What comes after Castlecore & Rococo Revival?
My thoughts on Pinterest Predicts. Plus, three macro trends inspired by the past that we'll see in fashion's future.
We know fashion is a huge slut for nostalgia. From constant archival pulls to the Y2K romanticization, which just won’t seem to go away. Now, the 80s (not my fave) have emerged as the era of the moment, spurred on by the bubble skirt revival and leading us into peak windbreakers and peplum territory.
Looking backward is vital to moving forward. Given the rich history of fashion, we’d be remiss to stop referencing the past altogether. However, I wonder if we’ve completely rinsed 20th-century inspiration, causing a wider net to be cast, unearthing references even further back in time.
Showing my age here to quote The Mighty Boosh, fashion is taking retro to its logical conclusion.
This piece has been rattling around my head for a while following the Pinterest Predicts report, so I wanted to get down my thoughts on the historical trends from that as well as my picks for the eras I expect/want to see referenced next.
It’s a longie, so you might want to grab a coffee or a wine, depending on your time zone, and read in the browser. Quick reminder that Haute Garbage is free, but if you can support my work in the link below that would be so wonderful! A huge thanks to all my hautties!
Pinterest Predicts
In my line of work, the yearly Pinterest Predicts report is hugely anticipated, even if its contents are often questionable. The report is described as sharing “emerging trends for the year ahead,” which I’d take with a grain of salt (I mean, Cherry-Coded as “emerging”? In 2025? I don’t think). Within the 20 “fresh” trends, the ones that I want to discuss here are, of course, Castlecore and Rococo Revival.
Already, so many fab articles have been written about these trends, which I will pepper throughout. Starting with Castlecore, which has been a long time coming. I actually wrote something for my work on “Medievalcore” back in April 2023, touching on how micro trends were being gamified and evolving to represent IRL avatar skins (soz can’t link - exclusive for the company’s paying customers, so you’ll just have to take my word that it was interesting).
Medieval times have been an ongoing reference point for designers, blending history and fantasy by sending forth modern-day knights, witches, peasants, and princesses on the runway, adorned in chain mail, breastplates, headpieces, capes, and puffy sleeves. Meanwhile, despite the hardships of the Middle Ages, it has become a period of fascination and even romanticism for modern consumers.
Lydia Eliza Traill wrote about this reverence in Joan of Arc: The Patron Saint of Gen Z for Polyester Zine, unpacking the cohorts’ love for the heroine. “She is a blank slate onto which thousands of young woman may project their romantic vision of themselves, noble in their misery, (metaphorically) dying for a cause.”
In Chain Mail as Pre-Capitalist Yearning,
over at the incredible I <3 Mess discusses the parallel between the Black Death of the Middle Ages and the ramifications of COVID still being felt today. She writes how the survivors of the plague became increasingly wealthier, paving the way for the luxurious fashion and craftsmanship of the Renaissance period - something currently held in high regard as we’re starved for artisans amid fast fashion culture.I also enjoyed The Spectator’s Chair’s take in In Defense of Pinterest's 2025 Predictions on body armor as a more literal iteration of protective garments. It makes sense in this scary modern age where people in power are pushing practically medieval ideals and we’re feeling unsafe offline and want to protect our privacy online.
Interestingly, where we’re seeing Castlecore play out IRL is with celebrities who can afford the highest level of protection, though are the most stripped of privacy. Chappell Roan has become the poster child of medieval princess/warrior fashion, wearing Y/Project and Rabanne at the VMAs and a conical hennin hat at the Grammys. Julia Fox made a surprise and very welcome appearance in my hometown at the NGV wearing Catholic Guilt, a local brand described on their IG as “ecclesial armor to wear for the impending apocalypse.” Might just be me being dramatic, but that perfectly sums up this battle-ready aesthetic. The end of the world is coming. Dress accordingly.
So, while the average shopper may not be rushing to add chain mail to their carts, there are several signifiers of why Castlecore makes sense as an overarching 2025 theme. On the other hand, Rococo Revival raised my asymmetrical eyebrows (ouch, self burn).
You could argue that it’s born from post-quiet luxury maximalism and years of bows and ruffles amalgamating into the final boss of the Girlhood aesthetic. We know trends are cyclical, and 2026 will mark 20 years since Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette, the pastel confection film stills living eternally on our mood boards.
The decadence and lavishness of Versailles in the 17th century may translate as escapism, and while no historical period is 100% unproblematic, Pinterest's branding feels a bit out of touch. Especially at a time when we’ve just cried “Eat the rich!” at Met Gala attendees and hailed figures like Luigi as revolutionary heroes.
Rococo Revival shines an unflattering mirror of the wealth divide. I understand that fantasy is a requirement for fashion, but in 2025, do we really want to take trend cues from royalty of any time period or industrialized country? Expertly stated in
of Yeehawt’s piece Class War Is Pinterest’s Hottest Trend Prediction - “Pinterest also suggests maximalist cakes will trend, but no one can afford the eggs to bake them.”And I’ll just leave this article here about how the British monarchy will receive a 53% pay rise this year…
Also sharing my unenthusiasm for Rococo Revival, in Season 17 of Ru Paul’s Drag Race, Michelle Visage demanded contestants stop referencing Marie Antoinette in their runway looks. I hope the fashion industry also takes her advice. Seriously, it’s been done to death.
