Liam Daniel/Netflix (NEW YORK) — Just as its hit The Queen’s Gambit spiked sales for chess boards, Netflix’s latest success, Bridgerton, is boosting searches for “embroidery,” “corsets,” and other period items.

The steamy show, set in the 1800s, is even spiking fans’ searches for the flower wisteria — seen onscreen in and around the show’s sumptuous titular estate — by some 300%.

According to the Mirror, the website Hobbycraft reports a spike of more than 1,000% in embroidery kits, evidence that already bored, locked-down fans are taking up a new hobby to emulate the show’s delicate period frock.

It’s becoming such a common search topic it’s being dubbed “The Bridgerton Effect.”

According to the paper, searches for corsets like those seen on star Phoebe Dynevor and the show’s other leading ladies, have jumped 39%; searches for lace tops rose by 37%, and even period-appropriate headbands jumped 25%.

Fans are also leading searches for antique chairs, tea sets, and other Bridgerton-esque bric-a-brac.

The show from TV hit-maker Shonda Rhimes launched in December, and quickly became one of the most-watched original series to debut on the streaming service.

Based on Julia Quinn’s beloved book series, the Shondaland-produced show is set in London in the 1800s, and centers on Dynevor’s character, Daphne Bridgerton, and her arranged marriage to the Duke of Hastings, played by heartthrob Regé-Jean Page. 

By Stephen Iervolino
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.