Bonnets, chainmail, and breastplates galore. Fashion for slaying dragons or walking down Broadway Market has the fashionistas in a chokehold.
In recent years, the internet has run wild with the term ‘core’ – putting it behind anything to highlight sub-groups, especially in terms of fashion.
From ‘Barbiecore’, which was created as an ode to the bubblegum pink aesthetic of the 2023 Greta Gerwig flick, to ‘Gorpcore’, a term for people wearing high-performance hiking gear in a low-performance Soho pub front setting.
It is unescapable and the newest focus of ‘core’ seems to be the Dark Ages.
If you were to walk down a street in 2024 it may be difficult to say which decade you are actually in. You could see one person wearing bell bottoms and go-go boots and the next neon tights and acid-wash denim. Today’s popular fashion looks push aside the idea of a ‘trend cycle’ with overconsumption leading to the battle of personal style versus micro-trend debauchery.
To understand the revival of medieval fashion in 2024 we must look at the 20-year fashion cycle. A 2022 article in Vice magazine stated that “the 20-year cycle meant that pop culture trends came and went every 20 years. It needed that long; any shorter and the trend would just be naff, corny or passé, rather than retro, inherently nostalgic and cool.”
However, it is becoming more apparent that the cycle is imploding due to the demand for more trends. Gone is the natural time span that lets a trend rise and fall. Its replacement is an all-consuming conveyor belt, always looking for the next best thing.
When it comes to medieval fashion as the next style phenomenon, you may picture someone clad in a full suit of armour or wielding a broadsword and jester-esque slippers. But people are wearing the Middle Ages in a more toned-down, 21st-century-appropriate way.
True to its form, this trend has adorned itself with the name ‘Medievalcore’. At the end of 2024, the social media platform Pinterest published its list of 2025 trend predictions which included styles such as “Surreal Soirees”, “Rococo Revival”, and “Castlecore”.
Pinterest reports a 110% increase in the use of the term Medievalcore, proving this weirdly named style is on its way to becoming a huge trend in 2025.
This includes items such as knit bonnets, large belts, bloomer-style shorts, and chain details.
Designer and past UAL student Erin Lucia is redesigning silhouettes from the past, transforming them into wearable maximalist pieces with references to past decades.
When asked about her inspiration whilst creating, she described her attitude towards new trends, “I feel that current trends in womenswear promote a style of classic femininity, recalling a pre-mini modesty with elements of loud luxury harking back to classic midcentury styles”. Lucia is not only inspired by medieval times but also by a range of past decades including the 1960s and 1970s.
If this is the general idea of current trends in women’s fashion, then ‘Medievalcore’ does feel like a natural successor to the themes we see today. This new trend harps on playful femininity, mixing traditionally feminine silhouettes like corsets and long skirts, mixing them with metal and harsher materials.
So no, helmets and morning stars are not going to be seen on Oxford Street – but you shouldn’t be surprised if you walk past a particularly fashion-forward person adorned in square necklines and knitted hats.
Lucia also responded with her thoughts on the new trend,
“In my opinion individual/fantasy styles will gain more popularity in 2025, dressing for pleasure and self-expression. I hope that more creative and visually interesting styles take hold of mainstream trends and that people are encouraged to apply their own twist to current trends”.
Lucia makes an interesting point about finding self-expression within trending styles.
An NSSG Article agrees with Lucia’s ideas about people adding their personal spins to trends, suggesting that the reason behind the popularity of this new trend is actually a form of individuality or, the article interprets the trend: “the more niche the better”.
“like a subculture, Weirdieval is highly niche, appealing to a small group of people while providing a pseudo-feeling of community and distinction. Amidst the sea of trends that come and go, netizens are focused on finding their individuality”.
“Trends came and went every 20 years. It needed that long; Any shorter and the trend would just be naff, corny or passe.”
2022 Vice Article
There has also been a huge shift in pop culture in favour of Medieval motifs. At the 2024 Virgin Music Awards, megastar and style icon, Chappell Roan performed in a full suit of armour amidst flaming arrows and dancing knights.
It is widely accepted that celebrities are some of the biggest influencers when it comes to trends and style. With their cult followings of devoted fans, celebrities today are almost comparable to saints.
They are these higher-power figures that people look up to and seek guidance from. For such a big star like Chappell Roan to adorn herself in a suit of armour does not only feed into the trend of ‘Medievalcore’, it also shares parallels with Joan of Arc, a historical figure who is referenced frequently in the discussion of Medieval style and relevance.
Joan of Arc is a figure that has been referenced in fashion many times including A-list actor Zendaya’s look at the 2018 Met Gala, and Kate Bush in a 1985 photoshoot.
One way of digesting the appeal of a ‘suit of armour’ is that of protection. Seeing this historic outfit, one that was used to fight in wars – or against dragons – in a modern setting nudges the idea that clothes and people’s expression of themselves through fashion is a form of protection.
There seems to be a cultural relevance to this new fashion look. For example, the British Library is currently exhibiting an exhibition called Medieval Woman which covers topics from Joan of Arc to marriage in the Middle Ages.
The exhibition displays many examples of the lives of Medieval women, making their experiences more relatable and easier to imagine. There is a clear demand for knowledge and information about that period, so it does not come as a surprise that 2025 styles may be taking notes from these women of the past.
This new trend may well be the start of people looking further back into the past for new inspiration. We may yet to see what direction fashion will take us in 2025. There is a possibility that people might start dressing like Victorian debutants or Roman Emperors.
But for now, the Middle Ages seems to be the hottest thing in Fashion.
Featured image by Sylvie Guild.