Anyone else watch season 3 of The Gilded Age (2022-)? I found it oddly more enjoyable for the plot but less interesting for the costumes than the first two seasons (which I discussed endlessly, it feels like). Kasia Walicka-Maimone is still the costume designer, and she seems to still have a big HBO budget. But everything looked a bit same-y to me. I’m sure there are some more of those exact historical repros that were so fun to spot in the first seasons, but I’m leaving that to other folks online because none stood out to me as worth tracking down.
The reason I stuck with watching was more that the plot finally delivered on the classic Julian Fellowes soap opera, even if all his tropes are repeats, with a few amped up to the nth degree. The first two seasons felt lower stakes for some reason — the old money / new money thing doesn’t run as deep in America as it does in the U.K., for starters, and we know it didn’t take long for the actual Gilded Age’s robber barons to become accepted as the ruling elite. Money talks in ‘murica, that’s nothing new.
So this season focusing on the Trouble With Marriage in the 19th century feels better suited to what really wanted to be a frothy costume drama. Every romantic pairing in the show’s world seemed to go through some upheaval, either coming or going, which made for more entertaining drama.
The big news of this season was Bertha Russell getting her daughter Gladys married off to an English duke. She’d started plotting this last season, even though Gladys was in love with some random upper-class New York boy. The whole thing is modeled after Consuelo Vanderbilt, who was pushed by her mother Alva into marriage with Charles Spencer-Churchill, 9th Duke of Marlborough. Consuelo was one of the wealthiest “dollar princesses,” and a chunk of the Vanderbilt fortune went to restoring the duke’s Blenheim Palace.
Gladys’ engagement to the fictional Hector Vere, 5th Duke of Buckingham, is announced after her parents unveil her portrait, which has been painted by the not-fictional John Singer Sargent. And because HBO continues to throw money at this show, this isn’t one of those shitty historical portraits we snark so much. Granted, they don’t zoom in close on her face, but overall, it looks reasonably in the style of Sargent.
This painting fits into the historical theme of “young wealthy ladies wearing pale gowns with sashes.”
But the dress Gladys wears is more like another, somewhat obscure, painting:
Compare with:
However, somebody needs to tell Julian Fellows (or Sonja Warfield, who co-wrote this season) that Gladys’ pearl necklace would have been knotted, so it would never have broken like it does in this episode! Yeah, yeah, symbolism of her tugging at the necklace, feeling trapped, blah blah blah. But a woman of her status and wealth would own real pearls, which at that time (and probably still) would have tiny knots in between each pearl on the strand precisely to prevent the kind of pearl dropping that happens in this scene.
I know I’m not the only costume nerd to tsk tsk that scene!
Her wedding was suitably grand and again styled on Consuelo Vanderbilt’s, although a decade earlier — Consuelo first married in 1895, and Gladys marries in June 1884 according to the show. Just like Consuelo, Gladys (Taissa Farmiga) walks down the aisle crying under her veil.
While the lace sleeves and neckline are a bit modern for a wedding gown (period ones are more covered up because they’re day dresses), the pleated details are reminiscent of this fashion plate:
While the wedding and Gladys’ arrival in England are sad affairs, things perk up for her, and Julian Fellows said in an Entertainment Weekly interview that her story is based on both Consuelo Vanderbilt and the more successful marriage of Mary Goelet to Henry Innes-Ker, 8th Duke of Roxburghe, in 1903. Both women were heiresses, and Mary was a bridesmaid at Consuelo’s wedding. But Mary wasn’t forced into marriage with this duke — they apparently had something of a love match. And conveniently, Gladys and her duke turn out alright, which stretches credulity, at least by how fast it happens.
Not much of the other costumes really stood out to me. Although some of the hats continue to be just a bit out of scale. Last season, it was just Bertha’s hats that seemed rather too big, and I chalked that up to her continued ostentatiousness. Well, her mother-of-the-bride outfit featured yet another not-quite-right hat.
