Once upon a time… the knights and princesses, chain mail and cone hats, bell sleeves and romance of the medieval times collided with the modern aesthetic of the year 2000. From crowds clap-stomping to Queen’s “We Will Rock You” in the stands of a jousting tournament to princesses with glittery eyeshadow and kitschy hairstyles, the Y2K Medieval revival aesthetic combined all of our favorite 2000s trends with the fashion and stories of medieval times. Now, it’s back in popular culture. But to understand this aesthetic, and why it’s trending again, we first need to travel back in time to a faraway land…the 1970s.
Tale as Old as Time
The Y2K Medieval revival is really just a revival of another revival. The medieval aesthetic first returned to mainstream culture in the 1970s. The revival was not about accuracy, but a reinterpretation of medieval culture for America in the 1970s. In an era marked by political upheaval, channeling medieval aesthetics became a form of escapism, allowing Americans to imagine themselves in simpler times, fairytales away from the troubles of the present. The hippie movement, a movement advocating for peace, music, connection with nature, and freedom, heavily used psychedelic drugs, which would cause “trips” to other places and the past. “Tripping” led to a renewed interest in the medieval era and imaginative, fairytale lands because of hallucinations that featured them. The hippie movement was also known for its iconic style, which borrowed heavily from medieval fashion trends. Tunics, long skirts, and gowns with wide bell sleeves, embroidery, and nature motifs all frequently appeared in the wardrobes of participants in the hippie movement and the era’s youth. Many folk singers and popular artists of the time also drew inspiration from the medieval era in both their costuming and music, using medieval instruments and taking inspiration from medieval ballads for lyrics, says Welsh. Popular films of the era also reflected the public’s interest in the medieval. The 1968 adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, while the Shakespearean tragedy is set in the Italian Renaissance, was closely tied to the medieval in its aesthetic. In a more playful tone, the fantasy medieval genre was highly popular with films like Monty Python and the Holy Grail in 1975. The film parodied a classic Arthurian tale and poked fun at the society of medieval times. Though it was a British film, it was met with wide commercial success in the United States, and it still remains a cult classic today.
Medieval and The Millennium
The medieval aesthetic dwindled by the early 1980s but resurfaced at the turn of the century. Where the 1970s tried to truly channel the original medieval aesthetic and values in its modern context, medieval reference in the early 2000s was all about juxtaposition. It was meta, intentionally inaccurate, more fun and costumey, and focused on the combination of the outdated medieval components with the technology and modern fashion of the year 2000. The new millennium was both exciting and anxiety-inducing. Many feared and admired the technological advancements of the new age and grappled with honoring the past while still moving forward. Channeling the medieval aesthetic was still about escapism, but it took all the best parts of the futurism of the 2000s, with the fantasy and nostalgia of the medieval aesthetic. While the 1970s channeled medieval fashion closely to the source material, the Y2K Medieval aesthetic sought to create something new: a hybrid of silhouettes of the medieval era with modern textures, trends, and styling. Corset tops, layers, and velvet all leaned towards the classic medieval look, but crochet, metallics, sheer textures, and fur made it distinctly Y2K. The Bohemian Y2K niche of fashion took inspiration from the hippies’ interpretation of medieval fashion with braided belts, embroidery, and bell sleeves.
A hallmark of the Y2K Medieval aesthetic was the medieval-set films of the time that were anachronistic, humorous, and full of fashion. The animated film Shrek included all the fairytale tropes of princesses in towers and knights in shining armor but remained distinctly modern by situating these storybook characters in drive-thrus or making references to current popular culture. In 2001, the same year Shrek was released, A Knight’s Tale hit screens. The film follows Heath Ledger as a peasant posing as a knight competing in jousting tournaments. The film automatically sets its anachronistic tone in its opening scene, showing the crowd of a jousting tournament clapping along to the music of Queen, one of the many 1970s bands featured on the film’s soundtrack. The film’s love interest, Jocelyn, is the epitome of Y2K Medieval fashion with her spikey updos and V-neck iridescent gowns. 2004’s Ella Enchanted satirized the fairytale genre and, like A Knight’s Tale, referenced 1970s music and gave us some iconic Y2K Medieval fusion fashion looks. Ella’s evil stepsisters frequently rocked the Y2K Boho look with bright colored crochet and low-waisted braided belts. Their characters captured the bright and playful aesthetic of teenage girls at the time with scrunchies, over-the-top hair accessories, and heart motifs. The film’s iconic ending scene with Ella and her prince charming married, shows the wedding party disco dancing to “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart.” Movies of this time constantly referenced the past, in both the medieval and the 1970s, while also making it distinctly modern, calling back to the roots of the aesthetic while giving it a totally new, culturally relevant life.
Third Time’s A Charm
This aesthetic has always been about reviving the past, so it’s no surprise the Y2K Medieval aesthetic is back again, this time with Gen Z. The aesthetic first resurfaced within the last two years and is ramping up again on social media apps like TikTok. The revival of the overall Y2K aesthetic has been a shaping factor of 2020s fashion trends and pop culture, so it was only a matter of time before its love for the medieval came back too. Gen Z is fascinated with vintage aesthetics and, in a culture of overconsumption and oversaturated fashion trends, longs for more whimsical and unique pieces. The Y2K medieval aesthetic, in its combination of eras and references to fairytales, is able to provide that.
A large spike of interest in the medieval aesthetic came from Chappell Roan’s fashion looks at the 2024 VMAs. The artist rocked a full knight suit on the stage, and a matching chain mail ensemble for the ceremony. Chappell also rocked a campy medieval princess look at the 2025 Grammys, complete with a cone hat.
But it’s not just that popular artists are rocking the aesthetic: a large part of the resurfacing infatuation is the nostalgia it brings. Many current adolescents and young adults grew up watching Disney fairytales, and films like Ella Enchanted and Shrek. Therefore, channeling the Y2K Medieval revival aesthetic is not just about kitschy fashion, but an escape into the magic and wonder of childhood.
How to Make Your Life More Magical (and Medieval)
- Rewatch all your medieval-inspired and fairytale childhood favorites
- Make your own princess cone hat (formally known as hennin hats)
- Wear Corset tops
- Write some poetry
- Attend a Renaissance fair
- Add Chain belts to ensembles
- Wear long princess dresses with flowing sleeves
- Brush up on Arthurian fairytales
The End!
For additional information, check out:
The Medieval Revival of the 1960s and 1970s – Olivia Annabelle
THE GOLDEN AGE THINKING: ARE WE ESCAPING THE PRESENT THROUGH “MEDIEVAL Y2K”? — Numéro Netherlands