• "Bridgerton" is known for its colorful, innovative spin on Regency costumery. 
• In season two, costume designer Sophie Canales focused on showcasing the characters' individuality.
• Insider ranked the 17 most memorable looks from the new episodes, which premiered in late March.

The 'Bridgerton' costumes aren't historically accurate, but they're not supposed to be.

"Bridgerton" takes plenty of creative liberties in its depiction of Regency England — one of which is its costumery.

Sophie Canale, the show's season-two costume designer, studied historically accurate 19th-century fashion while crafting her vision for the show. From there, she let her imagination run.

"The thing with 'Bridgerton' is that it isn't period correct and it's never trying to be," she told Art & Object in March, continuing, "You start with your historical knowledge and then, if you know the basics, you're allowed to kind of break the boundaries."

Her in-house team of 120 people produced over 700 costumes for the eight new episodes, she told Harper's Bazaar ahead of the season-two premiere in late March.

After working as the assistant to season-one designers Ellen Mirojnick and John Glaser, Canale embarked on the new chapter ready to build upon the groundwork laid out by her predecessors.

"Ellen Mirojnick and John Glaser built an amazing world in season one when I was an assistant designer, so I had this brilliant foundation. But for season two, I felt like we were getting to know the characters a bit more," she said. 

Here are the 17 best costumes from "Bridgerton" season two, ranked by memorability.

17. Daphne's first outfit this season successfully ushers her into the story with a more grown-up aesthetic.

Now a married duchess and mother, Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) experiences a shift in her wardrobe between seasons one and two. The moment she walks into Aubrey Hall in her lilac-colored gown, it becomes clear that the 1813 diamond has evolved into a confident, in-control woman.

"There needed to be a maturity to her. Now, she's a mother. She was very pretty in season one. I wanted to bring something more sophisticated in the sense of [fewer] laced fabrics [for season two]," Canale told PopSugar.

While designing the costumes, Canale said she used less floral lace and replaced Daphne's season-one blue color palette with more "mauves."

In this new chapter, the eldest Bridgerton daughter opts for jewelry that is "more sophisticated, more decorative, and more period correct" than the pieces in season one, the costume designer explained.

"That gives her an older look," Canale added. 

16. Benedict's floral vest is the perfect choice for the family pall-mall game.

The Bridgertons come together for a pall-mall match during their time at Aubrey Hall. While the three eldest brothers stay fairly true to traditional Regency garb, each one varies slightly in style. 

Benedict Bridgerton, the aspiring artist played by Luke Thompson, is the most high-spirited and fun-loving of the bunch. So, his colorful floral vest is the perfect piece for both the player and the game, which takes place on Aubrey Hall's garden-filled grounds. 

"Benedict and the Bridgerton brothers, they're very different visually from one another this season," Canale told Harper's Bazaar, adding, "Benedict is on this artistic journey with tie pins and little details that give a sense of his own style."

15. Eloise's plaid dress is a creative take on a gentleman's waistcoat.

When Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie) confronts Madame Delacroix (Kathryn Drysdale) about her ties to anonymous columnist Lady Whistledown, she shows up to the modiste's shop in a dress that has a plaid top-piece resembling a waistcoat.

The look is a perfect example of how Canale incorporated menswear into the young feminist's season-two wardrobe. Eloise's more "masculine look" is clearly "reflected in the fabric choices — heavyweight silks," the designer told The Hollywood Reporter. 

She added: "And then I brought lots of checks and Regency stripes, very popular for a gentleman's waistcoat, into her world."

14. Lady Danbury stands out in her burgundy ensemble at the 1814 Royal Ascot.

Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh) is one of the most confident characters in "Bridgerton," and she carries a powerful presence wherever she goes. The dowager often appears on-screen wearing show-stopping gowns in her signatures hues of deep reds and maroons. 

One of her all-time best looks arrives at the 1814 Royal Ascot, where she wears an embroidered velvet gown with a matching top hat, cocked slightly to the side.

13. Queen Charlotte's green and pink ball gown, paired with a violet wig, gives her a strong start to the season.

It may seem impossible for Queen Charlotte's costumes to get more elaborate following season one, but the royal (played by Golda Rosheuvel) continues to outdo herself. 