But this pink one that Marian (Louisa Jacobson) wears when she accepts Larry’s marriage proposal also bugged me. It’s all out of proportion to her hairstyle and outfit, and the feathers are too big or should be curled around the hat more because they’re overwhelming.
Compare with this fashion plate:
A bright spot of this season was the focus on Newport’s Black society, where Peggy (Denée Benton) and her parents visits her mother’s sister.
Better still, Peggy falls in love with Dr. William Kirkland (Jordan Donica), although their meet-cute was when she nearly died of a respiratory disease.
The course of true love never runs smooth, especially not this season, and for this couple, his snooty mother (Phylicia Rashad) gets in the way. With her character’s free person of color legacy, the show explores colorism and class within Black society of the period. Plus we get to see some stellar actors play out a genteel bitchfest over a few episodes.
One thing that happened multiple times this season was “let’s introduce a potentially juicy storyline and then drop it after one episode.” Like inviting Monica O’Brien (Merritt Wever), Bertha’s sister, to Gladys’ wedding. Monica is painted as still obviously lower-status, where Bertha started out, but the few scenes with her are mild and don’t really play up the “scandal” of having a down-market relative at such a grand event. Then she’s gone right after the wedding.
Conversely, a storyline that lingers on too long, IMO, is widowed Ada Forte visiting a psychic Madame Dashkova (Andrea Martin) to contact her dead husband. Obviously, the psychic is a fake, but the bit is strung out for three episodes and nothing really happens! Ada doesn’t get ripped off, nothing big goes on, she just believes in a few nicey-nice messages from the great beyond until she figures out the platitudes are BS. But Madame Dashkova does wear this hilariously weird fur-fronted blouse at one of the seances:
The season ends with two dueling fancy balls, and I like the costumes in the Black society ball better — they just look more glamorous and don’t lean into the fussy, overwrought styles that are, yes, historically accurate, but can just look fugly. Here’s Peggy and her friends in delightfully pretty gowns.
Her friend on the far left wore that same Worth repro gown last season for the rooftop party celebrating the opening of the Brooklyn Bridge.
And I wonder if the lady in yellow is also wearing a repeat from the same scene last season, where she’s mostly shown from the back? Peggy wears pink again, but it’s definitely a new gown as last season’s had butterflies and didn’t have the asymmetrical bodice this one has.
Other big dramatic stuff happens this season, of course, but it doesn’t have costume implications that stand out. I’ll keep watching next season though, it’s not a bad way to pass the time.
Did you watch the third season of The Gilded Age? Will you keep watching?
Find this frock flick at:
![Portrait of a lady said to be Jeanne de Valois, comtesse de la Motte [I would be shocked if this was accurate] by Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, c. 1780 [I'd say post-1783], via Wikimedia Commons](https://i0.wp.com/frockflicks.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Jeanne_lamotte_valois.jpg?fit=300%2C175&ssl=1)
I’m kind of baffled by all the love for these costumes on the internet. The overuse of cheap lace alone has me trying very hard to focus on the actors’ faces and not look at their costumes. Plus the fit on them often seems off. I dunno, maybe I’m just a grouch.
I haven’t been watching this season but caught a few minutes of the end of the season finale and that was my feeling, especially with Marian’s ballgown. The red lace overlay just looked cheap and plastic-y; much more 1980s than 1880s.
Marian has been given some fugly gowns the whole series! That red & black ballgown wasn’t only cheap looking, but the colors were so wrong on her.
I felt like they stuck her in matron colors with the black and magenta. Those were both way too strong for her delicate coloring (with the wig). Put her in lavender, blue, or even pink. She does look good in yellow, even if it’s a low contrast look on her.
You hit it ‘right on the nose’. Pure soap opera with pretty costumes – and tons of B’way talent (please let them sing!) Typical Fellowes plotting as well … same old recycled ideas.
So much out of scale.
Great men’s wear. Streets were too clean!
