Forget Futurism, I Want To Dress Like Joan Of Arc This Fall

Here you are! Gather around because I’m going to tell you a wonderful story of magic, mysticism, romance, adventure and fall fashion. We’re not looking to the past for inspiration this season.

I first noticed this trend at Rabanne. The spring/summer 2024 collection was a feast of chainmail hoods, a tribute to Paco Rabanne and the space-age chainmail he introduced in 1966.

The fall/winter 24 runways took the lead eagerly. Take, for example, the armour-like corsets from Di Petsa and tunic-styled dresses from Aniye Records. Also, consider a chainmail-like headpiece created with keys by Dilara Findikoglu. And a dress inspired by ancient tapestries at Loewe. Dior’s Resort ’25 was the show that really took it to another level. Drummond Castle, in Perthshire, Scotland, was the setting for this show. Models walked through the gardens wearing lace-up corsets and cloaks. They also wore chainmail dresses, leather arm braces, and studded harnesses. Maria Grazia Chiuri’s Dior Creative Director was assembling the models as if they were going to battle.

Not only the fashion industry is obsessed. The pop culture has also been embracing all things medieval in recent months. Please take a look at the 2024 VMAs, where Taylor Swift wore a plaid corseted gown from Dior, with leather arm braces, thigh-high boots, and lace-up leather arm braces, while Chappell Roan devoted her entire evening to a variety of medieval looks. Roan began with a flowy, sheer Y/Project dress, which she accessorized with a 300-year-old velvet robe. She also added a dagger-like nail, fingerless chainmail glove, gauntlet-style cuffs and an actual sword. To complete her fantasy, she had a medieval-style bodyguard with her and walked on a 600-year-old rug. Why not, of course? Chappell-Roan is not a fashion company that takes half-measures.

Roan took the stage to take things to another level, wearing a full armour suit to perform her hit “Good Luck Babe” with a variety of armoured dancing. She then accepted an award for the Best New Artist, wearing a Rabanne chainmail gown and matching veil.

This trend is referred to as medievalcore, medieval strange core, or “weirdeval” on TikTok. Popular accounts include @nichefashiongirl and @lauralaurachova. It’s not new, but it is a resurgence of the “core” trend. There have been a few resurgences. The witchy whimsigoth style, heavily influenced by medieval fashion, was popular in the late ’90s (see Jean Paul Gaultier SS/94, Betsy Johnson FW 1997, and Anna Sui FW 1998). In the late 1960s, there was a cultural obsession with Arthurian myth (see the rise in medieval, folk rock, and films such as 1967’s Camelot). In the mid-1880s, the Pre-Raphaelites’ art, poetry and aesthetics harkened back to medieval romances and the Middle Ages.

Why has medieval influence returned now? We’re experiencing a time of political upheaval and change, similar to the late 1960s and mid-1880s. The Middle Ages was a time of division, war, moral panic, and class divisions. For centuries, escapism has been a popular form of entertainment. Fairy stories, folklore, high fantasy and historical myths are all accessible. We now have the Internet to make it easier.

Agus Panzoni, Depop’s trends expert and TikTok creator, explains that “Medievalcore” is a fusion of historical appreciation and escapist fantasies. It taps into the growing interest in LARPing (live-action role-playing). The rise of medieval style is also attributed to pop culture, such as HBO’s House of the Dragon and the ACOTAR TikTok book series. Both introduced Gen Z to the blend of medieval history with fantasy.

Sydney Stanbeck is the head of global trends at Pinterest. She agrees that searches for Renaissance fair outfits have more than tripled. Users are increasingly shopping through Pinterest, especially for niche products like veils and handmade chainmail. They can also find replica armour and medieval-styled corsets on sites such as Etsy.

In a sense, medievalcore is the natural progression from the coquette aesthetic — the hyper-feminine, bow-and-ruffle-adorned styles that dominated 2023 — and interest in vintage fashion and period shows like Bridgerton. The only difference is now the high fantasy, high feminine elven Princess has a sword and knows how it’s used. Medievalcore has a beautiful look but is also battle-ready. It’s perfect for young people who are fighting for reproductive rights or against gender violence. It is a way of escaping reality and also a way to confront it.

Medievalcore, while beautiful and uplifting, is also battle-ready. It’s perfect for young people who are fighting for their reproductive rights or against gender violence. It is a way of escaping reality and also confronting it.

Medievalcore doesn’t care about the references it uses (rather, you can choose from a variety of historical and fictional references). You can select a ‘character’ based on what you want to be.

Panzoni says that searches for her have increased by +484% between July and September. Baz Luhrmann has just announced that he will direct a new movie about the teenage martyr. Zendaya, who is way ahead of the rest of us, dressed as Joan of Arc at the 2018 Met Gala. The theme was ‘Heavenly Bodies – Fashion and Catholic Imagination.’ It’s almost a right of passage to dress up as Joan of Arc. Lorde wore it in 2017, Fiona Apple wore it in 1997, and Kate Bush wore one in the 1980s. Most recently? Abigail Morris of The Last Dinner Party dressed up as Joan of Arc as part of Halloween, and Jenna Ortega said that Joan was her dream role. (Fingers cross, Bad Luhrmann calls her!)

It’s only natural that I wanted to be a part of the medieval craze — who wouldn’t want the chance to dress up like a lady by the lake or a warrior about to enter battle? So, I set out on a quest to find the best medieval clothing (or, at least, the most medieval-inspired, if you like the style). Here are my favourite discoveries. There’s plenty to inspire you if your goal is to look like Chappell, Roan, or Zendaya. But there are also many styling tips if you want a more subtle approach. This is the ultimate guide for mastering the medieval core look this fall and winter.