Why Gen Z Is Wearing 200-Year-Old Rings and Victorian Bodices — The Antique Fashion Craze Explained

In a world obsessed with AI-generated trends and fast fashion hauls, a quiet revolution is happening in antique shops and dusty auction houses: Antique fashion — yes, clothing and jewelry that are literally centuries old — is back in vogue, and Gen Z is leading the charge.

When vintage hit mainstream, the truly devoted collectors took it a step further. Labels like Valentino and Simone Rocha are reviving romantic silhouettes borrowed straight from the Renaissance and Victorian eras, while designer Daniel Roseberry dug through Parisian antique stalls to source delicate ribbons for Schiaparelli’s Spring 2025 couture fantasy.

But this fascination isn’t just runway deep. Real collectors, like Cora Violet Walters — an Instagram sensation known for her shadowy, poetic aesthetic — are rewriting what it means to ‘dress old’. Walters, who grew up thrifting with her grandmother, casually pairs her everyday jeans with 24-karat gold Roman earrings from 200 AD. Her closet houses a dreamy rotation of 1890s corsets, Edwardian lace gowns, mourning rings from the 1800s, and glittering Iberian drop earrings that date back to the early 1700s.

“When I wear these pieces, I’m not just dressing up — I’m living a story that defies time,” Walters tells Daily Global Diary. “I love the tension between something ancient and something contemporary. It’s never costume; it’s a conversation.”

Designers are embracing that narrative too. Anna Sui, a self-confessed antique addict, looked to scandalous heiresses like Barbara Hutton and Doris Duke for her Fall 2025 collection — women who famously spent fortunes on extravagant jewels. This season, Sui’s runway was dripping with oversized faux jade, coral brooches, and playful tartans styled alongside dramatic caftans — proof that the past and present can clash beautifully.

Why is this old-world trend resonating now?
Maybe it’s our fatigue with mass-produced everything. Maybe it’s the thrill of knowing you’re the only person at a party wearing a 300-year-old ring. Or maybe it’s the rebellious romance of rejecting disposable fashion in favor of pieces steeped in untold stories.

As Walters says, “Each piece confronts you with history. It forces you to pause. In a way, it’s the opposite of the scroll culture — it’s grounding.”

So next time you scroll for a ‘vintage-inspired’ tee, think bigger: there’s an entire world of real antique treasures waiting to be unearthed — if you dare to wear them.