Though I’m looking for a source for Marian’s dress that has the weird two colored bodice with what looks like circles under her bust line.
I’m glad it finally went full soap this season, lol!
I yelled at the tv when Gladys’ pearls went spilling out on the floor, because I’ve made jewelry with semi-precious beads and I always knot them. Tedious, but I won’t be chasing amber beads rolling under someone else’s chair.
Yep, I’ve made a knotted pearl necklace & own a vintage one too, they’re lovely & once you see it, you know it!
Yup, I hate seeing that happen in shows/movies (Luhrmann’s Great Gatsby adaption also does this with a Tiffany’s pearl necklace and it drove me crazy!). Those necklaces are supposed to be very expensive, there’s no way those pearls wouldn’t be knotted for the price they’re supposed to represent.
Someone asked me this question and I’ve been trying unsuccessfully to find information online. I hope someone here will know because it’s causing me sleepless nights! ;-)
Why aren’t the men wearing white formal gloves at both balls in the final episode? Wasn’t it de rigeur at the time? Wouldn’t want to leave sweaty handprints on the lady’s bodice when dancing!
I seem to recall a scene in The Age of Innocence (1993) showing extra men’s white gloves laid out before a ball, & that’s set in the 1870s NY society, so I’d assume there should be more men’s gloves in The Gilded Age. This show is inconsistent about women’s gloves too – there should be more during daytime, not just at balls. All those accessories are hard for TV, I guess!
I remember the scene you describe from the Age of Innocence as well and applauded its inclusion. Sure, ten years on fashions may have changed for men but in the upper echelons of society I don’t think they would have changed so substantially that men were no longer wearing gloves to ball, but that’s just me.
Maybe Gladys is enjoying sex as the Duke said might happen after the first painful time. Wink wink…..
In the first two seasons, it seemed that the Brooke/VanRhjn household featured far more period correct gowns due to the old money/traditional tastes of that milieu. Aurora Fane, their cousin, more of the same. Marion’s clothes have gotten a little weird this season. I absolutely hated that pleated baby blue jacket she wore when Larry proposed to her in the park. It looked more like armor than anything out of a period fashion plate. It would have better suited the character of Bertha Russell and her ruthless battles on the way to the top of the social scene. The ballgown in a deep fuchsia and black just didn’t suit her or convention. Pale colors would have been better. The combination as seen might have better illustrated Maud’s character. Speaking of character, a dark green gown on Mrs. Winterton? I know she’s out in public again as a plot device, since conventional mourning should have kept her at home for a year or two. But for someone who wants to pretend she’s always been part of that world, why is she not in lavender or purple half mourning? Same with Ada’s blue day dress with heavy black lace. It should have been grey or lavender/purple half mourning. I also took exception to the sheer shoulders and sleeves of the wedding dress on Gladys. Far too 2025 instead of 1884. It never would have been allowed in church. It was stunning, but the lace on the shoulders/sleeves also looked far too modern. On the other hand, the beautiful pleating on the bodice (speaking of armor) and draping of the bustle – chef’s kiss. I love the little detail seen in the back view photo above of the thin braid controlling the lower portion where the bustle fans back into a train. I did think the bridesmaids ensembles were period perfect. Also happy to see that Gladys and Hector are getting on better. He seemed a little peevish during marriage contract negotiations with George, but he also seemed to be genuinely kind to Gladys. I predict if the baby is a boy, he will become thoroughly besotted with his bride and child. Agree that some of the lace and fabrics look cheap. That’s an ongoing issue. It’s HBO, but their budget isn’t unlimited when they also need ornate interiors. I remember thinking that in the final ball of the first season, the materials used on Mrs. Astor’s gown smacked of upholstery fabric and trims. And I’ve noticed a lot of springy looking synthetics over time, which I put down to budget. I think I liked the young ladies gowns much more at Mrs. Kirkland’s ball – they had the innocent, youthful look that also would have suited Marion. I love Jordan Donica – he’s sooooooo perfect as the ideal suitor to Peggy’s modern young woman, but I really fear Mrs. Kirkland is going to be a nightmare mother in law. All in all, IMO, best season yet. Heaven knows I feel the need for a period drama escape that is the antithesis of our current situation.
