We’ve already reviewed Bridgerton (2020-) season 3’s costumes, but what about the hair? In general, the show stays in the same world that’s been built in seasons one and two, but some characters go through some changes. This season’s hair designer is Erika Ökvist, who’s worked on a number of period productions including Taboo, Mr. Selfridge, and Downton Abbey. Let’s run down the highlights:
Penelope Featherington
There was a lot of flack for Penelope’s season one and two curly looks. According to Glamour and season one hair and makeup designer Marc Pilcher:
“Penelope is supposed to be around 15 years old in author Julia Quinn’s first book, so Pilcher wanted to reflect the character’s youth through her hairstyle. ‘That’s why I gave her the ringlets and curls’ … Pilcher wanted to make sure they didn’t mature Penelope too fast through her makeup and hair. ‘The goal was to keep her looking as young and as girly as possible, so she can progress in later episodes of the series'” (All the Hidden Meanings in the Hairstyles on Bridgerton).
Or as actress Nicola Coughlan said, “I was meant to look like a sad poodle” (Bridgerton’s Nicola Coughlan Defends Penelope’s ‘Sad Poodle’ Hairstyle: ‘I Was Meant to Look Like That’).
Honestly, I don’t think those were that bad, but Penelope very consciously gets a glow-up this season … Although it started in season 2 with hairstyles like this:
When we’re first reintroduced to Penelope in season 3, she’s wearing a flatter version of her small curls on top:
But the big reveal comes when she steps out in her sophisticated green dress and Veronica Lake waves:
After that, her hair stays flat on top and usually in waves instead of curls, although she steps back a bit from the full Old Hollywood Glamour — although “Okvist and costume designer John Glaser wanted the new looks to be rooted in old Hollywood á la Rita Hayworth and Marilyn Monroe” (Nicola Coughlin Wears More Than $55,000 Worth of Wigs in Bridgerton Season 3). They didn’t, however, change her actual hair color:
“The wig she wears in Season 1 is the same wig she wears now, in Season 3. Because in Season 1 she was wearing yellow and oranges, it looked much more red and her skin looked ruddier, whereas now she’s wearing a paler blue, and it looks like a more sophisticated red. But it is the same wig” (Meet the Artists Behind Penelope’s Season 3 Glow-Up).
According to Glamour,
“No hairstyle was repeated. Okvist says the costumes were more extreme, meaning they could go more extreme with the hair; if there was a new gown, there was a new hairstyle. Penelope gets a lot of accessories this season, including but not limited to sparkling bows, fanciful ribbons, and bulbous, pastel pins. Also, Coughlin wears wigs the entire season, seven to be exact. Some hairstyles could take a whole day to construct, and given schedules and time constraints, it was not realistic to expect Coughlin to sit in a chair for hours on end having her real hair styled.”
Overall, yes, they made Penelope look more sophisticated, but they certainly didn’t make her look more Regency! Speaking of which…
Eloise Bridgerton
Giant yawn. Eloise has realized she CAN put her hair up for evening:
But she continues to wear these stupid chunky bangs, hair back in front and down in back ‘dos, allegedly to signal that she doesn’t want to get married … but how does looking like a 12-year-old help? Eloise doesn’t have a problem with being an adult, she just doesn’t want to be married off like a cow.
The compromise is often these loose side “curls” (aka beachy waves), which are mildly better but still annoying:
Also in the land of yawns is…
Francesca Bridgerton
I know the Bridgertons are supposed to be the tasteful ones, but oh my god, I was so bored and underwhelmed. Perfect-princess/replacement-Daphne Francesca can put her hair up for balls, but she often ruins the effect by too many curls hanging down in back:
At home, she channels Eloise for a 12-year-old schoolgirl look:
Thankfully there are more interestingly hairstyled characters, like:
Alice Mondrich
There’s a nice little story with working-class Alice coming into money. Beforehand, her hair is up but shows her natural texture:
However, when she decides to dress like her elderly aunt, her hair gets super constrained:
Luckily her husband Will helps her realize they don’t have to be stodgy, and her natural texture comes back:
Also interesting is…
Cressida Cowper
I don’t love them humanizing Cressida, peeps. Who will we have to hate? Gone are Cressida’s intricate braids (mostly); she’s hanging onto the brioche buns from season 2 but also introducing more ribbon effects:
Also losing a bit of her individuality is…
Lady Featherington
Polly Walker‘s braided hair combs were one of my favorite things from season 1, so I’m sad to see them go. Luckily her hair is still big and 1960s, with lots of rolls and pincurls.
