Absolutely loved Bridgerton and it's crazy costumes - one thing that amused me was the rather synthetic looking fabrics - some of the ribbons and 'silks' would most definitely not stood a hot iron- they just looked very wrong to me. There's a way silks and other expensive fabrics crease so beautifully that their 20th century synthetic counterparts simply don't. This would I guess have meant a huge jump in budget :D
And I was also rather disappointed with there being no hats. It’s one of things that would have looked amazing with their dresses when they were outside. I can’t for the life of me understand why they didn’t include these necessary accessories
As soon as the court gowns were shown I was disappointed. Not because they weren't lovely, but because why would you pass up that perfectly good historical nonsense? Show me the weird fashion history, you cowards!
Brilliant. I’m glad I’m not the only one to tear their hair out. The women’s costumes drove me crazy. As you point out so well, there was ample magnificence in that period, so why bring in things from sometimes centuries later?
I noticed the modern riding boots that Daphne removed the first time watching the series! Not only by the zipper, but by the cut of the top of the boot and the spur rests on the sides of the boot! Thank you for the informative video!
I knew the Prince's outfit especially bugged me for a reason! I couldn't put my finger on it, but it was so obvious in the end. Despite knowing zilch on men's dress, brain just got "noped" so hard when spotting those things speared through the button holes, making the whole thing look ridiculous. Thanks for pointing it out ❤️ The Duke's look was so obv modernized and 'GQ'-d to be sexy so much, you kinda have to check-out and resign yourself to it quickly, as the only option.
Unfortunately, I feel the producers wanted to dumb down the clothing for audiences who did not know the period. They really could have done a better job. Did they not because of the price as well? I appreciate your invaluable information. I am not as knowledgeable about men's period clothing. Many of the female character's clothing appears to look too modern. Some fabrics and colors do not look authentic. 🥺
I felt the same anger you did about the zip boots during the scene where Daphne was being undressed by the Duke and the purposely settle for several seconds on a pair of clear plastic buttons holding up a piece of undergarment. I could have forgiven a flash, or a hint, but the lingering on the plastic buttons just... ugh. My friends think I am taking it too seriously. I may need new friends. ;)
So, what I’m hearing is that they should have made the pants tighter. And I 100% agree. How am I supposed to admire their sexy calves if they cover them in loose fabric?
This is fabulous. The costume designer has been praised to the sky, but I actually feel that this should have been considered as historical American fantasy rather than reality.
so happy to see a review that doesn’t skip over the men’s clothes! would love to see more reviews from you since it’s so common to exclude the menswear in reviews
"Yes its an opinion, but also its correct" I need this on a shirt!!!
The sass! Love it!!!
I second this as a t-shirt. Merch idea!
Me too!
The best!!!
...preferably with a drawing of Zack in a top hat, 18th century "sunnies" and sipping champagne from the flute 🍷
What I honestly don't understand is that they made a "choice" for the men's clothing when the actual historically accurate version is so much sexier!
100% agree, regency era fashion for men is probably the best era in terms of mens fashion imo, but you do still have style changes later in the victorian era that are also underated aswell, especially corsets which need to be known that men wore them too because when it comes to corsets films mainly focus on women which is fine since women did where corsets in pretty much every ero but everyone I know doesn't know that men wore corsets to achieve the "perfect shape", and it can look sexy aswell...but I heard that the fashion designer for the film wanted to modernise it to a pretty large extent, which can work in some scenes, like you see what they are trying to do with it but other times it's, it's questionable to say the very least lol
I actually like the 30s almost more than the teens and 20s. Who doesn’t want men in balloon pants with two waistcoats and a coat rat looks like a dress?
If they are trying to "sex things up" why didn't they go for breeches??? They are literally designed to be figure hugging and show off leg muscles, and in my opinion, make everyone's butt look fantastic (padding was also a thing, which means even BETTER butts with no post processing). How on earth they thought those frumpy straight-legged trousers were sexier than the historical equivalent of Captain America's super suit is beyond me.
You were bothered by her boots--I was still bothered by her wearing stays without a shift under it. Shift first--then stays.
I came *running* to the comments to say exactly this 😂😂
this.... it might not have been as long as the dress, but there would definitely have been a layer under the stays.
