Yet they still had the nerve to say they were "toooorrrrrrrrtuuurrrrrrreeeeeeee" obviously either the corsets were poorly built or the actresses have decided to perpetuate the myth because everyone expects them to say corsets were toooorrrrrrrrtuuurrrrrrreeeeeeee. I was enjoying tge series and the official podcast up to the point when I heard every actress on the show run her schpiel about corsets are toooorrrrrrrrtuuurrrrrrreeeeeeee.
@@languageresources2314 None of them were "Tight laced", which boggles my mind.. I rummaged through old photos of my family and the women from that era through the early 1900's were very much "Tight laced", which is quite different from what we have been seeing on the this program..
I love how each character has their own style. Marian's hats are a little "country bumpkin" as are most of her dresses. Bertha Russel's outfits are a bit avant-guarde for the time, which fits her character. Agatha and Ada's dresses are a bit dated but very expensive looking. And the Astors! Carrie's are the most fashionable. But my favorite are Aurora Fane's, she tends to wear more patterns and silk lisere with lots of trimmings.
Same Aurora Fane’s costumes take the cake! By far the best! Love Agnes goes to get a new dress and the dressmaker tells her the bustles are getting smaller with most people doing that and she goes im not most people. Love it
@@Pugs365 one of my favourite is what she wears in her house when her husband tells her that Mr Russel is going to give them back their money. Literally queen vibes
I agree wholeheartedly. Aurora Fane’s wardrobe is my favorite of all. She is very fashionable, yet she is also tasteful with a sense of style and class.
I love how Aunt Agnes told her dressmaker to increase the bustle size on her new dress. She may *seem* like a widow disconnected from the rest of society, but every episode you get a new hint of just how "with it" she really is and I love it. ❤
like that scene bothered me because the dressmaker made the comment that bustles were deflating....no they weren't they were getting bigger. IDK why but it irritated me lol
I love the fact that Bertha marches to her own drum and even if she’s trying to fit in to the 400, she wears clothes that are flashy and suit her personality. While her gowns may not be historically accurate, they make sense to her personality. I generally don’t like too much deviation from historical accuracy, but she’s meant to look somehow out of place and I think they exaggerate this by making her clothes extremely flamboyant. I suppose it doesn’t hurt that to modern eyes they look pretty fabulous in comparison to some of the other clothes, that while accurate, look somewhat dowdy.
Actually, she is dresses more in the French style, compared to the English fashion of the time; not a crazy kookie style as indicated in the commentary. The show chose the obvious difference in style/fashion to help her stand out, and indicate that “new money”. It’s a good choice, as it is more likely the “new money” would lean into the more flamboyant French style, over the “standard/boring” English “old money” style/fashion. I’m surprised this wasn’t mentioned.
to me Marion's pastel clothes were what she brought to New York, the later were the ones her aunt bought fro her, they did have to be made for her, so while they were getting made she just wore what she had brought with her.
This is what I assumed also. As her character feels more confident navigating New York Society she her fashion assimilates. Same with Mrs. Russell, she dresses over the top trying to fit in with the cool kids it looks gaudy and wrong. Everyone knows the established rich have money, they don’t need to bother proving it- and I’m sure the designers want to visually create that difference in style between the VanReijn s (old school rich, buttoned up) vs Mrs. Russell (new money, showy, gaudy)
Exactly what Mary West points! And also I feel Marion’s fashions are odd cause the ones picking her styles are her old aunts (or at least, heavily influenciated) when she firsts comes to NY; as the series goes on, she keeps some of this dresses and starts having her own point of view of her style; her charachter develops and is shown in the way she dresses. Greetings from México.
I personally think Marion’s fashion choices being older is showing her clinging to the fashions of her childhood. It’s like how some young people nowadays choose to dress in exclusively a 1970’s style or a 1990’s style. It also makes it easier for us to see her coming into her own in the city and finding her place in society
It's also more indicative of her small town origins as they tend to be behind in fashion by several years, if not a decade. For me this for her character origin very well.
i just read yesterday that Louisa said she insisted on a TIGHT corset at the beginning of the show and then was paying and price and very uncomfortable during early filming. She later asked costuming to make looser corset and costumes ( with corset breaks built into her day) She claims an influence of the "Disney princess" figure made her feel like she should have the smallest waist possible - to the side effect of negatively influencing her health.
I thought Marian's dresses looked the way they did because she was "country" and didn't have a lot of experience with dressing fashionably, and when she moved to New York, Ada and Agnes sent her to THEIR dressmaker- who would have experience dressing older ladies in older styles, but who wouldn't necessarily have a sense of what was the cutting edge of fashion, or a sense of what a younger clientele would want to wear. Marian wouldn't know enough at the beginning of the series to say, "I don't like this" or, "this skirt should be like this". The dressmaker probably had less experience dressing younger ladies in young styles and would mimic things as best she could, but it would always be "off". As Marian develops relationships with people her own age, she develops more a sense of her own style that is in line with her peers.
In my opinion, many of the fabrics used were obviously heavier "drapery fabrics" and trimmings for home furnishings..It made me think of the scene in "Gone With The Wind", where Scarlett made a dress out of her mothers "Poitiers".. I know "realistic period " fabrics are difficult to find… But !!!
I’m so glad I’m not the only one who was totally thrown off by Mrs. Russell’s blue dress in the first episode, as well as her overly shiny fabrics!! It made me worried about the other costumes!
It would seem that the fabrics are primarily synthetic? And what really tortures me (besides the zipper-like back closures and machine made embellishments) is the clunky draping which would have been better in real silk. I realize that to have so many costumes made my hand would be impossible but it really shows in the finishing. Still fun to watch! Just an aside, I had an elderly aunt who was a teenager in the Edwardian era. She said that her governess would tie her arms to the bed posts when they had a pre-dance nap so that the lack of blood would make them paler.
I have found the plot of The Gilded Age to be a bit meh. It is pretty predictable and I often feel like little happens during the episodes. Agnes and Peggy are probably the two most interesting characters in terms of personality and in Peggy's case plot. The costumes and sets are really fun though. I agree that the costumes aren't always strictly accurate, but they do generally capture the more is more mentality of the time. I also think the show has avoided some of the standard period drama costuming pitfalls. The actresses are corseted, but it isn't turned into a big deal (no scene of Agnes forcing Marian to wear a corset to show how Marian is being oppressed). The ladies wear hats when out and about. Granted, it helps that the hats of the era don't cover the ladies' faces, so the old we must see the actors' faces at all times rule doesn't come into play here the way it does in earlier bonnet eras. The hairstyles are not blatantly modernized. Gladys is the only one wearing the half-up half-down look that so many shows use for "old timey" hair, and for her it actually makes sense, because it is a way to show how she is still being treated like a child by her mother. All of the other ladies, including young women the audience is supposed to relate to like Marian and Peggy, wear their hair up.
As far as the acting and the writing goes I've been calling it The Gilded Dreck. My husband loves to watch it so he can see me cringe at the appallingly predicable, rushed story lines, the stiff and emotionless acting, and pathetic dialog. Such a talented cast to be wasted on such absolute drivel! The clothes are good to look at, but they wear them like costumes rather than clothing.
I saw that Marian (sorry, haven't seen the series yet so may have the names wrong) had wardrobe tightlace her at the beginning as she wanted a smaller waist. After awhile, she asked wardrobe to loosen the laces and let out the seams of the costumes. That might explain why sometimes she looks better than others, they were before the alterations.
I don’t have HBO so I haven’t been able to watch the first season yet. However, I am the curator at the International Tennis Hall of Fame and at work the days they used our property for filming the tennis scenes. Seeing the wide variety of costumed actors and extras in person was awesome.
Great commentary on historical accuracy. I like the fact that some ensembles were replicas of period fashions. Mrs. Russell was always so obviously overdressed especially with low cut bodices & shiny silks & satins. Aunt Agnes, Aunt Ada & Peggy Scott really looked the most historically correct. Aurora Fain also always "showed her bosom b4 3 o'clock". The rear closure on bodices was a great observation for day wear when this style was only used for evening wear. Also very few bonnet style hats were designed.
