Medieval Revival

Castlecore... How Did We Get Here?

Its 1963 a School Teacher in LA Phyllis Patterson holds a small Renaissance Faire --A celebration of the Middle Ages recreating the participants surroundings as if they were really there in the 15, 16, 1700s in her backyard for her students. They loved it. Later she hosted another as a fundraiser for a local radio show. 8,000 people show up dressed up in handmade medieval costumes, watching blacksmiths and craftsman work. It was an all encompassing experience of a completely different reality. There was this idea of resistance to the status quo. Public participation in something outside of the constraints of the current social norms. People are dressing up in handmade costumes, celebrating lost traditions, and learning new things. This was the beginning of The Mid century Medieval Revival.

In 1965, the paperback of the already popular, Lord of The Rings, is released and the story explodes.

The Lord of the Rings opened many young people up to a whole new world of fantasy. And this led to an explosion of fantasy books, movies, music, and of course, inspired people to want to dress in a way that brought these worlds to their real life.

Every decade or so medieval influences hit pop culture and fashion but the mid century revival stuck. Fast forward to 2025.

Now we have Castlecore. We’ve seen it in movies, on the runway, and all over tik tok. What started as ren faire fit checks evolved into the same clothing items being incorporated into their everyday wear.

But, why is castlecore trending now? In the 1960s, the rise of ren faires was connected to anti-Vietnam war beliefs and the Red Scare. Many of those who helped organize the first faires were former workers in the film industry who had been blacklisted for their political beliefs. Unable to work, they built space for themselves to encourage new thinking. Phyllis Patterson herself had been asked to sign a loyalty oath in order to work in the California Public schools and quit later that decade.

Today, maybe castlecore is trending for a similar reason. People are looking for escapism and finding power in building community together. Plus, armor is gritty, gleaming, and gorgeous.