At the first ball of the 1814 season, Charlotte arrives in a green and pink gown, a statement necklace, and a glitzy tiara propped up in her violet wig. 

"With the queen's costumes, there's so much detail in the embellishment — lots of pleat work and embroidery," Canale told The Hollywood Reporter. 

To bring her character's looks to life, Rosheuvel was double corseted throughout filming, Fashion Magazine reported. 

12. Prudence's hot pink Royal Ascot outfit boasts an impressive amount of intricate details.

From the flower-adorned headpiece to the embellishments on her collar, Prudence Featherington's hot pink gown is one of her most over-the-top costumes to date. 

"Those little jackets — the technical term is Spencer — those little Spencers just do so much of your character's work for you," Bessie Carter, who plays Prudence, told Town & Country. 

11. Kate's lilac bridesmaid dress features stunning details, including pleats and embroidery.

Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley) takes the backseat on her half-sister Edwina Sharma's wedding day, but her lilac-colored gown is one of her most simple-yet-elegant looks of the season.

The gown has delicate embroidery running down the side, along with sharp pleats in the back. 

During an earlier episode, Daphne points out that lilacs are representative of first love, so it's fitting that Kate wears the color to Edwina (Charithra Chandran) and Anthony Bridgerton's nuptials — the day she finally gives into her feelings and kisses the groom (Jonathan Bailey).

10. Portia's citrus gown is quintessential Featherington fashion.

Portia Featherington (Polly Walker) battles for control of her household after her husband dies at the end of season one, and her armor is citrus through and through. 

As she sits with Jack Featherington (Rupert Young) in the drawing-room in season two, she wears a gown so bright that it's nearly neon. It's quintessential Featherington attire, as the family members are dressed in such loud colors that they're impossible to miss.

During an interview with Vulture, Walker said that, as someone whose personal wardrobe is filled with black garments, it's "alien" and "slightly torturous" for her to put on Portia's color palette. 

"I'd like to be in more tasteful or subdued colors; I'd like to be dressed a bit more like Lady Bridgerton or Lady Danbury instead of these fluorescent colors. But that's the Featheringtons for you. If I can do it, anyone can," the actress said. 

In real Regency England, women's garments were more "subdued" and "muted" in color, fashion historian Raissa Bretaña told Netflix.

While there were some "extremely colorful garments" worn during the period, she said that "those really rich, hot tones wouldn't even be chemically possible until the second half of the 19th century."

9. The Sharmas' gorgeous orange gowns mark a moment of unity between the women.

Throughout season two, Kate often wears different shades of color than her step-mother Mary Sharma (Shelley Conn) and Edwina.

Canale told The Zoe Report that she dressed the eldest Sharma in rich jewel tones to reflect her strength, while she put the youngest sibling in softer colors to signify her desire for acceptance into London society.  

But when all three women are together for the Haldi ceremony, a tradition before Indian weddings in which the bride and groom's loved ones give their blessings by covering the engaged parties in turmeric, they're all in orange. 

Not only are the garments gorgeous, but they reflect a special moment of unity between the trio.

8. Charlotte's rose-filled wig seems to defy gravity.

The Queen's final wig of the season is one of her all-time best accessories.

There are camouflaged roses interspersed within her blonde curls, a minor detail that elevates the look.

7. Kate's orange gown and half-up hairstyle shows a different side of her at the Featherington ball.

When Kate first arrives in London, she wears heavy, structured fabrics and ties her hair up in tight updos. But as she begins to lose control of her feelings for Anthony, her silhouettes loosen and her hair comes down.

"We start with her wearing heavier-weight silks, taffetas, and satins to portray the rigid element of her character and how she's got her guard up. As her defenses come down, we move into lighter-weight satins and silks," Canale told The Hollywood Reporter.

Kate's transformation is evident at the Featherington ball, where she dons a bright orange, embellished gown with a half-up hairstyle. 

6. Anthony's water-soaked shirt is one of the most iconic garments worn in season two.

After Anthony tumbles into the water, he emerges in a soaked white undershirt. It's such an unexpected, charged moment that neither Edwina nor Kate can avert their eyes. 