I was so glad to see this video! I've been pretty thrown watching The Gilded Age because some characters look accurately dressed (like the aunts, and Peggy and her parents) and some look COMPLETELY off. I think with Marion, they've made the choice to dress her in a way that they think will appeal more to modern audiences, and so it doesn't quite work. She wears these weird dresses that look almost like a 1950s pinafore/jumper dress, with a blouse underneath, and the sleeves of the blouse are too tight for what I would expect for a blouse (plus I think blouses without jackets are more of an Edwardian thing? Certainly not with those narrow sleeves.) I've never seen pinafores for the 1880s. And Bertha's outfits are just plain weird, and not in the "the 1880s was weird" way, more like a kind of 1950s dior imagining of what an 1880s outfit would look like. I think what frustrates me is this idea that we won't relate to the main character unless she's dressed in less alienating "weird" clothing, and that we won't know that Mrs Russell is tacky unless she's dressed like someone from Panem in Hunger Games.
Pinafores were a thing for the 1880s, but mainly for kids. Like you'd see them worn by schoolgirls. I've not seen the show yet as its not available here yet but if that character is a younger woman, perhaps it was a conscious attempt to make her seem younger than her years? And aside from that they turn up more in working class/farm worker attire. In both cases they were worn to protect the clothes worn under.
I was so disappointed to learn that the actress playing Marion didn't understand corseting and chose to be fitted for her costumes in a tight laced corset instead of using padding as we all have learned is the correct way to get the silhouette.
Right? Like, duh, don't go into your very first fitting and tell them to tightlace you into your corset. 🤦♀️ I loved that Taissa Farmiga took the opposite route. She said in the podcast that she went and ate a big meal before her first fitting, so then she never had to worry about lacing too tightly after that! 😂
Actually, she is dresses more in the French style, compared to the English fashion of the time; not a crazy kookie style as indicated in the commentary. The show chose the obvious difference in style/fashion to help her stand out, and indicate that “new money”. It’s a good choice, as it is more likely the “new money” would lean into the more flamboyant French style, over the “standard/boring” English “old money” style/fashion. I’m surprised this wasn’t mentioned.
@@joeyree22 right it is more French. That’s why I said she was ahead of her time, because pretty soon after this, French fashions/culture would start to become “en vogue”. I think the most important thing to point out was that it was an obvious difference from the rest of the cast.
I loved this show and can’t wait for season two. I’m really appreciative for this video bc I was wondering how accurate they were. Peggy’s wardrobe was my favorite and when I saw all the plaid, I was wondering if all that wonderful mess was accurate. Sooo psyched that it was.
My mom and I have been watching the guilder age together and are loving it. I’ve been waiting for a video from one of my historical fashion you tubers on this so I’m so excited you’re covering it! Also love that you got to talk with the costume maker that is super cool!
I love how you ran down each character, and their clothes. I especially love how you went through the actual fashion plates by month. I was interested when I saw the trailers. I am VERY intrigued now.
Perhaps Mrs Russell.s embellishments we’re to distract from the actress’s pregnancy? That could explain some design choices as well. Also the kitchen maid’s dress is very realistic. While the upper classes were concerned with fashion and following trends the working class made do with hand me downs and couldn’t afford to discard a dress just because it wasn’t in style.
I've been in love with New York during the Gilded Age since Newsies (haha). I'm so excited to see this show touching on many of the technological and cultural changes of the time. Things like the Statue of Liberty hand and the coming of electric lights. Hopefully, they'll continue to show more layers of the Gilded Age beyond the household servants. I'd love to hear you talk more about this show!
17:10 shows what’s off about Marion’s costumes as well, ie the silhouette. The actress (both Marion and Gladys) is very slim, which makes her looks come across as quite “modern”. Slimmer women obviously existed back then as well, but you’d think she would have padded her bust and hips for a more contemporary/fashionable silhouette (like in the painting).
I enjoy the look of the show. I think dressing Mrs Russell "futuristically" is a not so subtle nod to leaving the old ways. And, goodness anything had to be better than Bridgerton season 1.
I really, really want to see if Gladys will start wearing her hair up in season 2 now that she's finally out! Although if she does get a more age-appropriate wardrobe it'll be a bit of a shame, I actually love her pastel doll outfits haha. I KNOW that we will never get period-accurate makeup on a network like HBO but gosh some scenes were excessive even by those standards.
Great video. Thank you so much for showing the plates for each month. That was very cool and informative. That would be great to do for another video for 1890s.
I am so glad that you did this video. I am in love with the rich detail of the costumes on the show. Peggy's Red and Plaid dress that you showed first is one of my very favorite ensembles. I noticed how yellow seems to be Marion's primary color in the beginning seeming to represent her naivete and youth. Her ill fitting ones probably were supposed to be dresses quickly altered for her until more suitable gowns could be custom made. I could very much see that Bertha was keeping Gladys in much younger styles to maintain that very youthful China doll look. I've always thought her hair was just awful. Mrs. Russell's wardrobe is so over the top, but got to love that Peacock ensemble and her opera cloak. I agree with all of your assessments of the other female characters. Nice job and looking forward to making some of the one's there were reproductions of fashion plates for myself.
the season finale had the BEST costumes of the entire season! Each actress has 4-5 costume changes throughout the episode PLUS it culminated in a ball. PERFECTION!
@@petat13 at the ball? It was very strange, I agree, with the cutouts poking over the neckline and the odd colored tulle. The black and white pattern was beautiful from the back though, and probably as bold as she intended it to be. "Look at me, I'm the future." Her outfits always have a little anarchronistic twist, at first it bothered me but then I realized it fits the character.
I just finished binging the whole season. And when you watch the episodes back to back, you notice repeated outfits. Mrs. Russell repeated the least by far. You could tell that a good chunk of the wardrobe budget went to her attire. It in turn short changed side characters like Peggy's mom, who despite also being wealthy seemed to wear the same green dress in her episodes. Overall, seeing the various fashions was part of the highlight of my enjoyment of this show.
One of the things I noticed was during the ball at the end of the season. Based on what I have read (and it's a good amount), the women at the balls of that era wore an insane amount of incredibly valuable jewelry at these events. Some of it once owned by royalty in France as well as the UK. Mrs. Astor was once described as looking like a walking chandelier. These women wore the equivalent today of millions of dollars in gems at every ball they attended. Although there was jewelry worn at this ball, it wasn't anywhere near what was described books like, "What would Mrs. Astor Do?" and "The Court of Mrs. Astor In Gilded Age New York, A Season of Splendor."
My absolute favourites are the yellow dress Marian wears to the Russell soiree and the apple-green dress with the deep red accessories she wears to Gladys' debut. And I also love the baroque interiors of the Russel house! The programme is a visual treat to be sure. 😀👏👍
Would love to see an episode dedicated to Bridgerton as I believe is a lot of material to talk about it. This episode is fantastic! Love your dedication and how well documented you are!
Such timing! About to go and do a bustle making workshop this weekend! .....I had no plans for making a dress but that blue and white striped one.......💙💙💙💙💙💙💙
Mrs Astor would exclude you from society based on the historically inaccurate amount of makeup your wearing (JK, of course, you look gorgeous). I think what Mrs Chamberlain is wearing is what Bertha SHOULD be wearing if she wanted to appear more classy / civilized / French. Mrs Chamberlain = a few carefully positioned feathers. Bertha = a dead bird on her head. You get the gist. The color harmonies of all of Peggy's outfits make me happy. Turner is a fashion queen.
The one thing that I think that emphasizes the ill fit of some of the costumes is the lack of padding. There seems to be a lot of boob-wrinkle issues going on that could easily be remedied with just a bit of padding to smooth that out. The old-money/new-money costumes are really obvious and clearly a design choice, which is a thing I still have a hard time coming to terms with, but I grit my teeth and just try to enjoy it for what it is. The hair not being dressed up on Blanche is also driving me crazy! The scenes that my friend and I enjoyed the most was at the charity auction where a lot of the extras in the background had some really stunning ensembles! There was one particular red and white number that we were really impressed with! Thanks for sharing this video! I really enjoyed your expert take on the 1880s clothing!
