The Bridgerton cast has shared the uncomfortable reality of what it’s like to wear a corset, or two, when filming.
The first instalment of the series, which dropped on Netflix in December 2020, saw 82 million households watch the show in the space of the month.
Following the drop, we saw Regency era fashion begin to influence our sartorial choices – from wedding dresses to corsets.
In January 2021, eBay UK reported a 39 per cent increase in searches for corsets and a 37 per cent rise in people looking for lacy tops.
But while the body shaping undergarment may be the key behind recreating the impossibly thin waists aspired to by the women of the time, they are by no means comfortable.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, ahead of the show’s second season, Golda Rosheuvel (who plays the gossip-loving Queen Charlotte) shared the true extent of how difficult it is to wear a corset for long periods of time, and how she prepares for days on set.
“I train three times a week, I eat healthily, [and] I drink lots of water because you have to have stamina to wear those costumes,” she said, adding that this routine makes “recovery” days in between filming “less difficult”.
To add to her struggle, Rosheuvel was double corseted – which is when two corsets are worn on top of one another.
“Because I haven’t died yet – my insides are still intact. But one has to be very careful. Got to be match fit,” she added.
Rosheuvel’s co-star, Polly Walker (who plays Lady Featherington) agreed, disclosing that she was also asked to wear uncomfortable “little white tights that wouldn’t stay up” for her role.
“I can’t say that [my outfits] were comfortable, I have a massive corset,” she said.
“I might have looked very elegant, but my tights were like that of a two year olds. But it was all for a good cause.”
The second season of Bridgerton will drop on Netflix this Friday, 25 March.
