Bridgerton costume designer John Glaser reveals the thoughts behind the key looks for season 3 (and a susprise Australian influence!)

Bridgerton season 3 arrives with plenty of juicy emotional backstory, focusing on the will-they/won't-they friendship between Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) and Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan). After a summer of traveling around Europe, Colin returns to England as a mature, eligible bachelor. Meanwhile Penelope is determined to find a husband and break free from her controlling mother, the gold-digging Lady Featherington.

As ever, the show's bold visual style plays a key role. Remixing the iconic fashions of Regency England, Bridgerton combines Jane Austen-style 1810s silhouettes with a bolder color palette and extravagant accessories. These costumes are packed with meaning, from the Featherington family’s intentionally garish color scheme, to the Parisian trends popularized by the local modiste (aka dressmaker), signaling which debutantes are following cutting-edge fashion.

So while we do see plenty of young women in those classic Empire-line white gowns with flowing skirts and modest gloves… they also wear a full Sephora’s worth of 21st century cheekbone shimmer and eyeshadow, with Queen Charlotte critiquing their eligibility in a foot-tall, jewel-encrusted wig.

In the midst of all this, our protagonists Penelope and Colin must find a way to stand out. This presents a particular challenge for Penelope, who spent the past two seasons as a nervous wallflower, standing on the sidelines of other people’s grand romances. Now she’s a major player in the marriage market, vying for attention alongside her former bestie Eloise Bridgerton, mean girl Cressida Cowper, and Colin’s shy younger sister Francesca.

Speaking to costume designer John Glaser, we discussed some of the key fashion choices from the first half of season 3, including Penelope’s glamorous new wardrobe, and the surprising Australian inspiration behind Colin’s signature outfit.

(This interview has been edited for length and clarity.)

Popverse: I thought I’d start by asking about the two leads, who both get a glow-up this season. Previously Penelope had less control over her wardrobe, but this season she gives herself a makeover. Could you tell me a bit about her new look?

John Glaser: The first time we see her at the modiste, she says she doesn’t want to wear yellow any more. It’s her first time doing something on her own, so the modiste has helped her with what she calls the new French look. It’s a new silhouette, more towards 1820. The color is green, darker than she’s ever worn, and there’s copper in the dress because it helps to blend in with her hair color. Colors that she’s never worn, but still reflecting a little bit of the Featherington.

After that we have taken most of the color away, and it’s all soft blues, soft greens, soft pinks. We’ve done that for several reasons. One is to put her in the same playing field as Eloise and Cressida, to keep them a little more together. Not to reveal any Easter Eggs as to where she’s going, because people