What is it with millennial women and Victorian shit? -

[JokahBaybee]

From diy channels all about making hoopskirts to novels about (tell me if you've heard this before) a maiden from an academy in Victorian England raising orphans to be members of polite society, there seems to be this weird fascination with the Victorian era among millennial women. Why this era in particular?

 

[Justtocheck]

Because it's cute and is also fun to fantasize. Victorian era because of it's strong repressive tendencies blends itself well with roleplaying and following rules

 

[Mariposa Electrique]

They like to oppress themselves?

 

[Jimjamflimflam]

A deep seated desire to go back to a more conservative time.

 

[Syaoran Li]

I'm not entirely sure, I think it's probably because of the era's reputation for being "classy" and genteel

Combine that with the American middle class's unique brand of Anglophilia and the popularity of things like the Harry Potter* books and the Steampunk fad of the early 2010's and that could probably explain at least part of it.

*-Yes, I know Harry Potter's set in the modern era but it's also intentionally anachronistic in a lot of places and IIRC, most of the Wizarding World's aesthetics are derived from Edwardian and 1920's era British fashions.

 

[JEB!]

Everyone misses cheap 10 year old workers

 

[Sped Xing]

Choosy chicks know the Regency was superior.

 

[From The Uncanny Valley]

Because LE QUIRKY.

 

[Not Really Here]

Because when Eurotrash does it, it's called CULTURE.

 

[Tookie]

Judging by the women in my family, this goes back a lot further than millenials.

 

[Shadfan666xxx000]

The Victorian era was a time with numerous parallels with today. Massive technological advances, social upheaval and a huge culture of exploitation were all key to it. Notice how much everyone compares the political corruption and social inequality to the Gilded age and how similarly utopian and dehumanizing it was.

 

[Madam Nekromantik]

Is it a crime that I like penny dreadfuls about Spring Heel Jack and Vinny the Vampire.

 

[L50LasPak]

I'd say its probably fallout from Steampunk being a thing. Though I have noticed that there were a couple of female authors who were interested in the era as well. In general a lot of famous women's lit that isn't post-modern garbage was written during the Victorian era so its not exactly that surprising that women would be at least somewhat familiar with the era.

 

[Lemmingwise]

Why the fuck wouldn't women who toil in O̶f̶f̶i̶c̶e̶s̶ their own homes for some soulless corp fantasize about being a rich lady with oodles of spare time to wear frilly dresses, write poetry and engage in other frivolous shenanigans?

There are three more things at play here. Women get bombarded with victorian era imagery, in how they're being taught how oppressed women have always been at the hands of men.

Also, the era just has this very unique and easily defined look to it.

But I think more attractive than anything, it was the last era before the loss of identity in the west begun. It was a time where men and women knew themselves. Women could be women and men could be men.

For all their struggles, at least the struggles were easily defined.

It's also the very opposite to the time we're living in sexual terms. Therefor exotic and therefor the grass looks greener.

 

[Kosher Dill]

I'd say its probably fallout from Steampunk being a thing.

Yeah, I think it's for people who are just slightly too grown-up to wear a top hat with a cog glued onto it.

 

[Azafran90]

I don't know but I hate when they confuse it with rococo, medieval or eduardian style.

 

[El Sátiro Sordo]

I'll go with aesthetics. That and the sense of a "recent past"; recent enough to not be completely alien, and and old enough for it to be interesting.

Another thing that comes to mind are corsets and clothing that has become synonyms with "classy" eroticism.

 

[Ted_Breakfast]

Because LOOK AT ME I'M A WHITE WOMAN.

 

[takemetoyourgrave]

 

[JimmyHill'sBlarms]

What about the people who actually take it a step further and follow a "Victorian" lifestyle 24/7?