” Heaven knows I feel the need for a period drama escape that is the antithesis of our current situation.” – I feel exactly the same, sitting in Poland :-(.
I don’t know what some people had expected from “The Gilded Age”. Some believe it is inferior to “Downton Abbey”. I don’t. Aside from its first season, I ended up harboring a very low opinion of it.
I didn’t have any real issues with it’s first two seasons. I certainly did for its Season Three . . . at least the second half of this season. I had a big problem with the arc regarding the Russells and Gladys Russell’s marriage to the Duke of Buckingham during the season’s last four episodes.
By the way, the arc about Ada was not about her business with the medium. It was about her difficulty in dealing with her husband’s death. That’s why she first became obsessed with the temperance movement and later began visiting that false medium.
Regarding the costumes . . . I have always been aware that not all of them are perfect reflections of 1880s fashion. Especially those costumes for Bertha and Gladys Russell.
The one color choice I noticed on Marian which puzzled me was the awful sea green lace top on who of her gowns. It looked so cheap, and worst, dollar store lace! Now don’t get me wrong, I love aquas and sea greens, but they just looked too vivid and anachronistic for this era! Can’t wait to read your individual episode takes next. :-)
(on one of her gowns)
For the love of Charles Worth ! Everyone’s gown In that ball scene R UG-LEE! And George Russel you ungrateful f&$@er!
So . . . you would rather bash George than Bertha for pushing Gladys into that marriage? Mind you, George was guilty of not supporting Gladys in the end. But he did apologize. Are we really expected to believe there was nothing wrong with Bertha’s actions regarding Gladys? Because I refuse to believe that.
Nobody seems to remember the guy Gladys was in love with in a previous season, that George got a good position on the condition that he never speak to Gladys again… and threatened that if the young lad didn’t comply, George would make sure he’d never work in New York again. He was just as ruthless with a family member as Bertha is now, and Bertha actually tried to make amends and was a real support and help to Gladys in England.
As I’m a fan of period films, I get constantly bombarded by posts and clips on “The Gilded Age” on Facebook and Instagram. I was tempted to buy a subscription of HBO Max, which shows this series in Poland. However, as I’m looking at the costumes, don’t think I will watch it. To my amateurish eyes the fashion of the 80s and 90s got totally mixed up and many of the dresses are not historically correct. Many Polish viewers also complained that the fabrics look synthetic and cheap. The question is: Why did the costume designer choose such a loose approach to historical correctness? Because, I can’t imagine that HBO lacks money.
Unfortunately with American studios/networks/projects, there’s often a desire on the part of the executives for the leading ladies to look relatable to the audience, rather than period correct. It may well have been a directive to the designer from up above, and at the end of the day, you follow the executive producer/show runner’s wishes or lose your job. So you have fabrics/silhouettes that seem too modern for the time period, and see eye shadow, lipstick, slightly more modern hair. I also think that their production budget isn’t quite unlimited. We’d like to go for natural fibers, but costuming and production design only have so much money to spread out over eight episodes and hundreds of extras, with a large principal cast and synthetics are going to mean more money for the costume department to deploy across the board.
It’s nothing new – it’s just business – https://frockflicks.com/snark-week-leading-character-costume-syndrome/
Concerning the article, nothing gets me more irritated in a period film or series than hair worn loose by the heroine. Aren’t there more subtle ways to show that she is unconventional? Besides, I’m so fed up with “free, spirited and tomboyish” heroines. A heroine, who acts within the frames of the mentality of her times would be a nice change.
Thanks for the explanation, which is to the point :-).
Because that’s the movie and television business, even outside of the U.S. It’s been even more rare in the past 25 years to find consistently accurate costumes in period dramas.