Period dressing is having a moment again, but it’s not unfolding like a scene lifted straight out of a film set. There are no sweeping capes trailing across cobblestones or head-to-toe recreations of another century. Instead, what’s emerging is far more considered (a translation rather than a replication). The romance, structure, and craftsmanship of historical fashion are being distilled into modern wardrobes through cut, construction, and detail, rather than costume.
Yes, Margot Robbie on screen in Wuthering Heights looked every bit the part. Dreamy in her fitted corsets and flowing gowns, the kind of visual that makes period dressing feel distant, almost untouchable. But it was her press tour wardrobe that offered a far more relevant interpretation. Here, the codes of the era were broken down and reassembled into something contemporary. Method dressing isn’t new territory for Robbie. Working with her stylist Andrew Mukamal, she orchestrated a similar phenomenon during the Barbie press tour – pulling from the big guns with John Galliano’s archives and Dilara Fındıkoğlu’s vintage pieces, while also leaning into custom designs by Ashi Studio and Thom Browne. The result felt intentional yet edged with subversion, subtly submerging the film’s haunting undertones into the wardrobe itself.
Besides Robbie, Charli XCX’s gilded Vivienne Westwood gown – with its draped corset and voluminous, bunched-up skirt cascading into a fluid train – felt distinctly Victorian in influence, reimagined through an avant-garde lens. The entire award season from the Golden Globes to the Vanity Fair Oscar Party, celebrities leaned into the past and opted for silhouettes that positioned them as royalties on the red carpet. Mia Goth, in custom Dior by Jonathan Anderson, delivered a true business-in-the-front, party-at-the-back moment. The sculpted black ensemble felt deceptively straightforward from the front, but it was the white tulle bustle at the back that introduced a sense of extravagance – striking the perfect balance between past and present. Other celebrities like Julia Fox, Mikey Madison, and Ariana Grande all played with silhouettes that evoked an old-world charm, reinterpreted through a contemporary lens.
What exactly about these silhouettes reads as period dressing? It’s in the construction as much as the aesthetic – the return of dramatic corsetry, sweeping trains, and opera-length gloves that immediately evoke another time. Fabrics play their part too: velvet, brocade, and silk that hold their shape rather than simply drape, lending a sense of structure and intention. Sleeves arrive with equal impact, whether in exaggerated leg-of-mutton forms or softly puffed volumes that frame the body with quiet drama. Then come the details – the visible boning, intricate lacing, ruffles, and defined cuffs – which serve as subtle reminders of historical technique. What makes it feel current, however, is how these elements are being refurbished, not as direct replicas, but as refined, modern interpretations that borrow from the past while speaking firmly to the present.
To understand the trend, you need to step away from the red carpet and look to the runway – where the roots of this resurgence truly begin. Jonathan Anderson’s debut collection for Dior is a gift that keeps giving. Volumes were exaggerated, bustles and tulle reworked with asymmetry, and romantic detailing like ruffles and bows were given a modern, architectural twist. Erdem and Simone Rocha also drew attention for their nods to historical dressing, incorporating corsetry details, sculpted hips, and ruffles that evoke bygone eras – yet each piece was reframed with contemporary tailoring and modern proportions.
The key to doing period dressing right today is to think beyond how on-screen characters of the time dressed. The idea is to take elements – like a corset, ruffled blouse, or tulle skirt and make them your own, pairing a structured corset with low-rise leather pants or layering a Victorian-inspired blouse under a sharply tailored blazer, creating a look that nods to history while feeling fresh and unexpected.