Who is Blanche? Do you mean Gladys? I'm not a hair style expert but I think she wore her hair down to signify that she wasn't officially "out" in society yet. Now that she is, I'm sure her hair will now be always be up.
I think the anachronisms in the costuming are *very clearly* intentional choices meant to distinguish each character among the others and tell a very clear story about their personalities.
I was sooo excited about the gilded age series. It's one of the most intriguing ages to me. You are so knowledgeable and I shall enjoy watching the remainder of the season with a more tuned eye after this video. Thank you!
I think Marian's clothing, at least at the beginning, are "hand-me-downs", maybe even from her aunts until more "appropriate" items could be made for her. This is probably why they seem a little outdated & don't fit as well. As for Bertha, I think they are trying to establish that she is "new money" by making her outfits flashy & a little gaudy. She has the money and is trying every new trend, to find her own style which is why I think her fashion is all over the place.
I live near Troy, NY, where they filmed some of the street scenes. The set dressing they did to cover up the modern shopfronts was absolutely incredible! It really made the old buildings shine. I'm hoping they'll come back to film parts of season 2.
The Gilded Age is a wonderful show! I can hardly wait for the next season. This is my favorite era and I have studied the clothing over the years. Like you, those back closures were absolutely glaring and I noticed them immediately. They were disappointing to see; however, having said this, overall I believe the costumes were absolutely stunning. I’ve been dying to see a critique by someone more educated than I and you did not disappoint. I hope you do more of these in the future. In fact, I would love to see you critique the gowns by each show, instead of the entire season. I’d love to delve into some of the specific details of how these gowns were constructed, what specific pieces made up each ensemble, what undergarments would be worn, etc. Specifically, I’d like to know whether the jackets were actually attached to the blouses underneath, or whether they were separate pieces. Many of the gowns worn by our heroine appeared to be one piece, which I questioned, and almost appeared to zip up the back. Thank you for this video! I look forward to seeing many more critiques from you for this show.
I was literally saying that about the back closures while my friend and I were binging through the series last weekend! I am loving it overall and have some new dream dresses. Hello sailor dress!
I swear that for a moment I thought that yellow dress of Marian's was a zipper, and I startled my husband with a sharp "WTF! That *better* be hooks and eyes! It's wrong, but at least it wouldn't be a zipper!" 😆
Gladys couldn't put her hair up until her coming out. That's why the last shot of her is with her hair up. The old saying was at 16 the hair went up and the hems went down.
Holy back closing day dresses, batman! 🧐😳 I haven't managed to watch it yet, but I was excited about the costuming just from the promos I've seen. Great video! ❤️
Marion's clothes have also thrown me off quite a bit, but I will say, that dark blue dress she wears with the lacy sleeves and the rosette at the collar looks almost exactly like a dress worn by first lady Frances Folsom Cleveland in 1886. So the timing is a a few years off, but it's one of my favorite historical gowns and I was so glad to see it recreated!
Such fun video! Love your enthusiasm and the wealth of knowledge :) I just binged the gilded age and was totally smitten with the costumes. I'm quite happy that I noticed some of the points you mentioned, like Mrs. Russel's new money designs, but your analysis put things in much more context :) I think the costume designer and the makers done a fabulous job
I'm loving the costumes in the show, even with all the little anachronisms! I was so relieved it wasn't like so many other HBO shows. I'm really enjoying it!
So often a historical show comes out and I don't have access to its host streaming service. Hopefully I'll get to see this one soon. Thank you. So many of their dresses were lovely.
I'd say some of the costumes are all over the map of the 1880s. Nothing is really consistent. I love the bickering between Agnes and her son Oscar. It's delightful!
I enjoyed your explaining the finer details on these fashion. The dresses are amazing and beautiful. I find Mrs. Russell's the oddest though. Peggy Scott's are lovely. Marion's delightful. My favorite was the cape that Mrs. Van Ryin wore to the bazaar with the beaded fringe. It's admirable that the looks were more or less faithful to the time. One has to remember that in real life these clothes would have been custom made and influenced by each person's preferences maybe even altering a previous look to update an already worn outfit.
I just started watching this show, and I couldn’t agree with you more about Marian’s clothing. She took Ada with her to the dress maker, who certainly knows how to dress appropriately, so I’m at a loss as to how bad her dresses were. Maybe Ada was too timid to correct Marian’s choices, but that doesn’t make a lot of sense. She knew that Agnes would disapprove. Yet Agnes never said anything about the way Marian dressed, so I guess we’re the only ones who think her dresses were just wrong. The clothing and accessories are one of the reasons I love this show. It’s so very well done despite the fashion errors. Everything is just so beautiful. I usually like anything Julian Fellowes does and he didn’t disappoint.
I feel much the same about The Gilded Age costumes: great summarization, love it! The jewelry was much the same: some real antiques and some great accuracy in the Van Rijn household, and then some 1950's surprises for Bertha Russell, lol. I'm sure they had some real budget constraints for Season 1, and made similar design style character choices as the costumes. I'm hoping to see more gorgeous jewelry in Season 2, including hopefully more of my designs, lol. Great video, loved it!
I picked up a couple of Bridgerton books for my Kindle, based on your costume review of that series. (Still haven't streamed it yet, though.) We might have to pick up HBO Max again for a couple of months so I can watch "The Gilded Age" now!
Depending on your watch habits, you could pick up HBO for only a month, even, and just watch all the episodes (since the last one comes out Monday). I think they even do a free week trial if you have Hulu.
The chamberlain costume was artistic foreshadowing. Like a raven or crow in and Edgar Poe she brings bad news, death, etc. Russell was based on Alva who was new money and had the idea of "why save the best for last, I might lose it all again tomorrow (like her father did after the Civil war) so she always wore her best outfits no matter the occasion hence the evening gowns during th3 day. Also jts because even tho she tries, she's new money, and doesn't know that it's inappropriate to qwae certain fits during the day. Just like she calls on Mrs. Astor not realizing the rules are u don't call on someone higher ranked. U wait for them to call on you
I loved ”The Gilded Age”!! I’m glad I ignored some of the advanced press which was quite critical of the show. I loved the show from the very first episode. Too many people were comparing the show to “Downton Abbey” which, to me, was like comparing apples and oranges. Different eras, different continents, and totally different characters. I even bought the DVD of the series because I liked it so much. I hope in time that a companion book to the series will be done similar to the ones that were done for “Downton Abbey”. Looking forward to seeing Season 2!!
I think it is interesting that Carrie Coon was pregnant during filming so they had to adapt her costumes to fit. Wonder if that explains some design choices.
I think the general choices are fantastic. I love the fact that some of the women are using fashion that are not from the same year, because that is absolutely normal. Specially the older women. So I think it makes sense that some ladies are wearing gown that are from earlier years. I think it also says a lot about who they are and the values they stand for. Younger characters will always be into the fashion of the moment. I believe Mrs Russell is so over the top all the time for the same reason, she is trying too hard to show wealth and she doesn't know all the crazy rules of society (like the serving of the table lol) so It makes sense that she is not totally properly dressed like all the other ladies... the gown she wears on the finale was so gorgeous and I could see the Charles Worth inspiration. I love the show and I am very thankful for your review, is very kind and well informed .
Insisting on the costumes being strictly 1882 seems a little narrow-minded, when being able to buy fashion plate clothes depended on your income, how old you wanted to appear, and how much of a splash you wanted to make. Exactly like NOWADAYS. So I think the wardrobe dept was spot-on!
Part of the reason Carrie Coon”s costumes were as low cut and had strings in the back is that she was pregnant during filming . And once you know this you can see which outfits and scenes were shot when she was in her later stages of pregnancy.
This show was super fun, and I am so glad you did an analysis of the costumes! I really like the costumes, even when sometimes they feel weird and out of place. Everything seems to be a conscientious choice and makes the wardrobe feel like another character in the show. Thanks so much!
