As the noble ladies of the 1700-1800’s were attending debutante balls, enjoying lavish tea parties and tediously layering corsets, petticoats and dresses daily, they probably would not have imagined that roughly 300 years later, in the 21st century, their aesthetics and ways of life would be so cherished and popular. This is partially due to period shows and movies — dramatic works that take place in another time period — like “Pride and Prejudice” (set in the late 18th-19th centuries) as well as Netflix shows like “Anne with an E” (set in the late 1800s) and “Bridgerton” (set in the 1800s).
All three of these shows, as well as many other period shows, showcase historical fashion, events, makeup, hairstyles, courting customs and more from the Regency Era (1795-1837) and Victorian Era (1837-1901) of England. Platforms such as Pinterest reported a 430% increase in searches for “bridgerton tea party” in their Summer 2024 Trend Report. Period dramas trend all across social media platforms, with #perioddrama on TikTok amassing 25.3k posts and #bridgerton gaining 2.4 million posts.
“I feel like a lot of people these days romanticize the whole thing because of how glamorous it looks with all of the dresses and stuff like that, how fancy it is and how much jewelry they wear,” FHS sophomore Sanchi Nadger said. “All the girls are wearing a bunch of diamond jewelry. So I think it’s really fun to look at.”
Fashion in the Victorian and Regency Eras were certainly glamorous and time-consuming to put on, featuring elaborate skirts, corsets, jewelry and petticoats.
“[I like] how the women used to search for love, but there would be so many scandals involved,” Nadger said. “Even just to talk to a guy, you’re not really allowed to because of the norms back then.”
FHS sophomore Addison Wong also enjoys period dramas and agrees that the aesthetics have made their way into modern aesthetics and trends. Wong has seen these Regency Era and Bridgerton themed parties online.
“I’ve definitely [seen a party] that was [with] the colors and all the aesthetics and patterns and where people try to match [the Regency fashion theme],” Wong said.
Wong brings up pastel colors, which dominated Regency Era fashion, along with whites, pale purples and shades such as yellow or rose.
“I think [people online] wore a lot of floral patterns and lighter pastel colors,” Wong said. “A lot of people wear flowy dresses.”
In recent years, fashion has varied from time periods in the past, including the 2000’s (Y2K fashion) and the 90s (specifically runway shows). These styles have trended and had their moments to shine. Now, a revival in fashions and aesthetics from centuries ago step into the spotlight once more. Now that is what you call timeless!
