Let’s celebrate International Women’s Day by joining Art History/Passion For Fashion for a talk on style portrayed in our favourite period pieces on film and TV. Women have always had a massive influence on fashion, but how is it portrayed in our favourite period pieces?
If we enjoy watching historical drama – especially ‘bodice-rippers’ – does it matter how accurately rendered these bodices are? This question arises when watching programmes such as the first series of Bridgerton, set in London, 1813.
Drawing upon contemporary descriptions of real historical dress, this richly-illustrated talk will enable us to distinguish fashionable clothing from fantasy ‘costumes’ in our favourite films and TV programmes. A comparison of dramatisations of Jane Austen’s works with Bridgerton’s colourful characters helps us to pose and answer the following key questions:
How do today’s costume designers express the unique characteristics of their characters?
In what ways do dress, decoration and deportment enrich our understanding – as well as the entertainment value and dramatic impact of costume dramas?