According to "Bridgerton" creator and showrunner Chris Van Dusen, the scene is a tribute to BBC's 1995 adaptation of Jane Austen's novel "Pride and Prejudice."

"There are some images that have been burned into my brain for a very long time," he told Entertainment Weekly, adding, "And those naturally came out onto the page when I was writing the show.

He went on: "I've definitely talked about my love for that 1995 BBC adaptation with Colin Firth emerging from the lake in his white shirt. That scene of Anthony going in relates to that. It's an Easter egg for fans of the genre."

In this scenario, it's the situation rather than the actual garment that makes the look one of the most memorable of the season.

5. Kate's pall-mall gowns are essentially the same designs, but in inverse colors.

Kate makes a splash in her first Bridgerton pall-mall game, picking up on the rules shortly after assuming ownership over the mallet of death.

Lethal as she may be on the pitch, she shows up for the game in a delicate lilac gown. Because she and Anthony end the scene by toppling over into the mud, Canale had to create multiple replicas of the design, she told a fan on her Instagram page.

When Kate and Anthony join the Bridgertons for another pall-mall game after their honeymoon in the finale, the new viscountess steps out in a strikingly similar design. However, the colors are inverted, and the embroidery comes up slightly higher on the dress.

4. Penelope's final season-two look is a major transformation for the character.

Time and time again, Penelope is openly disgruntled at the fussy yellow gowns her mother forces upon her. 

But this season, the ton wallflower's fashion evolves. Coughlan told Shondaland that her character, who is hiding a secret life as Whistledown, gets a "much more refined look."

"In the first few episodes, there are still some big hair accessories and fussy curls, lots of embellishments on the dresses, and then it gets less and less as the season goes on," she explained. 

Portia, her mother, is so occupied with marrying off Penelope's older sisters, Philippa and Prudence, and staking a claim on the Featherington estate that she loosens the reigns on her youngest daughter. 

"Penelope is kind of like, 'Okay, you're not paying attention to me; there are not as many housemaids sticking hot things in my hair to make it crazy. So, I'll look a bit more refined and a bit more myself,'" Coughlan said, adding, "You really do see her progression to becoming a young woman."

In the finale, Penelope's hair is pulled back into a sleek updo. And while her gown is still yellow, it's a more subdued shade with slightly less ornamentation. 

3. Charlotte's monochromatic ensemble is her best costume of the entire season.

Charlotte invites Danbury and the Sharmas to the royal grounds, joining her guests in a head-to-toe blue outfit.

From the pearls woven into her icy-blue wig to the detailing on her gown, this look is the Queen's best costume of the season. 

2. Edwina's wedding gown is simple, elegant, and delicate — a perfect choice for the 1814 diamond.

To create Edwina's head-turning wedding gown, Canale used French lace, she told Pop Sugar. Because the character wears the dress for the entirety of the episode, which took a month to film, Canale said she made three of the gowns.

"It's worn for that whole episode. Laces are not woven; it's quite narrow when it's woven. I really wanted a long train. There was a lot of piecework to make that dress as long as it is because the fabric was a lot shorter," she explained. 

To get the cast members' organic reactions to her bridal look, Chandran told Netflix that she hid from all the actors before Edwina's walk down the aisle. 

1. Kate's hunting ensemble emanates strength and poise, in addition to including a nod to the character's Indian roots.

Kate's hunting attire — a wool gown and matching top hat — is the most memorable costume in season two. Canale intentionally dressed Kate in a deep teal jewel tone, throughout the season as a nod to her Indian heritage, she told The Hollywood Reporter. 

Not only does the eldest Sharma look strong and dignified in the structured get-up, but the embroidery on the collar and hat, along with dangling gold jewelry, are beautiful feminine touches. 

More details lie beneath the surface. When Kate picks up her dress to step over a branch (one of fans' favorite moments of the season), she leaves Anthony enraptured by the sight of her thigh-high stocking.

"Not sure if you caught it on screen, but they are embroidered up the leg as well," Canale told Fashion Magazine. 

Disclosure: Mathias Döpfner, CEO of Business Insider's parent company, Axel Springer, is a Netflix board member.

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