Charming and enjoyable video. Thanks 👏👍. I didn't notice the fastening at the back of day dresses! Next time - I'll look out for that. I think Marian may look a "bit off" because she's more Edwardian in style - slim skirts, working woman silhouette. But I do think she looks nice! And I love her velvet chokers or ribbons round her neck, rather than new money bling-bling jewels! Agree with you that some of Gladys' 1882 dresses are straight out of the 1600s & 1700s, rather than being inspired by those times. I reallllllly enjoyed seeing the costumes being discussed in the category of wearer/character. Yes, I can't wait for season two either! What does everyone think of the dance scenes. I watched Scorsese's 'Age of Innocence' after this and thought the men did a better job here, in The Gilded Age; stronger arms, more definite movements. Looking forward to your next video 😀.
I love your video, you are so sweet and informative. Not to complain but a love of historical costumer RUclipsrs are so derogatory and with a “I’m better than this” attitude, it’s so cool to see someone different.
Thank you for such a wonderful and informative video! I love this show, and love the costumes, so seeing them compared to actual pictures from the period was really interesting.
love that show....about "seasons" remember Juilian Fellowes is English, and there was still a season in the fall if I am not mistaken, the city folks would go to the country houses at christmas,....could be just a matter of british thought processes not american...what color is your fingernail polish? love it.
I think Julian Fellows probably does his research though. 😉 And thanks - it's two colors layered over each other. One is a mauvy pink and then there's a pink/gold glitter.
I'm loving this show! The costumes and set are stunning, and I am both excited and saddened by the fact that the season finale is this Monday. Glad to know we are getting a second season though.
It's not my sort of show, so I'm unlikely to watch it (I don't watch anything just for the costumes)... I first thought the costumes would be "too natural form" for me to be interested in them anyway, but it seems they're more re-emergance of the bustle than I thought, and much nicer, on the whole, than I expected. The back closures, low necked day dresses, and details from later eras would irritate me (as well as some of the hairstyle choices - particularly the very late-20th-Century looking side-parting and flicked-aside long fringe on Marion, which makes her look like she's in a low-budget 1980's or 90s production in every photo you showed of her).
maybe .01% of the population would ever have an inkling let alone an opinion of period dressing, I think a lot of the Bertha choices were made because she was up to 8 months pregnant in real life. The first episode was one of the last ones shot. I think much of that costume choice was made for first impressions, it was actually one of my favorites. I heard that many of the ladies of the day had things made in London or Paris and sent over (only to sit in storage for a year or two in order for the times to catch up...). You might consider European fashion plates a little ahead of time to compare and contrast. If this IS the case, Bertha put them on the minute they arrived. She had no f's to give. Later with guidance she came around, but I expect it will be difficult to not have her be shiny. I have an issue with the Flagler/Bingham story line. Flagler's young widow married a Bingham 20 years later... there is no such person as Cissy Bingham, nor is there any basis for her in history... just s convenient name to drop.
I think the costume maker should have offered you a job as a costume consultant! Your knowledge & expertise of historical garments & sewing for theatre is wonderful!
I know nothing about period fashion but am so glad I found your channel today!! You obviously are highly educated and passionate in this subject...I am passionate about watching and enjoying these types of shows though!!! Basically I love the fantasy of period storytelling in either print or screen. I am going to check out your other videos...possibly to look for commentary on Bridgerton, Downton, oh and The Nevers.
I have not yet seen this show. I have noticed several RUclipsrs are talking about the show and after seeing all of the costumes in your video, I really want to see it! Congrats on speaking to the designer!!! That must have been so exciting. How did you track him down? It's also pretty impressive for him to be so open with you which means he was very comfortable in speaking with you about the costumes and why most of the day clothes open in the back instead of the front. Let's hope he does make the necessary adjustments for Season 2. Just think about it....you may have given him the push he needed to get the costuming more on point!! Exciting, very exciting! I thought they were all very pretty even if they were not accurate for the time period for the show. Thank you so much for putting all of this together.
He is actually one of the costume makers, not the designer, but I follow him on Instagram and he was nice enough to return my messages, so that was really cool!
Actually, Mrs Russel is dresses more in the French style, compared to the “old money” English fashion of the time; not a crazy kookie style as indicated in the commentary. The show chose the obvious difference in style/fashion to help her stand out, and giving the obvious indication of “new money/ new style”. It’s a good choice, as it is more likely the “new money” would lean into the more flamboyant newer French style, over the “standard/boring” English “old money” style/fashion. I’m surprised this wasn’t mentioned.
10:10 "she's more relatable to a modern audience"....Thank you for saying that. I see much of that statement within most period dramas whether its a slightly modern look peeking out of an old-fashioned hairpiece or hairstyle or the way a character talks or expresses an opinion. A good example is the way the four young Grand Duchesses were shown within the 1971 historical drama "Nicholas & Alexandra". They looked like young women with hairstyles from 1970 wearing clothes from 1917. I don't like to be emotionally spoon fed while watching anything, but you can see it as the director or writer is showing you certain characters' costumes/hairstyles or delivery of lines, "This is soneone you're supposed to really like and cheer on..."
Modernizing a period drama, like putting current values into a character so we relate irritates me so much. I love period dramas for the authenticity of the period, knowing there’s some creative license. But when modern values, hair styles, dialogue, etc are used to make us root for someone (or hate someone), I don’t enjoy it, and I won’t watch some of the newer shows because it’s like watching a modern drama in period clothes.
I am absolutely adoring this show! (And I loooove the official podcast.) I think one of my favorite aspects was just how well the costumers used visual cues in almost every. single. costume. and it's astounding.
AAAAAAHH! I want to know where to get a pattern for Turner's burgundy gown! I've been looking for that kind of wrap-front closure for about two years now!!
@@LadyRebeccaFashions Nope! That was the first place I checked. It doesn't seem to be a common style -- even fashion plates of that style are few and far between.
For me, the costume choices for Marian is actually spot on because her aunt only gives her only bare minimum support so she could get married and strict on how one should present themselves according to their social class. In this case Marian, who came from humble beginnings, only wore outdated dresses and feels off because she doesnt even know how to be herself.
Rebecca, you really know your shit. Thanks. One of my observations (not a costume) was that some of the costuming was made to appear even more outlandish than they actually were. (Probably incorrect as I find generally find this kind of display by the rich appalling.)
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Can we talk about how they're all actually wearing corsets? That was the FIRST thing I saw when the show started and I knew it was going to be good
Even the men? (in UK....and without gilding)
Chemises!!!!!!
Except Carrie Coon since she was pregnant with her daughter during filming :)
Yet they still had the nerve to say they were "toooorrrrrrrrtuuurrrrrrreeeeeeee" obviously either the corsets were poorly built or the actresses have decided to perpetuate the myth because everyone expects them to say corsets were toooorrrrrrrrtuuurrrrrrreeeeeeee. I was enjoying tge series and the official podcast up to the point when I heard every actress on the show run her schpiel about corsets are toooorrrrrrrrtuuurrrrrrreeeeeeee.
@@languageresources2314 None of them were "Tight laced", which boggles my mind.. I rummaged through old photos of my family and the women from that era through the early 1900's were very much "Tight laced", which is quite different from what we have been seeing on the this program..
I love how each character has their own style. Marian's hats are a little "country bumpkin" as are most of her dresses. Bertha Russel's outfits are a bit avant-guarde for the time, which fits her character. Agatha and Ada's dresses are a bit dated but very expensive looking. And the Astors! Carrie's are the most fashionable. But my favorite are Aurora Fane's, she tends to wear more patterns and silk lisere with lots of trimmings.
My daughter kept asking why Marian was wearing a " cowboy hat" in each scene!! Lol
Same Aurora Fane’s costumes take the cake! By far the best! Love Agnes goes to get a new dress and the dressmaker tells her the bustles are getting smaller with most people doing that and she goes im not most people. Love it
Arora wears them spectacularly!
@@Pugs365 one of my favourite is what she wears in her house when her husband tells her that Mr Russel is going to give them back their money. Literally queen vibes
I agree wholeheartedly. Aurora Fane’s wardrobe is my favorite of all. She is very fashionable, yet she is also tasteful with a sense of style and class.
