Castlecore Jewelry and Fashion Accessories that Leave the Mundane World Behind

The game of styles has crowned a new queen: Castlecore.

Fueled by a growing desire to escape a fickle and fast-paced world, the Castlecore trend channels the imagery of the European Middle Ages and Renaissance, blending historical charm with modern-day fashion and home décor. This slow-fashion trend caters to customers looking to add a dash of enchantment and a taste of history to their look and lifestyle.

What is Castlecore?

Castlecore builds on the foundations of Dark Academia and Princesscore, adds in elements of Goth and Cottagecore, then accents with a dollop from Geek Chic: Fantasy.

Pop culture moments laid the cornerstones for this trend. After a decade of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings films and television’s Reign series, fantasy novels and historical biographies surged into popularity, particularly A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas and the Anne Boleyn & Elizabeth I biography by Tracy Borman. Readers followed television viewers and filmgoers online, expressing how enamored they were with the medieval-inspired settings.

Then celebrities like Chappell Roan helped usher in the reign of Castlecore, capturing imaginations and sparking interest across social media platforms like TikTok and Pinterest. Fashion houses such as Dior, Rabanne and Alexander McQueen are building on the style for the coming seasons.

What’s the Appeal of Castlecore?

Castlecore isn’t about looking authentic; it’s about evoking the grandeur and protected feeling of castle life. This trend offers artists and consumers an opportunity to immerse themselves in a self-styled narrative that feels rich with meaning and history. This focus on storytelling and timeless design makes Castlecore an irresistible alternative for those looking to leave the mundane world behind.

With its embrace of upcycling vintage pieces—from furniture to jewelry—Castlecore is also an endorsement of sustainability. This trend encourages thrift shopping and spurs customers to further personalize their secondhand acquisitions, giving old treasures a new life.

Key Elements of Castlecore Style

Castlecore draws inspiration from medieval and Renaissance styles, as well as fantasy, incorporating elements like intricate metalwork, saturated gemstone colors and ornate details. This trend can be dramatic and opulent (the Lannisters in Game of Thrones), reserved and elegant (the elves in Lord of the Rings), warm and cozy (Studio Ghibli’s Howl’s Moving Castle)—or a blend of them all. 

Here are some key elements:

• Flowing Gowns and Dresses
  One of Princesscore’s contributions to this trend are flowing gowns with lace, ruffles, romantic draped fabrics and detailed sleeves that evoke the look of medieval royalty.
• Corsets and Cinched Silhouettes
  The body-hugging silhouette is created with structured corsets paired with long skirts—straight out of the Goth trend. Rebellious types can wear their corsets with trousers for a regal-yet-edgy look.
• Touchable Materials
  The Castlecore materials of choice invite touch: brocade, fur, velvet and metallic mesh. These rich materials begin by showing subtle patterns for visual texture, adding to the feeling of luxury, history and substance. Then they are embellished with filigreed metal, beads, pearls, lace and more.
• Jewelry and Accessories with Presence
  The final touch is jewelry and accessories that look like they’ve been waiting a few centuries to be worn in public again. Popular styles include chainmail jewelry, heavy chain necklaces, tiaras, signet rings and more. Leather and leatherette in natural colors or embellished with metal accents are also appearing.

Castlecore Jewelry and Fashion Accessories

Jewelry and accessories are key to expressing the Castlecore vibe. Think gem-adorned crowns, delicate gloves, lace chokers and footwear with a vintage touch, like pointed flats or ornate boots. The color palette leans toward muted earth tones, rich jewel hues and metallics, adding a regal yet approachable feel, while heavy silver jewelry, intricate chokers and pearl-encrusted gunmetal crowns give off regal energy with a dark twist.

Castlecore fashion accessories fill out the rest of this trend from head to toe, showcasing  ornate metalwork, vibrant gemstones and motifs steeped in historical and mythical significance. Designers can give a subtle nod toward feudal history with veils (like Blackpink singer Lisa, Funk Generation singer Anitta and model Jazzelle Zanaughtti) and corsets (like singer/songwriters Taylor Swift and Camila Cabello) or go for a full Joan of Arc look (à la Chappell Roan at the MTV VMAs). 

Popular Castlecore design categories include:

• Heads Up
  Hoods, hair chains and that most medieval of all accessories—crowns (or their dainty cousins, the tiaras) 

• Capelets, Shrugs and Body Harnesses
  Made of anodized rings and scales, textured metal sheet or colorful sequin sheets, these upper body styles flow down the shoulders and back. Some blend seamlessly into belts.
• Heavy Metal
  Large link chains, or chains with medallion-style links, some with cross and ankh pendants as large as a hand, filigree or solid metal brooches
• Pearls and Cabochons
  Faceting is a latecomer to jewelry of the Middle Ages, so domed gemstones add a regal, medieval majesty to designs
• Chain, Chainmaille and Bangle Bracelets
  Hefty wrist-wrappers that look like armor, bangles that look like crowns, dainty hand-bracelets that link finger rings across the back of the hand and combinations of them all

• Belts
  Leather and metal body harnesses; medallion hip drapes; wrapped leather or cording; plus other styles, from narrow buckle-free strips to corset-like waist cinchers
• Bags and Purses
  Velvet pouches, upcycled hollowed-out books, tooled and gilded leather, mini treasure chests—they’re all showing up in Castlecore
• Heraldry and Signet Rings
  Either genuine coats of arms from personal heritage or individual creations made in the modern day, showing up on signet rings, heraldic brooches, bracelets and more

• Mythology and Fairy Tales
  Griffins, dragons, green men, gargoyles and other magical creatures, along with knightly swords and shields or maidenly roses and ivy
• Footwear
  Options range from recreations of actual historical styles by American Duchess to modernized takes by Amina Muaddi Cameron to fantastical elven shoes that look like oak leaves on sites like Etsy and Poshmark

Castlecore Décor

Your home really is your castle with Castlecore. In home décor, this trend is about creating a storybook retreat from the everyday world. It brings the romanticism and magnificence of medieval castles into modern living spaces. Castlecore taps into ongoing maximalist home trends favored by millennial and younger generations, who are turned off by the neutral-colored, minimalist looks preferred by their elders.

Castlecore draws inspiration from carved wood furniture, gilded picture frames, richly colored and textured drapery and upholstery, glittering crystal light fixtures, hammered iron and copper accents and other elements of pre-technology life. Finish off that medieval ambiance with “flickering flame” LED bulbs and similar lighting.

Selling Castlecore

Designers and creators fortifying their selling opportunities with the Castlecore market should emphasize the artistry, materials and story behind their work. Designs that have a backstory—such as a pendant inspired by a fantasy artifact or made from materials repurposed from something completely different—need to have that story called out. 

For in-person sales, printed materials near the design or talking about it personally is ideal (especially if you’re a good storyteller). Online, it’s even easier to put the story of its creation right in the description of the design. People don’t remember names or dates easily, but are really good at remembering stories.

In a physical selling space, use displays that evoke a medieval atmosphere: wood, wrought iron, stone, stained glass and more. Online, evoke that atmosphere in product photos by draping over a piece of armor or rough-cut stone.

Castlecore is an invitation to step into a world of history and fantasy, from intricate jewelry to statement accessories and castle-inspired décor. This trend inspires pieces that suit both everyday life and special occasions, growing from a rich synergy of previous trends like Princesscore, Goth, Cottagecore and Dark Academia.

Fashion photographer Bill Cunningham used to say, “Fashion is the armor to survive everyday life” and nothing proves him more right than the growing popularity of Castlecore.