Egads! Who would even do that? I wear stays everyday, and I always wear a shift underneath.
Yes. This.
Me to myself before I clicked on this: "It's not procrastination if it's education"
THAT needs to be on a shirt!
I definately appreciate the male perspective. You don't typically get to hear about how stylish men really were!
I feel like everyone these days talks about the dresses in this show, so it's really nice to see someone talk about the outfits the gentlemen are wearing for a change. I really enjoyed watching this!
Background characters are usually better dressed than the main cast in a lot of period dramas because the background costumes will be from rental stock, which are more often and not used in many films and bear a better historical accuracy.
Indeed that is often the case, but in this production they made absolutely everything, so had a hand in the design of every stitch.
I know a case in Germany when they hired reenactors as extras for a scene including vikings.
While the actors were the usual fur-and-leather clad mess, the extras were wearing fancy, historical accurate wool tunics with silk details.
And now you know how health care professionals feel when we watch “medical shows.”
YES
Yup 👌🏼
That’s probably even worse because then patients might come to you thinking that they already know what’s wrong with them (at worst they may have tried some remedy that they saw on show once...) I can’t imagine how annoying it is to have to fight with a patient over whether they have a disease, just because they’ve seen a tv show so they must know better than a trained professional. At least with historical clothing, no one’s health is at risk and tailors don’t have to deal with the consequences of misinformation I guess
Omg.. I think I get your point. Not to mention that relying on a medical tv show for information is actually pretty terrible (or rather dangerous)..
Or lawyers with legal shows ... in real life lawyers would be disbarred in a minute if they got up to half the shenanigans they do on TV or in the movies ... and the law itself varies so much from place to place.... but clients still believe the fictional version ...
Bridgerton's costumes were honestly extremely frustrating, and I don't think they helped to educate contemporary folks on the misconceptions of historical dress at all. The show furthered a lot of the inaccuracies and narratives that the historical costuming and dress community is trying so hard to clear up! Of course, it's more historical fantasy, but because of the way the show's events are portrayed, it may not be blatantly obvious to some that it is a fantastical version of history.
I agree!
I love how gradually his hair becomes more and more of a disaster as he rants about the costumes
He is slowly maddening!
Lol passion will do that
I know! It’s so cute though.
Honestly I’d love to see a show where the costuming department is made up entirely of costume TH-camrs (Karolina Źebrowska, Bernadette Banner, Rachel Maksy, etc)
SAME. That would be the dream, really.
Honestly, same!!
Me too!! It's the dream!!!
Totally agree! Though the most entertaining part would be the sound bytes and quotable moments that would emerge as they grappled with the challenges and compromises one inevitably must deal with while costuming a film. They all have film/production experience so you couldn't ask for a better group, so as long as the director understood the vision and had the budget...
YES!!!!!
*Bridgerton costume designers* 'We wanted to inject color and fancifulness into the era'
*English Regency Court Gowns* 'Are we some kind of joke to you?!?!?'
They also clearly didn't pay attention to the recent adaptation of Emma, those costumes are gorgeous and colourful
idk why it brings me so much joy to see people passionately talking about things I know nothing about. Like, yes, Sir..... tell me more about the aglets... I completely agree
You are so funny. And yes, it’s so true. I’m really annoyed by those aglets now. So infuriating.
"Yes, it's an opinion but also it's correct." I need that on a sampler. :D
A note on the lack of black shirts in the time period: black would not be practical as an undergarment as that would require so much expensive dye to get the right color, and then it would be regularly washed because it’s literally underwear, so the color would fade incredibly fast and look old and dull.
"Yes it's an opinion, but also it's correct." - stealing this if you don't mind. :)
"To expose that much skin as a man would have been a social *disaster*"
This is so funny. I'm trying to think of how real Regency people would've thought of the Duke's revealed neck. LOL
Finally I find someone who reviews men’s costumes. I thought it was interesting that the story line was so concerned about social convention and piety but the costumes do not reflect that. I felt your pain
Zippers in the boots!
As someone who used to work for a company that makes uniform accessories, seeing the tip of the aiguillette just stabbed through that button hole was... something lol
I don't know why anyone would think that's how that is worn. Aiguillettes are all over modern uniforms, you don't even have to look at old pictures to get it right.