I love how Aunt Agnes told her dressmaker to increase the bustle size on her new dress. She may *seem* like a widow disconnected from the rest of society, but every episode you get a new hint of just how "with it" she really is and I love it. ❤
like that scene bothered me because the dressmaker made the comment that bustles were deflating....no they weren't they were getting bigger. IDK why but it irritated me lol
@@AntiquarianClothier OMG I thought I was the only one! Aunt Agnes knows fashion more than the professional 😄
I love the fact that Bertha marches to her own drum and even if she’s trying to fit in to the 400, she wears clothes that are flashy and suit her personality. While her gowns may not be historically accurate, they make sense to her personality. I generally don’t like too much deviation from historical accuracy, but she’s meant to look somehow out of place and I think they exaggerate this by making her clothes extremely flamboyant. I suppose it doesn’t hurt that to modern eyes they look pretty fabulous in comparison to some of the other clothes, that while accurate, look somewhat dowdy.
Actually, she is dresses more in the French style, compared to the English fashion of the time; not a crazy kookie style as indicated in the commentary. The show chose the obvious difference in style/fashion to help her stand out, and indicate that “new money”. It’s a good choice, as it is more likely the “new money” would lean into the more flamboyant French style, over the “standard/boring” English “old money” style/fashion. I’m surprised this wasn’t mentioned.
Peggy has the absolute best costumes in the show. They are beautiful.
I agree ❤ they are marvelous 🎉
to me Marion's pastel clothes were what she brought to New York, the later were the ones her aunt bought fro her, they did have to be made for her, so while they were getting made she just wore what she had brought with her.
I hadn't thought about it that way, but that's an interesting concept!
This is what I assumed also. As her character feels more confident navigating New York Society she her fashion assimilates. Same with Mrs. Russell, she dresses over the top trying to fit in with the cool kids it looks gaudy and wrong. Everyone knows the established rich have money, they don’t need to bother proving it- and I’m sure the designers want to visually create that difference in style between the VanReijn s (old school rich, buttoned up) vs Mrs. Russell (new money, showy, gaudy)
Exactly what Mary West points! And also I feel Marion’s fashions are odd cause the ones picking her styles are her old aunts (or at least, heavily influenciated) when she firsts comes to NY; as the series goes on, she keeps some of this dresses and starts having her own point of view of her style; her charachter develops and is shown in the way she dresses.
Greetings from México.
I personally think Marion’s fashion choices being older is showing her clinging to the fashions of her childhood. It’s like how some young people nowadays choose to dress in exclusively a 1970’s style or a 1990’s style. It also makes it easier for us to see her coming into her own in the city and finding her place in society
It's also more indicative of her small town origins as they tend to be behind in fashion by several years, if not a decade. For me this for her character origin very well.
i just read yesterday that Louisa said she insisted on a TIGHT corset at the beginning of the show and then was paying and price and very uncomfortable during early filming. She later asked costuming to make looser corset and costumes ( with corset breaks built into her day) She claims an influence of the "Disney princess" figure made her feel like she should have the smallest waist possible - to the side effect of negatively influencing her health.
I thought Marian's dresses looked the way they did because she was "country" and didn't have a lot of experience with dressing fashionably, and when she moved to New York, Ada and Agnes sent her to THEIR dressmaker- who would have experience dressing older ladies in older styles, but who wouldn't necessarily have a sense of what was the cutting edge of fashion, or a sense of what a younger clientele would want to wear. Marian wouldn't know enough at the beginning of the series to say, "I don't like this" or, "this skirt should be like this". The dressmaker probably had less experience dressing younger ladies in young styles and would mimic things as best she could, but it would always be "off". As Marian develops relationships with people her own age, she develops more a sense of her own style that is in line with her peers.
In my opinion, many of the fabrics used were obviously heavier "drapery fabrics" and trimmings for home furnishings..It made me think of the scene in "Gone With The Wind", where Scarlett made a dress out of her mothers "Poitiers".. I know "realistic period " fabrics are difficult to find… But !!!
I’m so glad I’m not the only one who was totally thrown off by Mrs. Russell’s blue dress in the first episode, as well as her overly shiny fabrics!! It made me worried about the other costumes!
It would seem that the fabrics are primarily synthetic? And what really tortures me (besides the zipper-like back closures and machine made embellishments) is the clunky draping which would have been better in real silk. I realize that to have so many costumes made my hand would be impossible but it really shows in the finishing. Still fun to watch! Just an aside, I had an elderly aunt who was a teenager in the Edwardian era. She said that her governess would tie her arms to the bed posts when they had a pre-dance nap so that the lack of blood would make them paler.
I have found the plot of The Gilded Age to be a bit meh. It is pretty predictable and I often feel like little happens during the episodes. Agnes and Peggy are probably the two most interesting characters in terms of personality and in Peggy's case plot.
The costumes and sets are really fun though. I agree that the costumes aren't always strictly accurate, but they do generally capture the more is more mentality of the time. I also think the show has avoided some of the standard period drama costuming pitfalls. The actresses are corseted, but it isn't turned into a big deal (no scene of Agnes forcing Marian to wear a corset to show how Marian is being oppressed). The ladies wear hats when out and about. Granted, it helps that the hats of the era don't cover the ladies' faces, so the old we must see the actors' faces at all times rule doesn't come into play here the way it does in earlier bonnet eras. The hairstyles are not blatantly modernized. Gladys is the only one wearing the half-up half-down look that so many shows use for "old timey" hair, and for her it actually makes sense, because it is a way to show how she is still being treated like a child by her mother. All of the other ladies, including young women the audience is supposed to relate to like Marian and Peggy, wear their hair up.
I agree, I much prefer the cosiness of Downton Abbey.
Then watch Bridgerton and come back here again 😀. Nothing but catching husbands stuffs.
As far as the acting and the writing goes I've been calling it The Gilded Dreck. My husband loves to watch it so he can see me cringe at the appallingly predicable, rushed story lines, the stiff and emotionless acting, and pathetic dialog. Such a talented cast to be wasted on such absolute drivel!
The clothes are good to look at, but they wear them like costumes rather than clothing.
Once a young woman "comes out" she may wear her hair up...
Am I the only one who had no idea that _Marian_ was Meryl Streep's daughter??
I saw that Marian (sorry, haven't seen the series yet so may have the names wrong) had wardrobe tightlace her at the beginning as she wanted a smaller waist. After awhile, she asked wardrobe to loosen the laces and let out the seams of the costumes. That might explain why sometimes she looks better than others, they were before the alterations.
Good point - I hadn't thought of that causing the fit issues!
I also read this online somewhere.
I don’t have HBO so I haven’t been able to watch the first season yet. However, I am the curator at the International Tennis Hall of Fame and at work the days they used our property for filming the tennis scenes. Seeing the wide variety of costumed actors and extras in person was awesome.
Oh, that's so cool!
Peggy’s red plaid look was my favorite of the entire season!
Great commentary on historical accuracy. I like the fact that some ensembles were replicas of period fashions. Mrs. Russell was always so obviously overdressed especially with low cut bodices & shiny silks & satins. Aunt Agnes, Aunt Ada & Peggy Scott really looked the most historically correct. Aurora Fain also always "showed her bosom b4 3 o'clock". The rear closure on bodices was a great observation for day wear when this style was only used for evening wear. Also very few bonnet style hats were designed.
I was so glad to see this video! I've been pretty thrown watching The Gilded Age because some characters look accurately dressed (like the aunts, and Peggy and her parents) and some look COMPLETELY off. I think with Marion, they've made the choice to dress her in a way that they think will appeal more to modern audiences, and so it doesn't quite work. She wears these weird dresses that look almost like a 1950s pinafore/jumper dress, with a blouse underneath, and the sleeves of the blouse are too tight for what I would expect for a blouse (plus I think blouses without jackets are more of an Edwardian thing? Certainly not with those narrow sleeves.) I've never seen pinafores for the 1880s. And Bertha's outfits are just plain weird, and not in the "the 1880s was weird" way, more like a kind of 1950s dior imagining of what an 1880s outfit would look like. I think what frustrates me is this idea that we won't relate to the main character unless she's dressed in less alienating "weird" clothing, and that we won't know that Mrs Russell is tacky unless she's dressed like someone from Panem in Hunger Games.
