Bee Beardsworth is a writer, photographer, and creative director based in London with a background in fashion, media, and art. She writes about fashion and beauty through a postmodern lens, with an underlying focus on feminism and queer theory. Beardsworth recently completed a degree in the history of art and visual culture, with a strong focus on femininity and queerness in modernity, internet culture and new media, occulture, and architecture.

People are mining the past for stable comfort 

Ultra Cosy 

People are searching for stability in alternative sources of authority

Alt Faith

Christianity – and Catholicism, more specifically – has long been a staple of high fashion. Thousands of years of biblical art and lore and the wealth of interpretations they’ve inspired have always attracted designers, not to mention the rich history of Christian visual art, sculpture, and architecture. One of the more notable names of the 80s and 90s in this regard was Christian Lacroix, whose ornate and richly laden Byzantine-style crosses changed fashion forever when displayed in 1988 on 

. Dolce & Gabbana made Italian Catholicism a throughline of their collections in the nineties, as 

, miniskirts, and mink in a bold display of ideologically-tense opulence. Last year, the controversial brand dressed the entire Kardashian clan for sister Kourtney’s nuptials. Kourtney herself, meanwhile, was married by a priest before a Catholic shrine, 

DTC Instagram brands have also been pushing the trend: 

 became known for its use of biblical scripture on slogan clothes; 

 has become the aspirational marker for ‘Mexican Catholic girl’ elegance; and Australian brand With Jéan’s last collection featured a 

 printed with the Sacred Heart. By simply sporting crucifix necklaces, many Gen Yers are leaning into #CatholicCore because it reminds them of childhood heroes, or the style icons of their teenage years. Everywhere there are allusions to the 

 worn by Alicia Silverstone’s character Cher in Clueless (1990), and Kathryn’s 

 from cult classic Cruel Intentions (1999). In her Posh Spice days, style icon Victoria Beckham was frequently seen in a 

For those who genuinely grew up Christian, #CatholicCore trends will bring up childhood and adolescence with a greater sense of immediacy: style elements like long white socks, collared shirts, pleated skirts, and religious necklaces have been pinched from Catholic-school regalia. In a viral i-D article, writer Biz Sherbert referred to the “postmodern Catholic schoolgirl” – “Christian iconography in alt-fashion can certainly be invoking pop culture rather than directly acknowledging the religion itself”. In the article, London-based Liberty McAnena agrees, noting how “certain rosary-wearers might not be thinking much about Christianity at all, instead referring to Lana del Rey, or Sarah Michelle Gellar in Cruel Intentions.” 

For Gen Z adopters, #CatholicCore represents a sartorial statement whose stylistic elements are reminiscent of a bygone era, that hazy nostalgia and aestheticised girlishness redolent of Sylvia Plath poems and the films of Sofia Coppola. Unlike Gen Yers for whom the aforementioned icons of pop culture were once a lived reality, Gen Zers refer to these figures in order to appear privy to a culture that for them is something vintage. Dressing #CatholicCore may even derive from earlier online iterations of the aesthetic – the 

wildly popular pleated skirts and long socks 

of mid-2000s American Apparel. So what does #CatholicCore about nostalgic resurgence and the contemporary moment, in fashion and beyond?

Hyper individualism, alt-fashion, and the desire for identity

In her 2021 article, ‘How Catholicism became alt-fashion’s saviour’, Sherbert describes a scenario in which “effectively, alt White kids have had to adapt and look for new ways to differentiate themselves from the sea of normies and basics.” 

 By way of elaboration, she says: “We’re living at an interesting time for defining the difference between alt and mainstream fashion. As alt fashion becomes more popular than ever before, we’ve entered a period of ‘mass alternative’. For a trend which defines itself in terms of its opposition to the mainstream, increasing levels of awareness and acceptance in the mainstream poses problems.” 

Interview with Biz Sherbert conducted by author

Gen Z alt-fashion choices are often motivated by a desire for belonging among niche movements and subcultures. A generation with digital access to the entire cultural heritage of the past, subjected to the limitless production of a late-capitalist regime, has created what Safy-Hallan Farah names “hyperreal individualism” in her 2021 article ‘

’. Taking inspiration from “an inadequately sourced and dated Tumblr- and Pinterest-inspired archival conundrum”, the alt-fashionistas among Gen Zers are trying to curate an individualist style that appears to transcend the contemporary moment.

