Twenty-four years after Renée Zellweger first brought Bridget Jones to life in the film adaptation of Helen Fielding’s bestselling novel Bridget Jones’s Diary, the beloved character is back in Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy. This time, however, Jones is no longer the carefree, single woman fans fell in love with in the early 2000s. Now in her 50s, she is a widow and a mother of two, navigating the complexities of grief, parenthood, and finding love again. The film, set to release in UK cinemas and on Peacock in the US on February 13, marks a new chapter in Jones’s life, one that is both deeply emotional and relatable. Costume designer Molly Emma Rowe, who worked on the latest installment, emphasizes that the film is about “bringing Bridget back to life” and helping her “navigate through her grief” while juggling her career, friendships, and dating.
Bridget Jones’s personal style has always been a defining feature of her character. Her quirky, often ill-fitting wardrobe—think short skirts, cleavage-revealing tops, mumsy cardigans, granny pants, and long scarves—cemented her place in noughties pop culture history. However, this iconic look wasn’t intended to be glamorous or trendsetting. Costume designer Rachael Fleming, who worked on the first film in 2001, aimed to create a pragmatic, slightly disheveled look for Jones. Fleming wanted her outfits to feel relatable to busy women, reflecting Jones’s diary entries about her romantic escapades, weight struggles, and habits like drinking and smoking. This approach feels even more relevant today, as the world grapples with the pressure of social media’s glossy, photoshopped images. Fleming’s vision of Jones as a real, flawed woman resonated deeply with audiences, making her one of the most memorable characters of the early 2000s.
Over the years, Bridget Jones’s style has inspired a microtrend known as the “Frazzled Englishwoman” aesthetic. This look, characterized by haphazard layering and a sense of practicality, is often associated with British women dealing with the country’s unpredictable weather. Think of a jilted Kate Winslet in The Holiday or a befuddled Keira Knightley in Love Actually. This archetype has even influenced high fashion, with luxury brands like Chanel and Miu Miu incorporating similar elements into their designs. The enduring appeal of Jones’s style lies in its authenticity and realism, qualities that Molly Emma Rowe aimed to preserve in the latest film. For Rowe, it was crucial that Jones’s wardrobe felt “rooted in reality” and maintained a sense of relatability. As she explained, “Bridget has some nice clothes, and she tries her best, but she sort-of always gets it a bit wrong. There’s always something a little bit off, whether it’s the fit, or the pattern or color clashing.”
In Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, Jones’s wardrobe is more mature and practical, reflecting her new role as a single mother and widow. Gone are the days of the Playboy bunny outfit or the tiger-print underwear that defined her earlier adventures. Instead, Rowe has opted for work-appropriate blazers and cardigans layered over shirts, though she’s retained some of Jones’s flirty personality with pieces like a mini skirt styled with stockings. The film also includes subtle nostalgic references to previous installments, such as an emerald green dress that pays homage to Jones’s look in the third film. For Rowe, recreating some of Jones’s iconic outfits was a labor of love. Take the infamous red penguin-print pajama set, for example. After discovering that the original set no longer existed, Rowe and her team recreated it, ensuring the fabric looked worn and washed after 20 years. “We color-tested loads of reds on screen to make sure that after filming, it would still look like the original red,” she explained. This attention to detail underscores the importance of authenticity in the film’s wardrobe.
The film also explores how grief and personal loss can influence the way someone dresses. Rowe drew inspiration from her own experience of losing her father as a teenager, a time when her mother turned to her father’s clothes for comfort. This idea is reflected in Jones’s oversized, bobbly gray cardigan and shirts, many of which are monogrammed with her late husband Mark Darcy’s initials. These pieces not only serve as a “comfort blanket” for Jones but also add a nuanced layer to her character that wasn’t explicitly written into the script. By incorporating elements of Darcy’s wardrobe, Rowe creates a sense of continuity and connection to Jones’s past life. Many of the items in Jones’s wardrobe were thrifted from charity and consignment stores, further emphasizing her practical, no-frills approach to fashion. As Rowe noted, “Mark died four years ago, and Bridget’s not out buying clothes. She’s struggling to keep it together, which is one of the reasons why nothing in her life looks new.”
Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy is part of a growing trend of films centered on women in their 50s, a demographic that has historically been underrepresented in media. Recent releases like The Substance, starring Demi Moore as a former A-lister navigating the challenges of aging, and Babygirl, featuring Nicole Kidman as a high-flying CEO embarking on an illicit affair, highlight the increasing demand for stories about older women. According to a 2024 report by the Geena Davis Institute, women aged 50 and above continue to have limited presence on screen, particularly in romantic storylines. This makes films like Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy all the more significant. For Molly Emma Rowe, the message of the film is clear: she hopes it will “empower [viewers] to feel comfortable in their vulnerabilities.” In an industry often obsessed with youth and perfection, it’s refreshing to see stories that celebrate women’s complexity, resilience, and beauty at every stage of life. Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy not only brings back a beloved character but also offers a much-needed reminder that life—and love—doesn’t stop at 50.