Pinafores were a thing for the 1880s, but mainly for kids. Like you'd see them worn by schoolgirls. I've not seen the show yet as its not available here yet but if that character is a younger woman, perhaps it was a conscious attempt to make her seem younger than her years? And aside from that they turn up more in working class/farm worker attire. In both cases they were worn to protect the clothes worn under.
I was so disappointed to learn that the actress playing Marion didn't understand corseting and chose to be fitted for her costumes in a tight laced corset instead of using padding as we all have learned is the correct way to get the silhouette.
Right? Like, duh, don't go into your very first fitting and tell them to tightlace you into your corset. 🤦♀️
I loved that Taissa Farmiga took the opposite route. She said in the podcast that she went and ate a big meal before her first fitting, so then she never had to worry about lacing too tightly after that! 😂
just butting in to say... Lousia Jacobson is Meryl Streep's daughter, isn't that crazy?
@@emanonfox1709 yeah, I hadn't realized that until about midway through the season, when I looked her up!
I love Berthas costumes. It feels like they’re showing how she’s outside of the norm but also ahead of her time.
Actually, she is dresses more in the French style, compared to the English fashion of the time; not a crazy kookie style as indicated in the commentary. The show chose the obvious difference in style/fashion to help her stand out, and indicate that “new money”. It’s a good choice, as it is more likely the “new money” would lean into the more flamboyant French style, over the “standard/boring” English “old money” style/fashion. I’m surprised this wasn’t mentioned.
@@joeyree22 right it is more French. That’s why I said she was ahead of her time, because pretty soon after this, French fashions/culture would start to become “en vogue”. I think the most important thing to point out was that it was an obvious difference from the rest of the cast.
I am absolutely in love with this show. I get sad at the end of every Guilded Age episode because I am not ready for it to be over!
I loved this show and can’t wait for season two. I’m really appreciative for this video bc I was wondering how accurate they were. Peggy’s wardrobe was my favorite and when I saw all the plaid, I was wondering if all that wonderful mess was accurate. Sooo psyched that it was.
My mom and I have been watching the guilder age together and are loving it. I’ve been waiting for a video from one of my historical fashion you tubers on this so I’m so excited you’re covering it! Also love that you got to talk with the costume maker that is super cool!
I love how you ran down each character, and their clothes. I especially love how you went through the actual fashion plates by month. I was interested when I saw the trailers. I am VERY intrigued now.
Perhaps Mrs Russell.s embellishments we’re to distract from the actress’s pregnancy? That could explain some design choices as well. Also the kitchen maid’s dress is very realistic. While the upper classes were concerned with fashion and following trends the working class made do with hand me downs and couldn’t afford to discard a dress just because it wasn’t in style.
I've been in love with New York during the Gilded Age since Newsies (haha). I'm so excited to see this show touching on many of the technological and cultural changes of the time. Things like the Statue of Liberty hand and the coming of electric lights. Hopefully, they'll continue to show more layers of the Gilded Age beyond the household servants. I'd love to hear you talk more about this show!
Unrelated to the topic of this video, I would like to say that you have a very positive energy and I loved hearing you speak.
Thank you!
17:10 shows what’s off about Marion’s costumes as well, ie the silhouette. The actress (both Marion and Gladys) is very slim, which makes her looks come across as quite “modern”. Slimmer women obviously existed back then as well, but you’d think she would have padded her bust and hips for a more contemporary/fashionable silhouette (like in the painting).
Thank goodness someone else loves this show!! I stumbled upon it and am OBSESSED
Also, HI from Issaquah!!
I enjoy the look of the show. I think dressing Mrs Russell "futuristically" is a not so subtle nod to leaving the old ways. And, goodness anything had to be better than Bridgerton season 1.
I really, really want to see if Gladys will start wearing her hair up in season 2 now that she's finally out! Although if she does get a more age-appropriate wardrobe it'll be a bit of a shame, I actually love her pastel doll outfits haha.
I KNOW that we will never get period-accurate makeup on a network like HBO but gosh some scenes were excessive even by those standards.
Great video. Thank you so much for showing the plates for each month. That was very cool and informative. That would be great to do for another video for 1890s.
I ADORE Bertha’s costumes!! I love every single outfit more than the last! I’d even dare say she’s the best dressed woman in television history! ❤️
I am so glad that you did this video. I am in love with the rich detail of the costumes on the show. Peggy's Red and Plaid dress that you showed first is one of my very favorite ensembles. I noticed how yellow seems to be Marion's primary color in the beginning seeming to represent her naivete and youth. Her ill fitting ones probably were supposed to be dresses quickly altered for her until more suitable gowns could be custom made. I could very much see that Bertha was keeping Gladys in much younger styles to maintain that very youthful China doll look. I've always thought her hair was just awful. Mrs. Russell's wardrobe is so over the top, but got to love that Peacock ensemble and her opera cloak. I agree with all of your assessments of the other female characters. Nice job and looking forward to making some of the one's there were reproductions of fashion plates for myself.
the season finale had the BEST costumes of the entire season! Each actress has 4-5 costume changes throughout the episode PLUS it culminated in a ball. PERFECTION!
I loved that episode so much!
I was puzzled by the ball gown Mrs Russell wore…thoughts?
@@petat13 it's actually based on a Worth gown!
@@LadyRebeccaFashions Thank you for answering. It’s nice to know it was modelled on something real. Loved this video ❤️
@@petat13 at the ball? It was very strange, I agree, with the cutouts poking over the neckline and the odd colored tulle. The black and white pattern was beautiful from the back though, and probably as bold as she intended it to be. "Look at me, I'm the future." Her outfits always have a little anarchronistic twist, at first it bothered me but then I realized it fits the character.
I don't have HBO, but if I did, I'd watch this show.
I just finished binging the whole season. And when you watch the episodes back to back, you notice repeated outfits.
Mrs. Russell repeated the least by far. You could tell that a good chunk of the wardrobe budget went to her attire. It in turn short changed side characters like Peggy's mom, who despite also being wealthy seemed to wear the same green dress in her episodes.
Overall, seeing the various fashions was part of the highlight of my enjoyment of this show.
One of the things I noticed was during the ball at the end of the season. Based on what I have read (and it's a good amount), the women at the balls of that era wore an insane amount of incredibly valuable jewelry at these events. Some of it once owned by royalty in France as well as the UK. Mrs. Astor was once described as looking like a walking chandelier. These women wore the equivalent today of millions of dollars in gems at every ball they attended. Although there was jewelry worn at this ball, it wasn't anywhere near what was described books like, "What would Mrs. Astor Do?" and "The Court of Mrs. Astor In Gilded Age New York, A Season of Splendor."
My absolute favourites are the yellow dress Marian wears to the Russell soiree and the apple-green dress with the deep red accessories she wears to Gladys' debut. And I also love the baroque interiors of the Russel house! The programme is a visual treat to be sure. 😀👏👍
I am waiting to see more of the beautiful dresses and handsome men's costumes. All the other shows seem boring compared to the Gilded Age. 😀❤️❤️🎻🎶
Would love to see an episode dedicated to Bridgerton as I believe is a lot of material to talk about it. This episode is fantastic! Love your dedication and how well documented you are!
Thank you! That's coming out Saturday! ☺️
Can not wait!😍😍😍😍
Such timing! About to go and do a bustle making workshop this weekend! .....I had no plans for making a dress but that blue and white striped one.......💙💙💙💙💙💙💙
Love this show!! I hope they up their game next season with costuming on some characters.
Mrs Astor would exclude you from society based on the historically inaccurate amount of makeup your wearing (JK, of course, you look gorgeous).
I think what Mrs Chamberlain is wearing is what Bertha SHOULD be wearing if she wanted to appear more classy / civilized / French. Mrs Chamberlain = a few carefully positioned feathers. Bertha = a dead bird on her head. You get the gist.
The color harmonies of all of Peggy's outfits make me happy.
Turner is a fashion queen.
The one thing that I think that emphasizes the ill fit of some of the costumes is the lack of padding. There seems to be a lot of boob-wrinkle issues going on that could easily be remedied with just a bit of padding to smooth that out. The old-money/new-money costumes are really obvious and clearly a design choice, which is a thing I still have a hard time coming to terms with, but I grit my teeth and just try to enjoy it for what it is. The hair not being dressed up on Blanche is also driving me crazy! The scenes that my friend and I enjoyed the most was at the charity auction where a lot of the extras in the background had some really stunning ensembles! There was one particular red and white number that we were really impressed with! Thanks for sharing this video! I really enjoyed your expert take on the 1880s clothing!