The DTC shopping element of social media sites no doubt plays a strong role in the relationship between aesthetic trends, archival imagery, and purchases. Pinterest has 450 million active users a month; 28.5% and 18% of their user base comprises Gen Y and Z women. 

Sprout Social

A staggering 85% of weekly Pinterest users, meanwhile, have made a purchase using the Pinterest pins feature, which shows one or more items that are identical or similar to what is shown in the pinned imagery. 

Pinterest Business

The desire to ‘stand out’ – and perhaps to shock – is crucial to the popularity of Catholic Core. For obvious reasons, clothing associated with the Christian religion stirs up debate, conversation, and controversy, both online and off. DTC brand 

 has blown up on Instagram in the last two years since its launch, and now boasts 127,000 followers of its slogan clothing and accessories printed with biblical scripture, or phrases like ‘God’s Favourite’.

Embracing meta-irony has contributed to the brand’s success on social media: the absurdist nature of much of their apparel can be seen in 

 of a model wearing a top saying ‘I’ll speak to God when I’m dead’, while refilling a plastic drinks cup with gasoline at a petrol station. Praying court controversy with Christian commentators on Instagram every time their posts feature religious scripture or symbolism, events which – thanks to Instagram’s 

 – drive yet more traffic to their page.

Social-media natives, nomenclature, and the nostalgic impulse

As the first generation of social-media natives, Gen Zers are establishing new avenues for trend creation, and are looking to the activities of their peer groups online before taking cues from brands and runways. Cottage Core and Dark Academia, as well as Catholic Core and other TikTok-led trends, have inverted the conventional design process, beginning bottoms up from social media and resale platform content. 

Indeed, 40% of adult Gen Zers now say their purchases are directly influenced by social media. 

McKinsey

Many younger dressers want to wear clothes that remind them of their childhood, and of what they often perceive to be a time of greater innocence – 54% of Gen Zers claim to like the style of vintage clothes, while 37% say they feel nostalgia for the 1990s – though the oldest segment of this demographic likely would have been too young to remember it at the time. 

 Fashion from the 90s and early 00s often appears to provide a sense of familiarity in what feels like a constantly shifting world, and Gen Zers want to buy into that nostalgic comfort. Gen Yers, meanwhile, are particularly risk averse when it comes to straying from their tried-and-true clothing choices. 

L’Officiel

As past imagery gets reshared on Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok with greater frequency and speed, increasing numbers of respondents are identifying with nostalgic desire for these putatively innocent bygone decades: 50% of Gen Zers, followed by 47% of Gen Yers. 

 Some 46% of consumers, moreover, are nostalgically ‘triggered’ by older media like film, music, and TV, and clothing brands are tapping this with their garments. 

Italian luxury brand Blumarine went viral in 2021 over creative director Nicola Brognano’s debut collection, which saw the appearance of a strongly Y2K-influenced 

. In the S/S2023 collection, Brognano paid obvious homage to the brand’s iconic noughties designs by going full-crucifix: a

 featuring the symbol. “You have to be aware of what the world wants,” Brognano told Vogue Business, in a report that detailed an 112% increase in luxury stockists of Blumarine between 2021 to 2022. 

Vogue Business

Controversy, intimacy, and a sense of personal protest

Notwithstanding its significance as a symbol of the Y2K trend revival, at its heart the emergence of Christian Core is emblematic of the desire for meaning among Gen Yers and Zers. Sherbert says: “Like any other religion or codified belief system, Christianity is a system of meaning making. It can offer young people, especially those who grew up without any major meaning system in place, a way of understanding a world that often seems senselessly cruel and indifferent.” 

 Photographer and visual artist Iris Luz echoes this point: “I think a lot of people feel Godless,” she says. 

Interview with Iris Luz conducted by author

 The popularity of Praying and its provocative reappropriation of Christianity arguably represents a desire among Gen Zers to push back against conformity when it comes to styles of dress, as well as the prevailing animosity towards conservatism in culture. 

Controversy can be a vehicle for generating sympathetic attention, especially in the age of the internet. The sustainable dress and eveningwear brand 

 came under fire for its use of Catholic imagery – see 

 – as keyboard critics found it ‘gimmicky’ and ‘disrespectful’. Founder Marcelo Gaia took the opportunity to engage directly with his followers, posting various videos on TikTok which addressed accusations that he had appropriated the ‘Catholic Mexican girl’ aesthetic, explaining by way of response that his devout Catholic Brazilian heritage was deeply important to the brand.

