Fashion vs Literature
By Monserrath Angel
When we come to think of it, fashion and literature should not have a ¨vs.¨ in between them. Although fashion and literature are considered to be from different domains, both carry an immense aspect of art and culture. Literature embodies artistic expressions whether it is through children's books, novels, plays and even films. It has been used to portray emotions and pass on knowledge for many generations. Fashion displays the clothes, accessories and makeup used to symbolize different cultures' history and show individuality, which in literature, reveals a character's social class, to create a visual representation of what the character could be like. Both equally represent literary devices including the setting, character development, and the plot.
Miss Penelope Featherington (Bridgerton)
As one of my favorite shows and book series, the costume designers for Bridgerton do such a beautiful job in creating the detailed gowns for each character. The eye-catching regency style outfits worn by the many gorgeous debutantes are not only to attract interested suitors but as well as have their own stories to tell.
Using the Featherington Family as an example; they are known for being outsiders in the upper class society they are pressured to keep up with, they dress in bold colors and floral patterns in attempts to prove that they too are high ranking members of society. However, Penelope, youngest daughter of the Featherington family, is described as an insipid wallflower blending into the ton. Her mother puts her in unflattering silhouettes which has caused society to see her as a so-called wallflower and has settled on staying in the shadows observing everyone in the light. In Romancing Mister Bridgerton, Julia Quinn narrates Penelope´s transition from being the ¨spinster girl¨ always in the corner of every ball to a confident woman as her relationship with Colin Bridgerton grows from being just her best friend's older brother to her husband. Her gowns slowly start to blend into the Bridgerton colors as the Bridgertons wear pastels as a symbol of their generational wealth and grace.
Kate and Edwina Sharma (Bridgerton)
The Netflix adaptation and the book series, The Viscount Who Loved Me, both have a different take on these characters. The Netflix version showcases the sisters as two Indian girls from Bombay who traveled all the way to Mayfair in attempts of finding Edwina, the younger sister, a husband. Edwina dresses in gowns that showcase a blend of Indian culture and Regency fashion, gold jewelry and pink pastel gowns that symbolizes femininity, love and innocence , which reflects her desire of being the perfect wife to a high-ranking suitor and her youth as she is a young debutante making her first debut.
As an older sister, Kate takes on the role of ensuring Edwina finds a suitable husband. We see Kate wearing depper toned colored gowns and tighter updo hairstyles sort of in a way to show that she is on guard of herself and her family and the navy blues blend in with the crowd to show that she is not out in society. As the storyline progresses, Kate´s hairstyles begin to become more loose and wear lighter colors to show her vulnerability and gentleness as she becomes more comfortable with the feelings she has developed for Viscount Anthony Bridgerton.
Gossip Girl
Also a show and a book series, Gossip Girl portrays the glamorous lifestyle of 2000s New York teenagers of famous socialites and wealthy lawyers. Despite many of the characters rocking designer clothes and accessories in the show, each character has their own style showcasing their personality. As most Gossip Girl fans know, Queen B Blair Waldorf, daughter of a fashion designer, always maintains the image of the polished, Upper East Side school girl, we see this through well-tailored skirts, fancy dresses, and dainty necklaces that scream rich girl. B constantly brings up how much fashion projects status and power as her mission, whether it be at Constance Billard being head of the most popular clique in school or winning the girls over at NYU by throwing a sushi party in her dorm building.
Although B´s style reflects confidence and power, she hides her insecurities and fears through competing for people's attention. She battles the insecurities her mothers puts on her about her weight as well as her feeling threatened by her best friend Serena as she gets effortless attention and is labeled as the ¨The It Girl¨.