Who is Blanche? Do you mean Gladys? I'm not a hair style expert but I think she wore her hair down to signify that she wasn't officially "out" in society yet. Now that she is, I'm sure her hair will now be always be up.
I think the anachronisms in the costuming are *very clearly* intentional choices meant to distinguish each character among the others and tell a very clear story about their personalities.
I was sooo excited about the gilded age series. It's one of the most intriguing ages to me. You are so knowledgeable and I shall enjoy watching the remainder of the season with a more tuned eye after this video. Thank you!
I think Marian's clothing, at least at the beginning, are "hand-me-downs", maybe even from her aunts until more "appropriate" items could be made for her. This is probably why they seem a little outdated & don't fit as well. As for Bertha, I think they are trying to establish that she is "new money" by making her outfits flashy & a little gaudy. She has the money and is trying every new trend, to find her own style which is why I think her fashion is all over the place.
I live near Troy, NY, where they filmed some of the street scenes. The set dressing they did to cover up the modern shopfronts was absolutely incredible! It really made the old buildings shine. I'm hoping they'll come back to film parts of season 2.
I think they're headed back that way this summer. I'm jealous that you got to see it!
I love the show and the costumes-Your pictures of the original fashion plates were the best-
The Gilded Age is a wonderful show! I can hardly wait for the next season. This is my favorite era and I have studied the clothing over the years. Like you, those back closures were absolutely glaring and I noticed them immediately. They were disappointing to see; however, having said this, overall I believe the costumes were absolutely stunning. I’ve been dying to see a critique by someone more educated than I and you did not disappoint. I hope you do more of these in the future. In fact, I would love to see you critique the gowns by each show, instead of the entire season. I’d love to delve into some of the specific details of how these gowns were constructed, what specific pieces made up each ensemble, what undergarments would be worn, etc. Specifically, I’d like to know whether the jackets were actually attached to the blouses underneath, or whether they were separate pieces. Many of the gowns worn by our heroine appeared to be one piece, which I questioned, and almost appeared to zip up the back. Thank you for this video! I look forward to seeing many more critiques from you for this show.
I was literally saying that about the back closures while my friend and I were binging through the series last weekend! I am loving it overall and have some new dream dresses. Hello sailor dress!
I swear that for a moment I thought that yellow dress of Marian's was a zipper, and I startled my husband with a sharp "WTF! That *better* be hooks and eyes! It's wrong, but at least it wouldn't be a zipper!" 😆
Gladys couldn't put her hair up until her coming out. That's why the last shot of her is with her hair up. The old saying was at 16 the hair went up and the hems went down.
Holy back closing day dresses, batman! 🧐😳 I haven't managed to watch it yet, but I was excited about the costuming just from the promos I've seen. Great video! ❤️
I`m in love with dresses in The Gilded age. The fabrics are so delicate and beautiful.
Marion's clothes have also thrown me off quite a bit, but I will say, that dark blue dress she wears with the lacy sleeves and the rosette at the collar looks almost exactly like a dress worn by first lady Frances Folsom Cleveland in 1886. So the timing is a a few years off, but it's one of my favorite historical gowns and I was so glad to see it recreated!
Such fun video! Love your enthusiasm and the wealth of knowledge :) I just binged the gilded age and was totally smitten with the costumes. I'm quite happy that I noticed some of the points you mentioned, like Mrs. Russel's new money designs, but your analysis put things in much more context :) I think the costume designer and the makers done a fabulous job
I loved the series. Im a big history, drama, and historical dress buff. The storyline and explanation at the end of each episode was great.
I'm loving the costumes in the show, even with all the little anachronisms! I was so relieved it wasn't like so many other HBO shows. I'm really enjoying it!
I agree that the costumes are absolutely outstanding. I find myself rewatching episodes not for the story but to look at the costumes again.
The Gilded Age is thrilling and the costumes are scrumptious!
So often a historical show comes out and I don't have access to its host streaming service. Hopefully I'll get to see this one soon. Thank you. So many of their dresses were lovely.
I'd say some of the costumes are all over the map of the 1880s. Nothing is really consistent. I love the bickering between Agnes and her son Oscar. It's delightful!
Some gowns look like a textile hoarder all glued together. Thanks for acknowledging the "kooky"
I enjoyed your explaining the finer details on these fashion. The dresses are amazing and beautiful. I find Mrs. Russell's the oddest though. Peggy Scott's are lovely. Marion's delightful. My favorite was the cape that Mrs. Van Ryin wore to the bazaar with the beaded fringe. It's admirable that the looks were more or less faithful to the time. One has to remember that in real life these clothes would have been custom made and influenced by each person's preferences maybe even altering a previous look to update an already worn outfit.
I think the costume designers did a good job of relating the costume designs to their character's personality.
Some of that show was filmed in my old stomping grounds, Troy, NY.
I just started watching this show, and I couldn’t agree with you more about Marian’s clothing. She took Ada with her to the dress maker, who certainly knows how to dress appropriately, so I’m at a loss as to how bad her dresses were. Maybe Ada was too timid to correct Marian’s choices, but that doesn’t make a lot of sense. She knew that Agnes would disapprove. Yet Agnes never said anything about the way Marian dressed, so I guess we’re the only ones who think her dresses were just wrong.
The clothing and accessories are one of the reasons I love this show. It’s so very well done despite the fashion errors. Everything is just so beautiful. I usually like anything Julian Fellowes does and he didn’t disappoint.
I feel much the same about The Gilded Age costumes: great summarization, love it! The jewelry was much the same: some real antiques and some great accuracy in the Van Rijn household, and then some 1950's surprises for Bertha Russell, lol. I'm sure they had some real budget constraints for Season 1, and made similar design style character choices as the costumes. I'm hoping to see more gorgeous jewelry in Season 2, including hopefully more of my designs, lol. Great video, loved it!
I love that they used some of your jewelry on season 1! Do you know if they bought your stuff for season 2, too?
I picked up a couple of Bridgerton books for my Kindle, based on your costume review of that series. (Still haven't streamed it yet, though.) We might have to pick up HBO Max again for a couple of months so I can watch "The Gilded Age" now!
Depending on your watch habits, you could pick up HBO for only a month, even, and just watch all the episodes (since the last one comes out Monday). I think they even do a free week trial if you have Hulu.
The chamberlain costume was artistic foreshadowing. Like a raven or crow in and Edgar Poe she brings bad news, death, etc. Russell was based on Alva who was new money and had the idea of "why save the best for last, I might lose it all again tomorrow (like her father did after the Civil war) so she always wore her best outfits no matter the occasion hence the evening gowns during th3 day. Also jts because even tho she tries, she's new money, and doesn't know that it's inappropriate to qwae certain fits during the day. Just like she calls on Mrs. Astor not realizing the rules are u don't call on someone higher ranked. U wait for them to call on you
I absolutely love The Gilded Age! You have such a good eye. This video was so fun and informative. Thank you for another great vid, Lady Rebecca!
I loved ”The Gilded Age”!! I’m glad I ignored some of the advanced press which was quite critical of the show. I loved the show from the very first episode. Too many people were comparing the show to “Downton Abbey” which, to me, was like comparing apples and oranges. Different eras, different continents, and totally different characters. I even bought the DVD of the series because I liked it so much. I hope in time that a companion book to the series will be done similar to the ones that were done for “Downton Abbey”. Looking forward to seeing Season 2!!
I've not watched yet, but now I'm definitely going to start. These gowns are gorgeous.
I think it is interesting that Carrie Coon was pregnant during filming so they had to adapt her costumes to fit. Wonder if that explains some design choices.
