Once upon a time, in a more or less distant period in history, there were one or more female protagonists, literary heroins, fantastic characters or really existed ones characterized by great personalities and unique peculiarities that made them irresistible, able to realize all their dreams, reach their own goals and who had…amazing wardrobes! Well no, we are not quoting the beginning of a few fairytale, but simply talking into consideration how fashion in the TV series of historical inspiration are able to reserve pleasant surprises and to get us excited thanks to the various outfits shown off during the course of the episode.
Not only fashion shows then, since the stylistic suggestions can also come from different and more daily accessible areas, such as the TV series, that in recent years have become part of our routines (at the expense of the many commitments to which we should dedicate more attention….). Especially those of historical inspiration have met the tastes of the public, women particularly love them!
Who did not sigh in front of Queen Victoria’s wedding dress? Or in front of the one worn by Lily James in a dance scene of the series”War and Peace”? Or in front of the dresses of the Crawley sisters? And again, in front of all those outfits worn by the queens and princesses of the small screen? If you love both fashion and history, and you are looking for some dress able to bring these two passions together, take a look to our proposals from the most successful historical TV series of the recent years, which, even if they simply are scene costumes, would be able to remove from the the spotlight even the impeccable style of Kate Middleton.
“Long Live the Style”!
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Best Dresses Historical TV Series
REIGN
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Mary Stuart Queen of Scotland had not exactly a fairytale life but the TV series starring Adelaide Kane tried to make her justice and to put her into the good light, modifying some events to make them more suited to the goal of making her story more “romantic”. Since the pilot episode it was quite clear that the dresses would have been an important part of the show: excellent workmanship and historically reliable, with precious and extremely refined embroidery, we have seen many beautiful clothes during all four seasons, which have recently ended.
Mary changes at least 2/3 dresses during the 40 minutes of episode and she is surrounded by female characters, including the ladies of companionship, Caterina de Medici and Queen Elizabeth I, who certainly are as beautiful as she is! The costume designer of the series in her Instagram profile (Meredith Costumes) shares every week a dress explaining how it was made and where she took inspiration from.
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Best Dresses Historical TV Series
THE CROWN
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The crown was the Netflix TV series of 2016, with a record production budget and a success that led to the confirm other four seasons after the first one in which the reigning years of Queen Elizabeth II will be retraced until today.
In the first season, the Queen, masterfully interpreted by Claire Foy, has flaunted classy clothes in both official events and everyday life, in a real race with her sister, Princess Margaret, to decide who of the two was the most elegant. We do not choose one but instead we appreciate both styles, so different and unique, able to enclose in themselves the personality and the role of the person who wear them.
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Best Dresses Historical TV Series
WAR AND PEACE
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This BBC miniseries, based on Tolstoj‘s masterpiece, presents every kind of situation: romantic plots, dramatic and struggling situations, moments of joy, fights, various reflections and fairytale winter scenarios typical of the Russian 19 th century. But, above all, there are a lot of refined and romantic clothes that make the female protagonists of this series even more beautiful, among which we find Lily James.
Especially the empire waist dresses that, why not, you could wear even today if you have an important occasion or, even better, a great ball to go to! Maybe right here you could find love as it was for Natasa and Andrej…
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Best Dresses Historical TV Series
VICTORIA
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She was the most long-lived and famous queen in history before Elizabeth II took her (at least the first) title, capable of influencing an era in every aspect so that the creators of the series used her name for the title of the TV series. Victoria is interpreted by Jenna Coleman, who, with the Queen shares the not really important stature, her charism, her strength and her stubbornness.
All aspects that give us a 360° portrait of the queen. Of course, even the fashion from that period is proposed faithfully: wide fluffy skirts, fabrics such as brocade and lace, a wide variety of colors and models… Can we go back to the past just to wear Victorian dresses too?
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Best Dresses Historical TV Series
DOWNTON ABBEY
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Perhaps the most famous historical background TV series, both for personal events lived by the Crawley sisters, the beautiful protagonists, for the cast and for fashion: the clothes from the beginning of the 900s that were brought on the small screen are of excellent workmanship, curated in every detail and able to make everyone dream.
While we are waiting to see the beloved characters again, this time on the big screen, you have to know that, if you loved the costumes of scene, an exhibition of them is traveling the world, touching various states at various times… It seems the perfect time to book the next flight!
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Best Dresses Historical TV Series
THE BORGIAS
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Lust, intrigues and power games: The Borgias conquered the entire world between 2011 and 2013, presenting the events of Pope Alexander VI, Caesar and Lucrezia Borgia.
Many of the scene costumes were made by the historical tailoring Tirelli, which made among others the clothes of the films of Visconti, Amadeus and of Marie Antoinette (for which the costume designer Gabriella Pandey won the Oscar): colorful, with large sleeves decorated and matched with intricate hairs or luxurious jewels, the clothes have certainly played a fundamental role in the TV series!
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Best Dresses Historical TV Series
THE TUDORS
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Raise your hand if you don’t have in mind the couple Henry VIII and Anna Boleyn interpreted by Jonathan Rhys-Meyers and Natalie Dormer… No one? It is not a surprise, since these characters and the TV series “The Tudors” in which they perform has been a real cult among lovers of the historical TV series which, for 4 seasons, have followed with interest the life (even if the story had several inaccuracies) of Henry VIII, his court and his wives and lovers.
Although lust and power games are the absolute protagonists, one cannot avoid mentioning the scene costumes, which have been able to represent very well the personalities of the various characters and the style of the time. It’s not a secret that the beauty of the cast has played its part in the realization of this goal….
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Best Dresses Historical TV Series
THE WHITE QUEEN and THE WHITE PRINCESS
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One season, many dresses and strong female personalities: This was “The White Queen“, set in the 15th century (despite some inaccuracies for which it was criticized), it shows us the ascent to the power of Elizabeth, who, as a mother concerned for the care of her children, finds herself struggling for her rights with such a strength to be able to make King Edward IV fall in love with her.
Among the distinctive stylistic features, we note an abundance in the use of golden nuances and elaborate headgears, an obligation for women of the high society of that time. The beauty has had a long, interesting and variegated past from antiquity, through the Middle Ages brought to the scene with this series, until the present day, don’t you think so?
The sequel, “The White Princess“, aired this year and set towards the end of the War of the Roses that took place between the House of Lancaster and the York one, it was not less in terms of success and realism brought on the screen as well as for clothing, inspired by the paintings of the time and made authentic thanks to the opulence of details and jewels presented. English fashion has definitely had a more than happy development between a century and another!
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Best Dresses Historical TV Series
VERSAILLES
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Louis XIV is perhaps the most famous French ruler in the world, also because of his eccentric style and his great passion for fashion, which has also led him to make changes to strict rules of the time: the TV series Versailles, dedicated to his life, is full of sumptuous dresses, refined and cared even in the smallest details, men ones too, of course!
Leather inserts, embroidered corsets, puff sleeves, fine fabrics… How to resist to the fascination of the king and his glitzy golden palace, or better, sunny?
