The Victorians seemingly made a moment out of every outfit, and used silhouettes and decoration to portray a lavish, untouchable wealth as well as an intricate femininity. When we think of the fashion of the Victorian Era, we picture tight-laced corsets, plumed layers of heavy skirts, and maybe even lethal chemicals namely, arsenic that laced cosmetic products. Much of this has been mythologized in the modern consciousness. Following the toned down, modest styles of the Georgian and Regency eras, Queen Victoria took the throne as a teenage girl with an interest in rising trends and bold fashion statements.
A young Princess Victoria during the Regency Era
After taking the throne, Victoria was not only finding her identity as the ruler of the British Empire, but as a young woman. She quickly became beloved by her subjects, and her influence in politics and the public sphere made way for her role as the fashion icon of the times. Whereas nowadays we have Chloe Segivny, Julia Fox, and Bella Hadid, the Victorians looked to Victoria for their muse. Perhaps, we are not so different. Victorian nods in modern fashion are rampant in 2025, if you just know what to look for.
I’ve recently become obsessed with Historical Fashion content creators such as Bernadette Banner and V. Birchwood, who I can credit as the inspiration for this article. Bernadette and V, among others, integrate aspects of historical fashion into their everyday dress, and provide inspiration and strategies for you to do the same. Since learning more about the fashion of the Victorian Era (which was sprawling - Victoria reigned from 1837 to 1901), I’ve been noticing details that we owe to the Victorians popping up on runways, red carpets, and on the silver screen.
Bernadette Banner on Youtube
So how do we classify Victorian fashion? Well, first and foremost we must understand that the Victorian era was expansive and pluralistic - the things that Victoria wore would not be the same as an everyday person living in London, or as someone living in Rural Ireland, or British-occupied India. However, mass-manufactured clothing was introduced in the 1850s through the popularity and production of the sewing machine, as well as synthetic fabrics and dyes. With this being said, I will be generalizing quite a bit, and focusing on the styles and techniques that Victoria and other upper-class women would have been employing. If I were to endeavor a detailed rundown of all aspects of Victorian fashion, we’d be here for hundreds of pages. That being said, let’s start with undergarments.
Perhaps synonymous with Victorian fashion is the corset, but Victorian undergarment choices were expansive, and often layered atop each other to achieve the desired look.
Victorian Silhouettes 1837-52 by lady-of-crow on DeviantArt
The goal of a Victorian silhouette is quite familiar to those of us who survived the 2010s waist-trainer phase. Victorian women who did not need to work (working women wore much simpler and more comfortable clothing) layered a bodice, a chemise, a corset, petticoat, and padding of various materials such as horsehair to achieve an exaggerated hourglass silhouette - a tiny waist offset by a wide, decorated neckline, puffy sleeves, and large layered skirts. Crinoline cages and boning were developed to exaggerate the body of the skirt, and bustles for extra padding at the back of the skirt. Contrary to popular belief, the Victorians did not often torture themselves to achieve this silhouette. In fact, corsets were quite flexible, often made of whalebone, and worn atop chemises or other undergarments to reduce irritation, and they opted to lace the corset less tightly, preferring to add volume to other areas to accentuate a small waist. It was about making the waist smaller in comparison to your own personal bust-waist-hips ratio, not simply to have the tiniest waist. So no, beauty does not necessarily have to mean pain, and Victorian fashion was more plus-size inclusive than many modern beauty standards. Additionally, Victorians loved intricate ribbons, frills, patterns, and bows to decorate their skirts and portray delicate femininity.
Victoria’s Silk evening dress with a wide skirt, short sleeves and a round neckline with lace and ruffles, decorated with a printed pattern of roses and foliage, 1851.
Artist unknown. Le Follet, Tuesday, November 1, 1864. Los Angeles: Los Angeles Public Library. Source: Los Angeles Public Library
With these details in mind, we can now look to the pop culture and fashion of 2025. Perhaps two of the most influential movies in the zeitgeist recently are Wicked and Nosferatu. With the latter being a period piece set in the 1830s, it stands to reason that the costumes add to the dark, gothic world in which the characters reside. As for the former, one particular dress comes to mind, and it’s Glinda’s iconic bubble dress, in which she greets the munchkins to announce that “No one mourns the wicked” at the opening of the film. As described by costume designer Paul Tazewell for The New York Times, the skirts of the dress are made of spirals of nylon crinoline, the original form of which was developed for Victorian skirts. Although Glinda’s dress does not include an elaborate neckline and puffy sleeves, the cinched waist, bustier-top and flowing skirts definitely owe their inspiration to Victoria.
Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures
As for Nosferatu, these costumes are a feast of the Victorian vision. Director Robert Eggers has a well-known track-record when it comes to fantastical historical accuracy, and with the help of costume designer Linda Muir, the world of Nosferatu is no exception. Although the film is set in Germany and the mythical Transylvania, and not Victoria’s own England, nods to Victorian fashion are threaded within the fabric of the universe. In fact, we see Lily Rose Depp’s character Ellen engaging with the layers of her outfits, showing off her chemise, corsets, and outerwear. As Ellen is often in deep distress, her clothes reflect this in their dark gothic details, and stages of disarray. Indeed, she even sports mourning clothes, which were popularized by Victoria herself after the death of her husband Albert.
From Top to Bottom: Ellen’s Mourning Attire, Ellen’s Walking Outfit, and Ellen’s Evening Dress
Ellen being called to Count Orlok in her chemise.
Victorian fashion has not just been visible on the big screen, however, as aspects of Victorian dress, specifically the silhouette and ornate decoration, have been ruling the runways and red carpets of 2025. Celebrities and tastemakers such as Charli XCX, Emma Stone, Nicola Coughlan, Lady Gaga, Chappell Roan, and Doechii all flaunted modernized aspects of Victorian fashion in recent red carpet appearances.
Emma Stone in custom Louis Vuitton at the 2025 Golden Globe Awards, wearing a Victorian-style bustle under her dress.
Charli XCX in Jean Paul Gaultier at the 2025 Grammy Awards sporting a Victorian silhouette, complete with an exposed corset and wide, frilly neckline.
Nicola Coughlin in a Victorian Silhouette at the 2025 SAG Awards, in custom Dior.
Lady Gaga in a custom Samuel Lewis gown at the 2025 Grammy Awards, inspired by the Gothic movement of the Victorian era
Chappell Roan in vintage Jean Paul Gaultier at the 2025 Grammy Awards, looking very Victorian from the silhouette and frills, to the hair and makeup. Her dress is also inspired by the work of Degas, which we’ve recently covered in Misc. Journal.
Doechi also employed bustle padding for her 2025 Grammys look, by Thom Browne.
One particular way I’ve noticed a subtle nod to Victorian silhouettes is through the tried-and-true peplum top. For those of us who were following fashion from 2012-2013, the peplum top might send shivers down the spine, but the peplum is being reused to accentuate a small waist that flares into more width at the hips - a very Victorian idea. You may have seen the rise in popularity of modern peplums on Moeka Hoshi, Kehlani, and Elle Fanning.
Moeka Hoshi at the 2025 SAG Awards in custom Louis Vuitton.
Kehlani at the 2025 Grammy Awards in Robert Wun.
Elle Fanning in custom Loewe at the 2025 SAG Awards.
One other major way Victorian fashion has been making itself known this year is through the use of crinoline. As referenced earlier, crinoline is the cage-like undergarment used to add shape to skirts and dresses which became popular during the Victorian era. Crinoline has been an “industry secret” when it comes to giving gowns their circular shape since its inception, and has been popping up recently on the runway. Fashion powerhouses such as Loewe, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Valentino exemplify this reignited interest in crinoline.
Loewe Spring 2025.
Jean Paul Gaultier Spring 2025.
Valentino Spring 2025
Evidently, whether you’re looking at the red carpet, the runway, or social media, the Victorian era is back, with tinier waists and wider skirts than ever. Stay tuned for Arc and Bow's next collection with some obvious Victorian motifs. Personally, I’ve become inspired by youtubers such as Bernadette Banner and V. Birchwood to incorporate Victorian details into my everyday looks. The fact that runways and red carpets are also echoing these Victorian ideas of contour and plumage only solidify what we’ve been seeing: Queen Victoria is alive and well in 2025 fashion. With a plethora of fashion-forward events still to come this winter/spring, such as the Oscars next week, New York Fashion Week in February, and the Met Gala in May, I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for Victorian attributes, and hopefully this guide will help all of you to recognize the historical trends you’re seeing this season too.
Contributed by Anna Tulenko