Cheap 19th Century Nostalgia – Romanticizing the Gothic
Cheap 19th Century Nostalgia – Romanticizing the Gothic
Call it a recession indicator or simply growing up, the culture is constantly craving nostalgia. Once a generation’s trend cycles have become stale, they begin to romanticize a palatable, upgraded version of the previous generation’s aesthetics; a lifestyle they grew up with but were too young to participate in. However, it seems that we have moved past the semi-current Y2K resurgence, as our media falls increasingly into remake culture. How many times can humanity adapt and recreate the same stories, aesthetics, and tastes before it eventually becomes stale and permanently retired? As 19th-century gothic is pushed further into the mainstream, we essentially see less of the chronic illness but a shallow romanticization of “consumptive chic.”
Emerald Fennel’s 2026 “Wuthering Heights” was intentional in their use of quotation marks, based on a story revolving around the self-destructive tendencies of a cast of unredeemable characters who pull everyone around them into their mutual chaos, yet being advertised as the ultimate date night movie. It fit all the markers that define Fennel’s style; it was camp, erotic, and opulent, but still fell into the same mistakes of the cinematic pursuits that predated it. 2025 was the year of 19th-century and gothic adaptations, with “Wuthering Heights” only continuing a trend passed on by Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu and Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein. Each of these directors has spent their press tours describing their fascinations for their respective source materials, declaring their adaptations to be love letters to a world they wished to immerse themselves in, and, for better or for worse, that desire comes on very strongly through their work. While these films were commercial successes at the box office, they left fans of the original novels and older film adaptations disappointed. No one can be faulted for the “faithfulness” of their adaptation; changes in media format will inherently lead to changes, and it could be argued that it would be better to just lean into and embrace it. However, the consensus amongst fans is that the budget and care gone into making these worlds feel alive and immersive has ultimately left the heart of the story shallow and underwhelming. As the press tours, method dressing, and soundtracks go viral, it calls viewer habits into question and where the line is drawn between consuming media for enrichment or doing so for aesthetics.
It is lucky for runway designers that the comeback of plucked eyebrows, minimal makeup, and heroin-chic thinness has returned into the mainstream, the Y2K beauty standards aligning with those in the 19th century, as we see heavier gothic influences on the runway. Between the moody darkness of Burberry’s F/W 2026 vintage London-inspired collection and Khaite’s F/W velvet structured gowns, it is clear that the trend cycle is sticking around for the next year. However, a standout amongst the influx of collections is Dior’s Spring 2026 Couture show at Paris Couture Week, described by Women’s Wear Daily as wanting “nothing less than to reinvent the template laid down by Charles Frederick Worth in the mid-19th century.” The baroque is romanticized, and the culture is responding as we transition away from individualism to polyester lace and a copy of Jane Eyre that will be carried around but never read.
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