4 Ways to Nail Romantic Regency Dress Like Bridgerton & Jane Austen

Fab Sakker
by Fab Sakker

This tutorial is all about how to incorporate the beautiful era of Regency dress into your everyday style. I think that we all want to escape sometimes into Jane Austen's romantic stories or the scandalous world of Bridgerton!


I don't know about you, but when I read a book or watch a movie that I really enjoy, I tend to get a little bit obsessed and sort of want to incorporate it into my life!


I wanted to be able to bring Regency dress into my everyday outfits without it looking like a costume. I feel that it's more about evoking the feeling, rather than being completely historically accurate to that time period. So, these tips are about how to take inspiration from Regency dress for modern looks.

What is the Regency aesthetic?

Interestingly, Regency fashion was inspired a lot by classic Greek and Roman dresses! Materials used were soft and light, like muslin. Necklines tended to be low and wide, or filled in with a chemisette for a demure day look. Think Empire-waisted dresses, tight bodices, short puffed sleeves, and elaborate trims - very floaty, feminine, and romantic.

Regency inspired dresses

1. Choose the right color

The first way to evoke that feeling of romanticism is wearing things that are white, light, and airy, especially really lovely blouses or dresses. There is something about a white dress in particular that has those connotations of innocence, purity, and love.


As you can probably tell, the dress I'm wearing isn't a typical Regency dress in terms of silhouette and cut (actually, I think it's more 1930s), but it still evokes that romantic Jane Austen feeling in color and style.


Also, it doesn't have to be white! A light pink or baby blue (just like Phoebe Dynevor wears as Daphne Bridgerton) would also look gorgeous. Stick to light pastel colors.

Regency dress

2. Add some ribbon

The next way I like to pop a bit of Regency style into my everyday fashion is to wear ribbons. I feel like ribbons are sorely underrated in our modern-day world!


You can totally take the waist of a dress in with a belt, but you can also take it in with a beautiful ribbon. Put it high up under the bust to achieve the Regency-era Empire waist of Regency dresses. You could also add ribbon detailing to the sleeves.

Getting the Regency aesthetic

3. Get your hair and make-up right

I would also like to bring hair and make-up into the Regency era equation because I feel like it really completes the aesthetic. I have my bangs cut, and because my hair isn’t so long, I’ve pulled it back into a little bun.


It’s funny because this is pretty much how everyone in the 2005 Pride and Prejudice movie wears their hair!


If you don’t have bangs, some beautiful curls around the face would look perfect - keep them wispy and undone. You can use a curling iron to achieve this. The vibe is very romantic and free - you don’t need your hair to be ultra-straight.


In terms of makeup, you want to keep it soft and natural to get that English Rose look. Less is definitely more. Just add a little bit of blush and a bit of rosy lipstick.

Regency style clothing

4. Go for a Regency print

Another way to transport your style into the worlds of Bridgerton and Jane Austen is through historically-inspired prints. This way, you’re able to dress a bit more on-trend and funky, but still have those Regency vibes going on in an outfit.


Alice McCall came out with this beautiful print with little Regency figures all over it, but the actual cut of the pieces was very modern and trendy.

Regency era dresses

Those are four easy ways that I like to bring Regency dress into my day-to-day fashion! Incorporating a historical era into your clothing doesn’t have to look gimmicky or fake. When done correctly, you can look chic and stylish, and successfully evoke a particular aesthetic.


If you have any other ideas for modern Regency dress, I would love to hear about them!

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