YEESSS thank you for bringing up the "sexed up" thing!! I haven't seen that many people talking about this in their reviews/critiques and to me it's VERY odd that they were trying to make the regency "sexier" when the actual fashions of the period were more scandalous than what we see on the show... I was saying in another comment that the necklines should be nipple-grazing and the men should be vacuum-sealed into their clothes ;)
Post-Revolutionary France invented the ‘wet t-shirt’, essentially- they had a new-gen fashionista: the _merveleuse_ (sp?) & they were like the *definition* of _outré_ - like, holy cow- the descriptions of nipple rouging- purposely wetting their dresses to make them cling & wearing ‘suggestively placed’ jewellery....
They took on more of the French Empire style, as opposed to the more accurate English Regency- but they end up failing in both....
As a theatrical tailor who has made Regency menswear, what bothered me most about the men (of the MANY things which bothered me) was how badly their trousers were cut, pulling across the fronts as well as not shaped to the leg -- a very modern cut as if their maker had never seen a period pattern before.
I didn't watch the show, so it was highly entertaining to see it through your eyes! Zips! ZIPS? AIGLETS 😖 What?? But I love hearing you talk about the details of the menswear so much. Thank you for powering through all the hard work and last minute frustration that went into this video. You must be so relieved to have it done and published!
Zips....
Something that always annoys me about modern tv and movies trying to “sex up” period dramas is that they fail to realize or remember that history was in fact very sexy
Glad to see someone else raging about the inaccuracies of historical costumes in TV shows and movies. I've never watched Bridgerton because of it's historical inaccuracies. Incorrect uniforms, and uniform accoutrements worn incorrectly get me really angry. I can't believe they have allowed those aiguillettes to be worn so wrong. He is alsi wearing his breast star much too high. Maybe he was left to dress himself. Well done on this video and on your channel.
If you don't clean them often, white fabrics quickly become yellowish and stained. Impeccable white shows you're wealthy enough to afford the luxury of changing clothes often and have them promptly washed. Any other colour, particularly dark ones (including black) can take longer periods of use without washing before they show it.
I am generally not a fan of the regency women’s fashions. Probably because they really don’t suit my figure. Give me defined waists, big sleeves and big skirts to make the most of my curves!
But the exception to that is the men’s fashion of the time, which is one of my favourites. I think the men of the time looked dashing. The silhouette was flattering (to some at least), and showed off the body in a nice way. I love the curves of the trousers and britches, the smooth cutaways of the jackets, the high collars and cravats. It’s all just so lovely.
And it was wonderful to see someone focusing on the male fashions. It’s not terribly common- which is understandable, most of the people in this little corner of nerdery tend to be women, and we tend to focus on the clothing that we would make for ourselves. But it’s still nice to see a focus on menswear. Thank you for this lovely video. I greatly appreciated the aglet rant.
Oh yes regency mens outfits 👍I wonder if Zack can review Sharpe? There are some court scenes in "Sharpe's Regiment." Which is also set in 1813!
@@lucie4185
Or Hornblower- it was made a bit later, but it’s set around the same time... I had such a crush on Ioann Gruffydd!
I always appreciate your channel for bringing a perspective about the men's clothing. It's a needed counterpoint to the usual focus on the ladies.
Agreed! I love men's fashion from the regency into the early Victorian era particularly
Him: “and how some pieces are...a little bit...”
Me: “glitter-ball polyester monstrosities”
Him: “need improvement.”
Ahhh....yes. Right.
As a Regency romance author and a Jane Austen ball attendee who sews my husband's and my own gowns, that show drove me bonkers. There's something so alluring about the cravat. Why did it get ignored in this series? Wish you could have consulted on this show. The accuracy in fashion would have been cool to see on screen.
“Yes, it’s an opinion, but it’s also correct”
I’m gonna use that. I enjoyed the video!
