ELLE Exclusive: The Man Behind The Silver Dress, Costume Designer John Glaser On Dressing Bridgerton’s Most Enchanted Season

Few moments in Bridgerton Season Four carry as much narrative and visual weight as the masquerade ball. The very first episode hinges on that encounter, Benedict Bridgerton's fateful meeting with the woman in silver (Sophie Baek) — and with it, the entire season’s emotional architecture is quietly set in motion.

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Every flicker of candlelight, every turn of her gown, every carefully chosen shade becomes part of the storytelling. In a scene so beloved by readers and so eagerly anticipated on screen, the costume surely becomes a character in its own right, given that the colours act as a metaphor for their story. It is within this delicate interplay of fabric and fate that costume designer John Glaser begins his work — and our conversation.

On Creating Sophie’s Silver Gown

The now-iconic silver dress was never meant to be a costume in the traditional sense. It was conceived as a transformation. “We didn’t want a disco ball,” Glaser said with a laugh, recalling early conversations about the masquerade look. “The temptation with silver is to make it loud. But Sophie isn’t loud. She’s discovering herself in that moment.”

Originally sketched with a more exaggerated, fairy-tale silhouette, the gown evolved into something softer and more Regency in line. The goal was not to recreate Cinderella, but to gently echo it. “If it becomes too literal, you lose her,” he explained. “We wanted the audience to feel the reference without seeing the reference.”

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Instead of heavy sparkle, the team layered textiles, lace over metallic underlays, delicate beadwork that revealed itself only in motion. Under candlelight, the dress shimmered subtly rather than glaringly. “The light had to find her,” Glaser noted. “She’s trying not to be seen, and yet she becomes impossible to ignore.” Most tellingly, he views the gown not as something Sophie wears, but something she steps into emotionally. “The dress couldn’t be worn by her or even seen near her. She had to wear it,” he said. “It had to feel earned.”

The Necklace and Its Language

In the world of Bridgerton, jewellery is never incidental. “Jewellery in this world always has a language,” Glaser shared. Sophie’s necklace, delicate, almost deceptively simple, was designed to anchor her. “That necklace draws the eye upward,” he explained. “Toward her voice, her presence. It’s not about decoration; it’s about framing who she is becoming.”

An amethyst detail nodded quietly to her Korean heritage, a cultural touch woven seamlessly into the Regency fantasy. Rather than announce itself, it existed as a subtle layer of identity, a private truth glinting beneath public spectacle.

Benedict in Black

If Sophie shimmered, Benedict absorbed. Dressed entirely in black at the masquerade, his look was constructed as deliberate counterpoint. “She reflects light; he absorbs it,” Glaser observed. In a ballroom awash with pastels, feathers, and historical excess, the stark contrast created immediate visual tension. Their silhouettes were designed to find each other before their dialogue ever did.

For Glaser, that contrast was less about colour theory and more about character psychology. “He’s searching. She’s hiding. The clothes do that work before they speak.”

Cultural Codes and Continuity

Beyond the silver gown, Season Four was threaded with quiet Easter eggs. A shawl once worn by Daphne reappeared, linking generations of Bridgerton women through fabric memory. “We love rewarding the audience that pays attention,” Glaser admitted. “There are little secrets everywhere.”

But even with these details, restraint remained central. “The world is heightened,” he said, “but the emotions are real. If the costume overwhelms the character, we’ve failed.” 

In a season defined by yearning, Glaser’s designs ensured that transformation felt intimate rather than theatrical. The silver gown may have launched a thousand tweets, but its true magic lay in its quietness. After all, in Bridgerton, even a fairy tale must feel lived in.

Also, read:

ELLE Exclusive: In Conversation With The Leading Stars Of 'Bridgerton' Season Four