For the trends included in the Pinterest Predicts report, the platform states it uses billions of data points, consumer insights and predictive analytics. I’m a sucker for data and historical data is an important piece of the puzzle for future prediction, but it’s not the whole story. I’d love to know what the “consumer insights” are that Pinterest mentions for more context, as what we can see from search terms is very surface-level.
For instance, Pinterest’s report states under “trending search terms” that “Rococo outfit” rose 5465%. Looking at this term shows searches in the US peaked in May, with interest sliding off from August. Searches in the UK and Ireland, Southern Europe and Australasia show similar patterns.
Then, as is often the case with forecasting reports from influential companies, trends risk becoming self-fulfilling prophecies rather than growing organically. As noted in Castlecore, “Medieval core” searches were up 110%. While the term has been gaining traction over the past two years, it started to see its most significant leaps the week that the report was released (December 5th) and onwards.
Designers and consumers surely won’t wipe their hands completely of 20th-century references. However, after so many years of cores whittling down personal style to fit within algorithm-pleasing cosplay, I’d be excited to see experimentation with pieces from several different eras to create something new, instead of head-to-toe outfits that look like they’ve time-traveled from one specific decade (as called out in my 2025 Ins & Outs).
As we’re going further back in time, I’ve compiled three historical macro themes that I think will be big this year (and maybe what I personally wanna see more of)…
One Million Years BF (before fashion)
As mentioned in The children yearn for anonymity, going offline is becoming viewed as an act of self-care, and tech is regressing to analog formats. Why not take escapism further, back to the very early days of humanity with Pre-Historic and Jurrasic inspiration?
Already from an aesthetics standpoint, you can’t scroll without being walloped in the face with every animal print imaginable (quick plug to say I want more deer, dalmatian, and Appaloosa, please). Next winter I’m expecting faux fur to take on more natural, hairier and shaggier textures over perfectly plush Mob Wife coats (I’ve previously said Muppetcore but now to be specific, Snuffaluffaguscore)
I’ve written in my notes “BIG PELT ENERGY,” very much the vibe for menswear at Prada, in the collection dubbed Unbroken Instincts. The use of furs and animal prints in a primal and protective way reminds me of the Miu Miu Fall 1999 show, which if anyone in Aus is looking to own that lush cowhide top below, Guzzi has sourced one!
Harlequins & jesters
Joker: Folie à Deux may have flopped, but Clowncore lived on at Paris Couture Week with Valentino’s impressive harlequin gown (though almost overshadowed by Lisa Rinna in Viktor & Rolf). Then, in New York, Marc Jacobs presented playfully puffed-up proportions, proving that fashion doesn’t need to take itself too seriously, especially in a time when we’re craving humor.
I actually spoke to Refinery 29 back in 2022 about the aesthetic as a mood-boosting remedy after the lockdowns, noting: “Though the Clowncore aesthetic can include darker elements, its presence in fashion and beauty is traditionally conveyed as an extreme interpretation of dopamine dressing. Humor and optimism are infused through eye-popping color palettes and childlike graphics that continue to resonate in retailers' collections.”
The duality of the 16th-century Commedia dell'Arte figure has inspired several past collections, from pastel-hued jesters at Dior by John Galliano to the vibrant characters within Vivienne Westwood’s iconic Voyage to Cythera.
Given how costume-y this overarching theme is, prints will be impacted the most commercially. I’m predicting a shift away from the Miu Miu-esque micro polka dots into bigger, bolder and more colorful designs. It’s also gonna be a big winter for Argyle, which Depop has already found searches +153% since July.
Danteism
I didn’t grow up with religion or study the classics, yet I’m captivated by Dante’s Inferno. To me, it reads like a dark fantasy epic - its haunting prose and nightmarish imagery are part of what keeps the 14th-century Florentine poet relevant today.
Fashion, too, continues to draw inspiration from Dante’s work. The most obvious and camp example is Schiaparelli’s Spring 2023 Couture, which featured faux-taxidermy lion, leopard, and she-wolf heads, symbolizing the beasts blocking Dante’s path in the dark wood. A sculptural brass helmet, reminiscent of the giants aiding Virgil and Dante in their descent to the final circle of Hell.
The most powerful reference, though, is Alexander McQueen’s 1996 Dante runway -an exploration of religion and war staged in Spitalfields Christ Church in London. As the show approaches its 30th anniversary next year, the timing feels perfect for Sean McGirr to pay homage to the theatrical yet sexy collection.
Horror is now the fastest-growing film genre, with directors trying to replicate the success of The Substance and competing with an onslaught of remakes, from Nosferatu to The Bride of Frankenstein. Fashion, riding this cultural wave, is subverting beauty ideals to embrace the dramatic, gothic, and macabre, and Inferno prevails as the OG horror story.
Bonus points - The Eight Circles of Sneaker Hell by Sneaker Freaker. If you’ve written content in a Map of Hell format, please send them to me.
Thanks everyone for tuning in. I’ll be to regular programming soon, but until then, let me know what eras of history you’d like to see next in fashion.
amy taylor mentioned!!!!!
this was really cool and fascinating, i’d be really interested to see what other pre-1900s trends make an appearance in the coming years
Do not apologize for the length of this, it’s JUICY!!! Castlecore defenders unite!