My two biggest issues were: seeing evening gowns worn outside with full boob exposure (and yes, bonnets!), and, that Anthony's mistress seemed so concerned with being more to him than his paid-for-woman. The second in particular bothered me a lot because, as I have come to understand, mistresses had a contract with their Protector. It was kind of like having a prenup and it protected both her and her Protector. She never had illusions about it being more. And when it was over, when he ended it, there were things she got to keep or money given to her so she had enough time to find a new Protector. They were highly prized escorts who slept with the men that put them up in fine houses. For a show that was touted as supremely feminist, they really missed the ball on that to show a real business woman in charge of her own body and income.
You just taught me some history! I didn't know anything about the mistress contracts.
Also- mistresses were often prized for _more_ than their performance in bed; they were often very accomplished women, who could & often *did* have lives away from their lovers - be they known as courtesans, mistresses or _demimondaine_ over the ages- she was expected to be witty, & socially gifted, not just beautiful, attentive & ‘skilled’.
Obviously, it’s set in the later half of the 16th c, as opposed to the early quarter of the 19th, but- while ‘Dangerous Beauty’ wasn’t perfect (the courtesan dresses of that movie are like a whole subject of discussion unto themselves- & it felt like some scenes were missing, in terms of the story)- I like how it gave the impression that life for them was **different**- both in good _&_ bad ways.
Btw- I prefer the Australian version of the movie’s title: A Destiny of Her Own...
Have you ever seen either it or ‘Gigi’? It’s also an interesting story about courtesans- & their expectations of the relationships they enter into - I really wish I could find the books that they were based on...
I think I remember reading something like that a long time ago... thanks for the reminder! It's too bad they couldn't have included that, but I suppose the common narrative of wanting to be "something more" was easier for the author to make dramatic & romantic
I wish more period shows explored historically accurate relationships in that way
Yes! A gentleman wouldn’t just say to his mistress “ I can’t see you anymore,” they had a contract and ending it was done with style and required gifts to set her up in the interim as she found a new “protector.” The obvious lack of historical research really bothered me.
@@OcarinaSapphr- Gigi is a novella by French author (and feminist icon) Colette. It's a classic. The Honest Courtesan is by Margaret F. Rosenthal. Both books are for sale on Amazon.
I suspect the background actors often looked more put together because their costumes started life in productions that cared about historical accuracy. Likely they were not constructed especially for this show but rented from a company that purchases and supplies historical costumes.
There are huge rental facilities for theatrical costumes. Our opera costumers, in the days before the internet, would order catalogs by the time period of the garments. Big 3-ring binders. You selected the garments and reserved them for the run of the show. The garments all had deep seam allowances so they could be altered to a certain extent. The stars got custom made, but we plebes got rentals. No eating or drinking other than plain water, fines if you were caught. They were coming from the UK. Everything from head to toe including corsets.
“Yes it is an opinion, but also it’s correct!” Big RANT ...Love it, Zack!
Please make a video about historically accurate disney princes everyone is doing the princesses and you have so much knowledge of male fashion history
**has a mental breakdown** "so that bothers me a bit"
Me trying to look normal on a family meeting.
Yup … this is the comment I was hoping for. Lols!
It's so hard to find reviews like this that focus on menswear, so this was really cool to watch!
"Yes , it's an opinion but it's the right one," had me dead
"Yes, it's an opinion, but also IT'S CORRECT."
Thank you for talking about aiglets as "scrambled egg" because I read that once years ago and never found it again!
So what I get from this is, that regency men would have been absolutely delighted by elastic skinny jeans because you can put them easily into the high boots, they emphasize the musculature but you don't have the hassle of buttons down the lower legs xD
"so that bothers me a bit" is the best end of a rant
Lmao I always downplay my emotions like that was well. 😂😂 He was clearly more than "a bit bothered" about it. But it was an amazing rant and honestly what I was HOPING for. Someone who knows their stuff about the subject and being passionate about it. Love to see it.
The Duke’s buttons drove me crazy!
I kept wondering what shape it would be if you actually tried to button them all (obviously it couldn’t be done while a human was actually wearing it). I picture a giant fabric funnel.
Same! Totally distracting trying to imagine how many you could actually do up and what shape that would make
The books talk extensively about the court dresses of the previous generation, the panniers, and all the girls being afraid they will trip in unfamiliar skirts as they back out of the queens presence. So I was extra bummed not to see those court dresses!
