While I have a professed love of clothes and shoes (namely, Sézane and Margaux), I have a hard time executing trends. They’re so fleeting that by the time I might actually get around to ordering something, TikTok has already passed on to the next. Usually, I don’t bother—especially this year, when we entered a full-blown Rococo/Victorian aesthetic. Jonathan Anderson led the charge with his debut collections at Dior. Namely, Alba Rohrwacher’s questionable sapphire blue panier dress at the Venice Film Festival and the menswear SS26 collection which popped up on celebrities of all genders, including Greta Lee for Vogue’s November issue.
There’s also been a spate of period dramas locking in the aesthetic. Bridgerton’s season 5 is underway; Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein made a buzzy debut on Netflix and Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights trailers have everyone in a tizzy. In short, everyone’s dressing like they came out of the 18th and 19th centuries. At first, I rolled my eyes. Much as I, too, would love to flounce around in a ball gown all day, it’s not conducive to modern life. But as I continued studying the trends, I realized there was one ultra-wearable, timeless detail even I could get on board with without feeling passé next season. Behold, the Victorian collar.
Seeing as it’s a fun way to riff on the classic white button down, I immediately took to it. I’ve clocked it in numerous variations, from Jacob Elordi’s high collar and pussycat bow and Oscar Isaac’s shirts in Frankenstein, to frilly high collars and big, loose cuts with self-tying bows from numerous retailers. A friend even wore a legit vintage number at a recent party. The Victorian collar is fun, fresh, trendy and, importantly, won’t date you in a year or five or ten. Below are a handful that’ve been sitting in my cart
