Meet the fashion-obsessed York teen who looks like she’s walked straight from the set of Bridgerton - with a wardrobe full of 300 handmade historical outfits.
Eleanor Shendery, 16, painstakingly crafted her outfits over 3,000 hours in total.
She wears the floor-length gowns while visiting castles, stately homes and on historical reenactments.
Eleanor's grandmother, Ann Gill, 79, taught her to sew eight years ago - she started making her own dresses aged 12 and has built up quite the collection.
Eleanor, an A-level student, from York, said: "People used to say I dressed like something out of Pride and Prejudice - but since Bridgerton came out, everyone thinks my style is really cool.”
Eleanor has always loved history and decided to make an outfit from the Tudor era after Ann taught her to sew.
She said: "It was a brown Tudor gown made from some curtains my parents were throwing away.
"I made it over the course of two-or-three days."
Eleanor spends days on her designs and reuses pieces of material she finds in charity shops to be as sustainable as possible.
She said: "My parents were throwing old clothes and I wanted to see what I could make of it.
"It doesn't have to be an expensive hobby - people should express themselves.
"I got a pair of curtains they were throwing away - some of my mum's friends have donated some spare fabric lying around."
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Eleanor has to wear a uniform at school - but likes to incorporate Edwardian-style blouses and jewellery in her day-to-day style.
She wears a lot of "preppy" skirts and dresses - and describes her outfits as "cottagecore".
A lot of her clothes are second-hand - and her favourite app to shop on is Vinted.
She said: “It would be unrealistic to wear my regency costumes all the time - but I do like to incorporate some of the elements into everyday wear.
“When I’m not at school, I like to wear flowy blouses and Tudor-style jewellery.
“I’d probably say my fashion is very cottagecore, to be honest.”
Eleanor says she feels “lucky” that she gets lots of compliments on her outfits - and says people are “indifferent” at worst.
She said: "I think most people really like it - especially since Bridgerton came out - I've never met anyone who isn't supportive.
"Some people think it's really cool and ask me about it - the response has been quite positive."
Eleanor is finding the hobby hard to balance alongside schoolwork.
She said: "In 2022 I made 75 dresses, in 2023 it was about 30, and this year I have only made seven so far."
"I definitely need to find the balance, as I do have a sewing room in my house that I need to make use of."
When she finds time, Eleanor attends many historical reenactments, meet ups and events where she has had the opportunity to meet others who share her love of history and period fashion.
She is also a member of a historical dance group and has visited castles across the country in which she sports her best dresses.
She said: “I often have people coming up and asking me for photos, thinking I work there.
"I've received very positive reactions from everyone, people are generally really fascinated."
With the latest season of Bridgerton just around the corner, Eleanor is a big fan of the show and loves that it has brought historical costuming to the forefront.
She said: "Historical costuming has always been around, but Bridgerton has definitely blown it up on social media."
You can see more of Eleanor's designs on her TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@eleanor.costumes?lang=en
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