The way his hair seemed to become more disheveled the more offensive the costumes became :D
As an equestrian, the riding boots were a big "WHAT!"
Riding boots even 50ish years ago were pulled on and an absolute pain in the ass to put on and get off. There are whole contraptions to help people wear them without the assistance of a second person. The spur rests are also an issue - ladies didn't wear spurs because sidesaddle horses aren't trained to go off the leg like an astride horse.
even 20 years ago, girls at my riding school were buying pull-on boots and taking them to a cobbler to have a zipper put in, but my coach forbade showing in zipper boots. Now pretty much all the tall boots I see have zippers, I can't remember the last time I saw ones that didn't!
YES!! I was like "they look just like my bloody riding boots!!" 🙈
Jumping on your Daphne rant, I’m actually surprised you didn’t point out a MASSIVE ISSUE with her undressing scene. She’s wearing her stays AGAINST THE SKIN, with NO shift underneath them. In fact, she even puts a new shift on OVER TOP of her stays! It’s one of my personal costuming pet peeves - people putting corsets against the skin thinking they’re just sexy Big Bras, when in fact they have to have a protective garment between the skin (and sweat and oils and dirt and germs) and the very valuable, very difficult to wash corset or stays. I can understand the boots distracting you though - that’s egregious
It also made me nuts that this girl changed her clothes to trick her maid, who would be the very person to collect her soiled shift and know her mistress was up to some bs. Lol
Firstly, this was brilliant and educational and everything I've been dying for in a men's regency review. Secondly, "Don't fight me in the comments" had me laugh so hard I nearly choked on my tea! Well done, sir!
I've just binged the Bridgerton reactions of you, Abby, and Karolina...without having actually seen the show yet. So now I have to see it.
The women’s costuming drove me crazy. No corsets with empire waists! Corsets didn’t have metal eyelets. Stays not corsets! And should have head coverings outside the home.
Having grown up reading Georgette Heyer's descriptions of amazing court dresses I share Zak's dismay that they don't get used properly in film and TV. I live in hope!
The one "costume" that drove me absolutely crazy was the Duke. In the books he wears black coats all the time to portray his serious nature. Not to mention how much skin he showed and the cut were atrocious. They really tried to make him super sexy. Which is not how he is in the book. He's more like Darcy from Pride & Prejudice. Serious, trying to overcome his fathers abuse and censure. They actor playing him was obviously gorgeous, but they pushed it a little too much on the sexy.
I would love to see one of those tailcoats fully buttoned up. It'd be a cone. Some kind of big velvet funnel :'D
OMG, I was legit TRIGGERED by that scene with Daphne's boots! Until VERY recently pull on tall boots were standard turnout in English riding disciplines, and some traditionals STILL don't consider zips appropriate for show. And if hunter jumper girls in 2000 needed to help pull each other's boots off, a high class woman like Daphne in 1813 would have used the assistance of at least one lady's maid!
That zoom in on the modern boot is absolutely unforgivable!! I cannot even...
I went to buy silk satin for the collar of my 1890s Worth style prom dress, and the lady at the shop heard my description and asked "is that, like, Brigderton?" Noooooo... it's not.
Zachary!!! Im apparently ten months late in saying this, (thanks, TH-cam algorithm) but I’m so excited you’re making videos!!!
As a man who loves historical fashion, it’s so hard to find others who are so passionate about men’s historical costumery, which makes your work extra valuable! Not to mention it makes me feel a little better and more confident about attempting such projects myself. :”) I get nervous, too.
Your voice is crisp and pleasant, you’re funny and polite, and you’re so well informed! I really hope you continue, as I really believe you have every desirable attribute for making a wonderful channel.
Yaaaayyy guys that love historical clothing DO exist then! I'm so happy, it is sooo difficult to find information on men's fashion comparing to women's fashion, maybe this will change :)
My Grandmother in the 1930s would never leave the house without her hat and gloves and she was a farmers wife. How styles have changed.
My grandmother was the same. She was born in 1906 and died in 1991.
@@tmay4703 I'd say the baseballcap is the direct successor/descendent of the flat cap. It's a working class head to keep your head warmer in winter and cooler in summer and the sun out of your eyes. Both pretty casual and easy to combine.
