Masks & Mischief: A Bridgerton Ball

Masks & Mischief: A Bridgerton Ball

Pahl and Danielle in their King George and Queen Charlotte inspired outfits for the Bridgerton Masks & Mischief Ball

At the end of March 2026, my partner and I attended the Masks & Mischief Bridgerton Ball,  in Hamden, CT.  This Masks and Mischief Ball was similar to the first one we attended in October, where the dances were from the actual Netflix show from Seasons 1-3 of Bridgerton as well as Queen Charlotte, with the addition of at least three new dances from Season 4.  Another difference was that instead of a professional photographer offering couples and group portraits during the event, there was a separate games room with five different games to play including a table top Pall Mall (a pre-cursor to croquet)!  And there was a scavenger hunt that I did not participate in because I was committed to wearing my mask all evening and therefore detailed distance vision evaded me, for the most part. 

It was about a month and a half from our return from Venice, so we wanted to showcase our less historically accurate 18th-century costumes and pretend to be part of Queen Charlotte's court which focuses more on Rococo style rather than Regency styles. 

Pahl looking particularly regal with his sequined tailcoat and large jabot

Pahl had purchased this burgundy 18th century outfit complete with blouse, arm cuffs, jabot, and matching tailcoat and trousers before we knew we were going to Venice. We initially thought it would be fine, except that later we learned that it wasn't historically accurate enough for the events we would be attending in Venice during Carnivale. The person who made it used plastic sequins and an embroidery machine to create the beautiful decorative edging design on the coat. We did not want to commit a faux-pas in Italy, but with Bridgerton and Queen Charlotte, the one thing that is always true is that both of these shows are historically-inspired and often mix fashion from different time periods together in the same outfit. And they are not that committed to historical fabrics or finishing techniques either. Bridgerton is definitely glamorous and fantastical, so if you are going to any Bridgerton ball, keep that in mind when dressing yourself.  

To this extent, Pahl actually mixed a gold/ivory Regency style waistcoat and black under the knee riding boots into his outfit. He also made this owl-like gold mask out of paper mache, clay, and gold leaf. 

Danielle's outfit with Miss Point Princess Sleeve OP combined with cape and mask from La Bauta

My outfit is a combination of an OP from Chinese indie brand Miss Point, and accessories that Pahl bought me in Venice at La Bauta. The Lilyka Garden Classic OP from Miss Point features a striking contrast design with bow decorations on the chest, delicate pin tucks, elegant half sleeves, princess sleeves with ruffle cuffs, pockets on both sides, detachable waist ties, and a cotton lace ruffle hem.  I got the Green Wall Flower full set, which also included a giant back bow that pinned on the back of the dress in 6 places, a medium size wired bow on the waist, a bow neck brooch, a bonnet, and gloves. I also purchased the Forest Waltz 4-tiered Multi-Layer embroidered skirt in ivory thinking I could use it to extend the dress length to the floor, but when I put it on altogether along with the Nolaria High Volume White Puffy Petticoat, it was too heavy for me to dance in.

See, again, I got this dress way before I knew we were going to Venice, and I was under the impression that with the floor length skirt it would have been close enough to 18th-Century style because of the princess sleeves and the tiered shape of the skirt along with the ruched swirling ruffles at the hem, but it's not the right shape, at all. The skirt would need to be much wider to hold proper panniers, floor length as well, and the yoke of the dress while absolutely astounding with the delicate chiffon pintucks is unfortunately not at all like a decorative stomacher in a historically accurate 18th-century dress. 

But as I've said before, this works for a Bridgerton ball, especially if you're moonlighting as a lady of Queen Charlotte's court, because while it has elements of 18th-century fashion, it is tying in some 19th century choices in the patterning and construction. The rest of my accessories are hands down more 18th-century leaning from the under the knee socks with the ivory bows and the ivory and gold bow low-heeled fabric shoes. The mask and the cape are actually historically accurate pieces from Atelier La Bauta in matching velvet turquoise. The mask is a type of Columbina party mask, made with paper mache and covered in velvet, lace trim, and rhinestones, while the Velvet Cape has a hood and tie at the neck, and is lined with satin.  The fur stole is actually two stoles cleverly combined with a satin lining and tie that we purchased from a friend. It was particularly cold the evening of the ball, and I decided that the fur stole was necessary and not in fact, over the top.  I usually have a rough time wearing masks comfortably, but I have to say that this was the most comfortable mask I've worn in my life, so kudos to La Bauta for making a beautiful decorative and wearable mask!

Pahl and Danielle dancing; Photo Credit to Mary Alice Ladd

​The dances at this ball are certainly more focused on "sweet little choreographies for couples", as well as some unchoreographed waltzing and mixer dances like dance from Season 2's "Harmony" episode and the lively Scottish-style dance from Season 4's episode, "The Beyond".  But don't assume you have to attend with a partner, dance with same person the whole time, or that your partner has to be the opposite gender. It's a free for all really--if you want to dance and find someone who will take the opposite role, all is fair!  I usually prefer to take a follow role, because I get confused easily when changing directions, but there are plenty of people who dance both roles! Everyone is very kind and it is okay to ask someone to "be on your dance card"; do not assume you have to wait for anyone to ask you first, especially if you are not a lead. I danced with just about as many women as men, and skipped a few dances to play a competitive game of Pall Mall with Pahl. I was way behind at first, but I came through as winner at the end! 

Checking out the refreshments table with Frederick (dressed like a captain), and another couple

You might have noticed that I changed my shoes from my initial photo and that's because I'm so committed to dancing, that I'm wearing actual jazz shoes. If my dress was floor length, you might not have seen them at all. The waist bow is looking a bit skewed, but that's to be expected after dancing on the balls of your feet for some thirty minutes or more. Luckily the wired bow is very adjustable. 

Group photo taken by Irene Urban, Mistress of Games

It seems as if the folks that chose to wear spring colors are all centrally located, while the darker colors frame the sides and back of the group.  For more photos from this ball and the October one, go here. 

Detail of the textures in my dress and the mask

We had a wonderful time dancing and socializing with friends old and new. To be on the lookout for more events from the same dance instructor, Susan de Guardiola for Bridgerton, Regency, and other historical balls and events, please visit the Masks & Mischief page for upcoming events!