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Breakout Moment

Thanks to his role on Bridgerton, British actor Regé-Jean Page is drawing major attention—and so are his sartorial choices.

They say the clothes make the man, but Regé-Jean Page’s elaborate Regency-era wardrobe in the hit TV series Bridgerton can’t take all the credit for the strong impression he’s made. After all, in the key honeymoon scenes in Episode 6, he’s—well, let’s just say costumes aren’t a key factor. Still, on the series, he makes the Duke of Hastings, aka Simon Basset, a memorable character, and what he wears he wears well. The same is proving true of the 31-year-old actor himself. As a performer and as a fashion exemplar, Page is turning out to be a memorable fashion player.

The Netflix show, based on the novel series of the same name, is Page’s big claim to fame so far. Yes, he had a few small yet notable roles beforehand—he played Chicken George in the 2016 reincarnation of the miniseries Roots and was a regular in Shonda Rhimes’ one-season-wonder legal drama For the People. Still, Bridgerton, also a Rhimes creation, was the perfect casting match for Page. It displays his unmatched ability to wear period pantaloons and riding boots with ease. Hey, not everyone can make a Lord Byron-inspired wardrobe appealing.

Born in London to a Zimbabwean nurse mother and an English preacher father, Page spent his early childhood in Harare, then moved back for secondary school to England, where he discovered acting thanks to the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain.

Page’s real-life fashion sense, much like his career, is still developing, but he knows what he likes. His sartorial style is what he has called “very safe,” typically consisting of turtlenecks and shawl-collar sweaters paired with slim jeans and low-top sneakers—a far cry from the Duke’s romantic formalwear. But, like his alter ego, Page knows how to dress for the occasion. For his February 2021 hosting gig on Saturday Night Live, he opted for a single-breasted black suit jacket and slim black trousers by Alexander McQueen with a jeweled brooch. Then, at the 2021 Screen Actors Guild Awards in April (where he was a nominee), Page wore a dark velvet tuxedo and a printed shirt by Louis Vuitton, which he accessorized with Kurt Geiger London loafers and a diamond huggie earring. “Baseline, you should be able to have fun with your fashion,” he said in a 2020 interview with Who What Wear. “I don’t know how eloquent I am in that language, but I very much admire it.” It’s a shame for many reasons that Page won’t be a part of Bridgerton’s forthcoming second season—word has it that the next slate of episodes will focus on other characters’ relationships rather than Simon and Daphne’s. But fans who burn for Regé-Jean can take comfort in knowing there is a lot more to come from this gem of an actor—sartorially and otherwise.