So nice to hear the perspective of someone who knows about men's wear. I've heard many many critiques on the subject of women's wear in media, but rarely have I heard anything about men's wear
This really hammered home to me that we don't get enough of those super tight pantaloons with the buttoned ankles in historicals. They look great! Everyone goes for breeches all the time but I'm beginning to think pantaloons are severely under-utilized....
Also I totally agree about the English court dress. As it is they had that gag with the one Featherington sister tripping at the queen's feet - think how much funnier it would be if she fell because she was unused to wearing panniers! Ham up the comedy!
For those of you in the comment section who have never worked a reenactment, one can be eating a something bought on site from one of the food stands and patrons will still walk up and ask "is that real food?" they can be watching a smithing or cooking demonstration and their first question will be "is that real fire?"
Very few people are going to walk in to a period setting with enough base knowledge to talk to them about detail and it takes too damn long to educate them. For a piece of entertainment going for full historical accuracy is often a detriment to effective communication, borrowing from visual vocabulary the audience is already familiar with will convey more and more accurate information as far as story and character are concerned.
Zach, your analysis is wonderful and it's refreshing to see someone who comes to one of these critiques with even the bare minimum of acknowledgement towards design choice v period accuracy and I wish more historical dress enthusiasts came at these pieces with a goal towards education by example rather than condemnation and gatekeeping.
So, on the subject of “women wearing their hair down/not wearing a hat to show their free spirit isn’t accurate”, that’s really interesting because it’s where history is interacting with changing social mores and cues.
It’s like with flappers. Flappers are often portrayed as having really short skirts, and flappers did have *shorter* skirts than usual, but they never went above the knee. But to get across to modern audiences used to decades of miniskirts and stuff, a below the knee skirt just wouldn’t register as shocking. So, as a filmmaker, you have to choose between being historically accurate in dress, or being historically accurate in...I dunno if you’d call it the mood or the sensibility of the time that you’re trying to portray.
It’s like transliteration. You sometimes have to translate something from one language to another, not through direct representation of it, but by expressing it in equivalent terms. It’s sometimes more effective to get the feeling across than to show something as it was and have viewers see it through a lens that isn’t their own
Thank you. You've stopped me screaming. It's about as accurate to its chosen period as The Tudors is to the early 16th century. But people are taking it as gospel, sadly. And shirts were linen because they could endure the vigorous washing techniques of the period, along with the other linen, sheets, tablecloths, etc. You don't get black linen, black was a notoriously fugitive dye. Anything dyed black would turn greenish or reddish in no time.
I enjoy your comments (and your irritation about historical inaccuracies) so much! I too wish to see a movie or show with truly accurate, not-dumbed-down, over-the-top styles that I've only read about or seen in engraved pictures. It's been a while since I read the books, so I might be confusing them with other Regency books I've read, but I SWEAR that in one of them, it's a major plot point that the young lady who is the focal of the story knocks over a candelabra with her bonkers huge court skirt and sets one of the other ladies being presented ON FIRE. It is SO disappointing not to see any of the panniers skirts at court, they would have been so much fun.
I love the male POV. Not familiar with men's ware myself so it's quite educational. I watched it cringing about the lack of petticoats and hair all over the place but I did enjoy for what it was since it's an "alternate universe".
I'm so glad to hear a review on the men's fashion. I love hearing about the ladies but I've been so curious about the gentlemen's fashion in these dramas.
"It's mental" I almost fell on the floor - elegantly, laughing.
This show absolutely inspired me to begin sewing Regency men's clothing for myself (I'm working on a shirt currently), but by the Gods did I have to turn around and do several hours (more like 20+ hours with a silly amount of tabs on my PC open) of research to teach myself the actual silhouette and look I should be going for XD
Someone PLEASE meme/ gif Zack at 21:56 - 'Yes, it's an opinion- but it's *also* CorrecT' is a MOOD and I need to throw that around in my life thank you
Sounds like something Sherlock Holmes would say!!
Your minor meltdown at aglets through buttonholes is hilarious
Adorable
"The Duke....I don't know what he's doing...."
That's it, that's the show.
Rant of my own - the zippers in the ladies dresses really bothered me. Lapped zippers, not even invisible ones - right up the back of the dresses. Just no please.