By virtue of this very confrontation, Gaia has been able to expand on the legitimacy of his brand’s identity. The Catholic Core-adjacent designs and accompanying imagery are what now get the most likes on Instagram, and Mirror Palais went on to show 

 to even more praise and controversy. The campaign video for their latest collection features shots of a model wearing a full Catholic veil, and another one of her wearing a crop top in a church. 

For Luz, meaning is at the heart of all of this. “More people crave authenticity, and identity, and getting to the core of what is authentic – and what’s more authentic and long-standing than religious institutions? A lot of people can identify with being part of what is in some ways – especially Christianity – one of the last fairly accepting, easily cooptable religions still around today,” she says. 

 Biz thinks something similar, observing how: “people are definitely craving more sincerity in their clothes, and brands like Mirror Palais offer this”. 

A deeply nostalgic generation, many of whom blame modernity for their anxiety, 15% of Gen Zers admit preferring to think about the past than the future, while Gen Yers aren’t much further behind at 14%. 

 For brand success, appealing to the nostalgic impulse shared by many Gen Yers and Zers can enable security and boost sales. Provided that references to the specificities of the cultural past are thoughtfully managed when considering the target audience, almost every age and demographic is potentially susceptible to nostalgic cues. Meanwhile, 73% of consumers claim to enjoy products that remind them of the past, but endeavours to lean into nostalgia must be sensitive to contemporary moves at the same time. It is vital to focus on reimagining the healthier aspects of the bygone era in question, rather than to reproduce outdated stereotypes or social dynamics. 

The Drum

Ostensibly negative reactions on social media can often represent transformative occasions for brands to engage with consumers in an effort to appear more transparent and relatable. Indeed, 60% of Gen Zers say that they want to connect with brands on a personal level through social media, and if brands or designers choose to be vocal about their sensibilities, it can directly appeal to the staggering 92% of Gen Zers who say that being authentic to oneself is important to them. 

Seattle Spectator

Style is often first dictated by popular social media stars in the current age of the influencer, which can quickly be processed into a micro-trend, manufactured, and sold by fast fashion brands in a matter of weeks. Some 44% of Gen Zers claim to have made a purchase based on the recommendations of an influencer. 

Insense

With the clickthrough DTC options on TikTok, Instagram, and Pinterest, investing time and money both researching emerging trends and influences, and sharing brand identity on these platforms, is the best way to create products that appeal to younger buyers. Some 83% of Gen Zers shop on social media and 97% say that social media is their top choice for researching shopping options. 

Insider Intelligence

The Influencer Marketing Factory

 of Gen Zers would rather think about the past than the future, and Gen Yers aren’t much further behind at 

Pinterest is playing a pivotal role in shaping consumer behaviours, with 

 of its user base being made up of Gen Y and Z women, respectively

 of Gen Zers say that being authentic to oneself is important to them

Brands and influencers are tapping into the resurgence of Christian-adjacent aesthetics, with #christiancoreaesthetic drawing in tens of millions of views on TikTok

Gen Zers and Yers are turning to past trends for a sense of nostalgia and to curate a sense of personal identity

Christianity offers a sense of history, glamour, and ‘tribe’ while remaining a relatively non-offensive choice for cultural adoption

Iris Luz is a photographer and visual artist based in London. Prior to this, she was social media editor at Dazed Beauty and a tech consultant for a plethora of fashion and beauty brands and magazines. These brands include Ssense, Balenciaga, Praying, Miu Miu, and more, for whom she consulted about social media direction, content ideation, and creative collaboration. Iris' overarching focus is on creating a meaningful visual language that explores the complexities and nuances of being human.

Biz Sherbert is a writer and editor with a focus on fashion and the internet. She works at The Digital Fairy creative content agency and also writes for 

Global

United States

Fashion and Style

Citizenship

Interview with Biz Sherbert conducted by the author

The Business of Fashion

McKinsey & Company

Vogue

Interview with Iris Luz conducted by the author

Over recent years there has been a resurgence of late-90s and early-00s designs, silhouettes, and styles in fashion. Catholic symbolism has also grown in prominence, thanks to the popularity of social media imagery of #CatholicCore tropes. Can #ChristianCore revive a collective cultural heritage?