I think the general choices are fantastic. I love the fact that some of the women are using fashion that are not from the same year, because that is absolutely normal. Specially the older women. So I think it makes sense that some ladies are wearing gown that are from earlier years. I think it also says a lot about who they are and the values they stand for. Younger characters will always be into the fashion of the moment. I believe Mrs Russell is so over the top all the time for the same reason, she is trying too hard to show wealth and she doesn't know all the crazy rules of society (like the serving of the table lol) so It makes sense that she is not totally properly dressed like all the other ladies... the gown she wears on the finale was so gorgeous and I could see the Charles Worth inspiration. I love the show and I am very thankful for your review, is very kind and well informed .
Insisting on the costumes being strictly 1882 seems a little narrow-minded, when being able to buy fashion plate clothes depended on your income, how old you wanted to appear, and how much of a splash you wanted to make. Exactly like NOWADAYS. So I think the wardrobe dept was spot-on!
Part of the reason Carrie Coon”s costumes were as low cut and had strings in the back is that she was pregnant during filming . And once you know this you can see which outfits and scenes were shot when she was in her later stages of pregnancy.
Can't remember last show series that i obsessed over, but this one has my full attention. The ball gowns were divine😘😘 So loving Peggy's wardrobe 💖
This show was super fun, and I am so glad you did an analysis of the costumes! I really like the costumes, even when sometimes they feel weird and out of place. Everything seems to be a conscientious choice and makes the wardrobe feel like another character in the show. Thanks so much!
Charming and enjoyable video. Thanks 👏👍. I didn't notice the fastening at the back of day dresses! Next time - I'll look out for that.
I think Marian may look a "bit off" because she's more Edwardian in style - slim skirts, working woman silhouette. But I do think she looks nice! And I love her velvet chokers or ribbons round her neck, rather than new money bling-bling jewels! Agree with you that some of Gladys' 1882 dresses are straight out of the 1600s & 1700s, rather than being inspired by those times.
I reallllllly enjoyed seeing the costumes being discussed in the category of wearer/character. Yes, I can't wait for season two either!
What does everyone think of the dance scenes. I watched Scorsese's 'Age of Innocence' after this and thought the men did a better job here, in The Gilded Age; stronger arms, more definite movements. Looking forward to your next video 😀.
I love your video, you are so sweet and informative. Not to complain but a love of historical costumer RUclipsrs are so derogatory and with a “I’m better than this” attitude, it’s so cool to see someone different.
Thank you for such a wonderful and informative video! I love this show, and love the costumes, so seeing them compared to actual pictures from the period was really interesting.
love that show....about "seasons" remember Juilian Fellowes is English, and there was still a season in the fall if I am not mistaken, the city folks would go to the country houses at christmas,....could be just a matter of british thought processes not american...what color is your fingernail polish? love it.
I think Julian Fellows probably does his research though. 😉 And thanks - it's two colors layered over each other. One is a mauvy pink and then there's a pink/gold glitter.
I'm loving this show! The costumes and set are stunning, and I am both excited and saddened by the fact that the season finale is this Monday. Glad to know we are getting a second season though.
I love this show! I had been waiting on someone to do this video & you did a great job!
It's not my sort of show, so I'm unlikely to watch it (I don't watch anything just for the costumes)...
I first thought the costumes would be "too natural form" for me to be interested in them anyway, but it seems they're more re-emergance of the bustle than I thought, and much nicer, on the whole, than I expected.
The back closures, low necked day dresses, and details from later eras would irritate me (as well as some of the hairstyle choices - particularly the very late-20th-Century looking side-parting and flicked-aside long fringe on Marion, which makes her look like she's in a low-budget 1980's or 90s production in every photo you showed of her).
maybe .01% of the population would ever have an inkling let alone an opinion of period dressing, I think a lot of the Bertha choices were made because she was up to 8 months pregnant in real life. The first episode was one of the last ones shot. I think much of that costume choice was made for first impressions, it was actually one of my favorites. I heard that many of the ladies of the day had things made in London or Paris and sent over (only to sit in storage for a year or two in order for the times to catch up...). You might consider European fashion plates a little ahead of time to compare and contrast. If this IS the case, Bertha put them on the minute they arrived. She had no f's to give. Later with guidance she came around, but I expect it will be difficult to not have her be shiny. I have an issue with the Flagler/Bingham story line. Flagler's young widow married a Bingham 20 years later... there is no such person as Cissy Bingham, nor is there any basis for her in history... just s convenient name to drop.
I think the costume maker should have offered you a job as a costume consultant! Your knowledge & expertise of historical garments & sewing for theatre is wonderful!
I know nothing about period fashion but am so glad I found your channel today!! You obviously are highly educated and passionate in this subject...I am passionate about watching and enjoying these types of shows though!!! Basically I love the fantasy of period storytelling in either print or screen. I am going to check out your other videos...possibly to look for commentary on Bridgerton, Downton, oh and The Nevers.
I have not yet seen this show. I have noticed several RUclipsrs are talking about the show and after seeing all of the costumes in your video, I really want to see it! Congrats on speaking to the designer!!! That must have been so exciting. How did you track him down? It's also pretty impressive for him to be so open with you which means he was very comfortable in speaking with you about the costumes and why most of the day clothes open in the back instead of the front. Let's hope he does make the necessary adjustments for Season 2. Just think about it....you may have given him the push he needed to get the costuming more on point!! Exciting, very exciting! I thought they were all very pretty even if they were not accurate for the time period for the show. Thank you so much for putting all of this together.
He is actually one of the costume makers, not the designer, but I follow him on Instagram and he was nice enough to return my messages, so that was really cool!
@@LadyRebeccaFashions Very cool!
Love the Gilded Age and the costumes are beautiful. So glad that it is renewed….hated that the first season is over :(
I'm so excited to hear someone talk about these costumes. I love them but don't have any professional experience with "is this good or historical"
Actually, Mrs Russel is dresses more in the French style, compared to the “old money” English fashion of the time; not a crazy kookie style as indicated in the commentary. The show chose the obvious difference in style/fashion to help her stand out, and giving the obvious indication of “new money/ new style”. It’s a good choice, as it is more likely the “new money” would lean into the more flamboyant newer French style, over the “standard/boring” English “old money” style/fashion. I’m surprised this wasn’t mentioned.
10:10 "she's more relatable to a modern audience"....Thank you for saying that. I see much of that statement within most period dramas whether its a slightly modern look peeking out of an old-fashioned hairpiece or hairstyle or the way a character talks or expresses an opinion. A good example is the way the four young Grand Duchesses were shown within the 1971 historical drama "Nicholas & Alexandra". They looked like young women with hairstyles from 1970 wearing clothes from 1917. I don't like to be emotionally spoon fed while watching anything, but you can see it as the director or writer is showing you certain characters' costumes/hairstyles or delivery of lines, "This is soneone you're supposed to really like and cheer on..."
Modernizing a period drama, like putting current values into a character so we relate irritates me so much.
I love period dramas for the authenticity of the period, knowing there’s some creative license. But when modern values, hair styles, dialogue, etc are used to make us root for someone (or hate someone), I don’t enjoy it, and I won’t watch some of the newer shows because it’s like watching a modern drama in period clothes.
I am absolutely adoring this show! (And I loooove the official podcast.) I think one of my favorite aspects was just how well the costumers used visual cues in almost every. single. costume. and it's astounding.
AAAAAAHH! I want to know where to get a pattern for Turner's burgundy gown! I've been looking for that kind of wrap-front closure for about two years now!!
I wish I knew! I take it Truly Victorian doesn't have anything like it?
@@LadyRebeccaFashions Nope! That was the first place I checked. It doesn't seem to be a common style -- even fashion plates of that style are few and far between.
For me, the costume choices for Marian is actually spot on because her aunt only gives her only bare minimum support so she could get married and strict on how one should present themselves according to their social class. In this case Marian, who came from humble beginnings, only wore outdated dresses and feels off because she doesnt even know how to be herself.
I bet the bridal business will be featuring dresses inspired by this period.
Maybe not bustles, but heavy draping in the skirt back.
Rebecca, you really know your shit. Thanks. One of my observations (not a costume) was that some of the costuming was made to appear even more outlandish than they actually were. (Probably incorrect as I find generally find this kind of display by the rich appalling.)
I loved everything about this show, the characters , the set decorations, the costumes. This show was wonderful! Can't wait until next season!