Back in the scoffing department…
Kate Bridgerton
Just, her first hairstyle was total Renaissance Faire Princess.
In the “meh” category is…
Lady Tilley Arnold
Benedict’s new fling is very Grace Kelly/1950s updo. It’s pretty! But it’s not Regency! Okay so I may be biased because Luke Thompson IS my boyfriend.
Thankfully we have…
Queen Charlotte
Keeping the big hair don’t care glam going! She had lots of different looks in dark and medium brown, strawberry blonde, and white, with lots of interesting natural textures and twists:
Of the turban, Okvist said,
“Though we are in a heightened reality of Regency, the reality is that if you have got textured hair, it is good to sleep in a bonnet. It’s also staying true to the characters — this is what they would do. I think showing the diversity on that level is really, really important” (‘Bridgerton’ Returns With Major Glow-Ups, Chiseled Jawlines and a Motorized Swan Wig).
We’ve already mentioned the amazing wig with the swans:
Okvist recounts,
“I wanted to have something moving because I thought it’d be really nice if there was a wig that was interactive. I wanted every time you see the queen to be a surprise. I don’t want to repeat anything ever, because, again, she wouldn’t be caught dead repeating. I also do special effects and costuming, so I thought, we’ll do a 3D print of a clockwork. Clockwork has been around since medieval times, and all you need to do is wind it up. So I had that 3D-printed out, then I had to find a motor that did the right speed. They go around in one circle all the way around, and then they all pirouette separately. I had to figure out what to put in there—naturally, I was thinking about swans. Then, for it to set off the scenery, we had an oil painting–like backdrop, almost like how it would be in the theater. If you look closely, Queen Charlotte’s got a tree with diamante leaves, and that is also mirrored as a painting inside the wig. Golda [Rosheuvel, who plays Queen Charlotte] had an on-and-off switch, and the only difficult thing with this wig was I had to make it quiet enough so the sound man wouldn’t want to kill me” (The Secret Behind “the Bridgerton Glow-Up”).
And just in case you missed the making-of video that’s everywhere, make sure you watch this!
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What did you think of Bridgerton season 3’s hairstyles and wigs?
Who else is underwhelmed, overall by Season 3? Penelope and Collin, plus the mondrichs, and Lady Danbury are the only good things! The rest is a mess!
I have said, I mostly find myself watching for Lady Danbury and her hats, and anything Polly Walker does.
Agree regarding the older characters. Queen Charlotte is my absolute favorite, with Lady Danbury a close second.
I also hate them softening Cressida. She’s a love to hate character for me, so who will we dislike now if she’s not that hateable? Hopefully she doesn’t get with Plant Daddy Debling, and we get her being a pain again solo, or with a love interest of similar spite. Let them be haters together!
Welp, I generally watch this as trainwreck tv. I remind myself it’s a soap and not meant to be historically accurate – heaven knows their issues with titles (why is Jonathan Baily * still * “the Viscount?” Is granddad still alive somewhere? Or is it an uncle or other distant relative who happens to be the Earl and who hasn’t popped his clogs yet???? Anyway, the part of me that studied costume design for a few years, and taught art history at the post secondary level internally cringes and screams a little every time I see a new episode. On the other hand, I love Queen Charlotte and Lady Danbury and the Queen’s wigs are always a treat. The swan wig was absolutely bonkers. I was thinking of those expensive hollowed out baroque decorated Easter eggs that had teeny ducklings and bunnies inside that my mom would never spring for from Helen Grace Chocolates. I’ve been thinking that Eloise is reminding me a bit of Audrey Hepburn circa Charade or Paris When it Sizzles via her heavy fringe and updos. Cressida is still a mean girl when it comes to her treatment of Penelope, but considering Penelope is undercover mean girl Whistledown, it’s tit for tat. The longer the series goes on the more I dislike Penelope and I found myself fast forwarding through her snogging session with Colin. Just ugh. I suppose if I want something approaching historical accuracy with hair and costume, I can just pop in my 1990s Jane Austen adaptations on CD.