The zipper boot closeup was pretty big oops too, but I didn’t watch that far yet. Wasn’t my jam and I didn’t watch all the eps....
Loved this! My favorite line “yes it’s an opinion, but also it’s correct”. Thank you
As an historian/ teacher of Western Civ I really appreciate your scholarship and knowledge- and your presentation-- I could listen for hours! many thanks from US
Absolutely loved Bridgerton and it's crazy costumes - one thing that amused me was the rather synthetic looking fabrics - some of the ribbons and 'silks' would most definitely not stood a hot iron- they just looked very wrong to me. There's a way silks and other expensive fabrics crease so beautifully that their 20th century synthetic counterparts simply don't. This would I guess have meant a huge jump in budget :D
And I was also rather disappointed with there being no hats. It’s one of things that would have looked amazing with their dresses when they were outside. I can’t for the life of me understand why they didn’t include these necessary accessories
Netflix should have consulted you for this series. 😂
As soon as the court gowns were shown I was disappointed. Not because they weren't lovely, but because why would you pass up that perfectly good historical nonsense? Show me the weird fashion history, you cowards!
Loved the subtle tea sipping to avoid saying it's bad.
you: "you can see the differences"
me: ah yes I see. A disgrace frankly.
Narrator: she did not, in fact, see
When I saw the boots I said the audacity!!!!!!! I didn’t notice the zipper the first time around and now I can’t unsee it!!!
Brilliant. I’m glad I’m not the only one to tear their hair out. The women’s costumes drove me crazy. As you point out so well, there was ample magnificence in that period, so why bring in things from sometimes centuries later?
I noticed the modern riding boots that Daphne removed the first time watching the series! Not only by the zipper, but by the cut of the top of the boot and the spur rests on the sides of the boot! Thank you for the informative video!
The strategic sip of tea was brilliant!
4:15 woah I didn’t realize that’s a picture of you at first! I totally thought it was a really good painting!
I knew the Prince's outfit especially bugged me for a reason! I couldn't put my finger on it, but it was so obvious in the end. Despite knowing zilch on men's dress, brain just got "noped" so hard when spotting those things speared through the button holes, making the whole thing look ridiculous. Thanks for pointing it out ❤️
The Duke's look was so obv modernized and 'GQ'-d to be sexy so much, you kinda have to check-out and resign yourself to it quickly, as the only option.
i've come to the theory it was the actor who did it just bc lols....
The Prince in general bugged me. Everything about him.
I don't watch Bridgerton but for some reason I watch every history dress youtuber's video on it
Unfortunately, I feel the producers wanted to dumb down the clothing for audiences who did not know the period. They really could have done a better job. Did they not because of the price as well? I appreciate your invaluable information. I am not as knowledgeable about men's period clothing. Many of the female character's clothing appears to look too modern. Some fabrics and colors do not look authentic. 🥺
Yes !! a Bridgerton men's costumes review
You truly pay attention to the details! I love it! Didn't realize the boots Dauphin wore was a zip boot
'Yes it's an opinion, but also its correct'
hahaah I died
They should hire you as a consultant.
“Once again, I will not be discussing whether anything is good or bad.”
*sips tea*
Oh my god.
I felt the same anger you did about the zip boots during the scene where Daphne was being undressed by the Duke and the purposely settle for several seconds on a pair of clear plastic buttons holding up a piece of undergarment.
I could have forgiven a flash, or a hint, but the lingering on the plastic buttons just... ugh.
My friends think I am taking it too seriously. I may need new friends. ;)
"Yes it's an opinion, but also, it's correct."
"Yes it's an opinion, but it's correct!" iconic
So, what I’m hearing is that they should have made the pants tighter. And I 100% agree. How am I supposed to admire their sexy calves if they cover them in loose fabric?
This is fabulous. The costume designer has been praised to the sky, but I actually feel that this should have been considered as historical American fantasy rather than reality.
I swore loudly every time Lady Portia Featherington walked through a scene in her "Hello Dolly" dresses.
so happy to see a review that doesn’t skip over the men’s clothes! would love to see more reviews from you since it’s so common to exclude the menswear in reviews
I appreciate the subtle sarcasm ...