Bridgerton in Bloomington
The entertainment industry has incredible power over our consumption of material goods, especially when it comes to fashion. Personally, whenever I watch a new TV show, movie, or even YouTuber, I get inspired by the characters’ sense of style, including the décor in their homes. I’ll then sometimes go through a temporary phase where I alter my own style or add a few elements to my room décor to mimic those portrayed on my screen.
When I came home for Christmas, my mom was able to convince me to watch the Netflix hit Bridgerton, despite my hesitancy. We managed to get through the entire season (skipping *those scenes, of course), and don’t get me wrong; the show itself is massively entertaining. I’m sure I speak for many people when I say it kept me on my toes and was an overall engaging piece of work that distracted me from my pandemic woes.
And honestly, it was especially good eye candy. I found the early nineteenth-century ball gowns of the Regency era, though a bit unhistorically accurate, quite visually appealing and a refreshing and uniquely vamped-up vision of the fashion from the time.
However, I was not expecting Bridgerton fashion to make its way to the TJ-Maxx in my hometown of Bloomington, Illinois.
I was strolling through the store the other day and couldn’t help but notice racks after racks of summer dresses. But they were not your average summer dresses – they were Bridgerton-style, puffy-sleeved, floor-length, Regency-era, waist-cut summer dresses. I noticed this influence in my local H&M as well, further exemplifying just how pervasively the media we consume is channeled into our perceptions of style and general consumption habits.
I don’t remember the last time a Netflix TV show had this profound of an effect on the inventory in my local stores. How long will Bridgerton’s hold on summer style last, and from what show or movie will the next fashion craze originate? Only time, and our Netflix queues, will tell.
Images sourced from Vogue and TJ-Maxx, respectively.
