'Think very extra headpieces, empire-waist dresses, romantic makeup, and lots of pearls, shimmer, and gilded accessories combined with an early 19th century twist.'
If you're reading this during a break from analizing the last trends and getting ready for the next ones – we have to start the year knowing what to expect, I got you – then you'll definitely want to keep reading. I’ll go straight to the point: we're continuing the period piece-inspiredescapism we’ve seem all 2022, so it won’t be surprising when I say regencycore is expected to still be a hit in the next few months. Introduced to us in the beggining of the year, somewhere between the end of March and the middle of April the trend absolutely dominated in clothes, hair, and makeup – we all thanked Bridgerton at the time, and we still do. If you are somehow unfamiliar with the show and the trend itself – maybe you’ve been living in the middle of the sea, I don’t know – think very extra headpieces, empire-waist dresses, romantic makeup, and lots of pearls, shimmer, and gilded accessories combined with an early 19th century twist.
Regencycore is one more of the many ‘aesthetics’ or trends saw this year – I’ve lost count of all the ‘cores’ we had – and this one is based on signature pieces, silhouettes and looks from the UK's Regency era. A time marked by years of elegance and artistic achievement, the era can also be defined by being glossy, full of gossip, with an emphasis on culture and the very first spark of sexual liberation. The trend entered our collective conscious in the final days of 2020, when Bridgerton got released and Netflix users fell instantly in love with the dramatic storylines and passionate romances but also the elbow-length gloves, intricate dresses, and creamy makeup. Suddenly, regencycore was literally everywhere. I’m talking Instagram feeds, TikTok videos, Pinterest boards, streetstyle and even in the collections of all your favourite fashion houses.
From causing a new corset fever to the rise of empire waist dresses, Bridgerton was the main reason why most fashionistas and it girls started to look beyond the 90s and early 2000’s trends and styles. All of a sudden, wardrobes and ‘get ready with me’ videos were ready to welcome a whole new aesthetic phenomenon, and I’m sure you remember how one day there wasn’t any sign of the regencycore looks and then boom it was all over – same as the other countless mood-board-turned-trends we have seen in the last two years such as fairycore, light academy and dark academy, gothcore and cottagecore – the last being like a not so distant cousin of regencycore. They have all served as different ways of trying to find some kind of escapism among the current events – as many fashion trends did long before they were called ‘core’. And even though we saw some elements of the regency era sprinkled throughout most of those aesthetics, regencycore itself took its time untill reaching its full potential.
The whole regencycore concept and rise can be seem as regal fashion focused on opulence. Creating something that went beyond the popularity of specific tv shows, what happened is that we started to see a whole vintage revival. Lingerie became part of social outfits and red-carpet worthy accessories, including headpieces and sequin gloves, have also become part of our everyday choices of clothing — other small details that made possible and easier for regencycore to rise like it did. In simple terms, it’s not wrong to say that regencycore is a dressed-up, more extra version of cottagecore, even with some overlapped elements – like statement sleeves and corsets. But as cottagecore is like and ode to the cozy prairie life, regencycore would be one to the high-society, so, naturally, it’s presented in a more glamorous way.
But all things considered, let’s remember that even though we sometimes wish to live as the high-society of the time, it’s not the 19th century anymore, so your social calendar is probably a lot different than having lots of tea time and formal balls. That being said, how could one make regencycore fashion work in the modern day itinerary? It's actually not as hard as you may think – and you probably know that by now – and it’s just as easy as combining a corset with a pair of jeans or wearing a pair of opera gloves with a crop-top and a mini skirt. The key is actually to start with just a few accessories, like pearl headbands and necklaces, gold jewelry and embellished handbags – it's a lot easier than going straight to the dresses. But let me tell you something: dressing up is only a part of the look. Rocking the right makeup look is less obvious, but it is of equal importance for the overall creation of the aesthetic. So come with me as I break down exactly how to get the perfect regencycore makeup.
The first thing is choosing a lightweight foundation to settle into a natural finish and some blush – rosy tones are the tentpole of the regencycore makeup concept – and it’s also a great idea to coordinate your blush with your lip colors. For this specific look, the warm, pink-toned blush should give the same look of natural flush – so in that scenario, you should opt for cream or liquid blush as it adds a renaissance painting-style effect to the cheeks. The pink-ish cream can even be used all over the face depending on what you’re going for, but when placed in the cheeks and cheekbones and well blended out, it gives a contour-enhancing blush to the face, creating a helthy, vital look – but be careful not to carve out too much, contour is not really desired here.
For lips that will complement the whole look, go for the good, old pretty pink – the rosy undertones in both cheeks and lips will create a continuous color story on the face, and as we’re talking about regencycore, the makeup is as central to the look as the clothes. It’s all about emphasazing the original bone structure, and in order to get the dreamy look, it must be as clear as day that the first step is an efficient skincare routine for a super smooth, clean surface. The makeup is just as simple as a fresh youthful skin combined with a very soft pretty eye and a touch of blush. A hydrating yet lightweight moisturizer should always be the final step before applying any makeup