Parlor Style Is the Coquette-Meets-Loungewear Trend Taking Over for 2024

From balletcore to bows to fanciful ways of reinventing goth hallmarks, the coquette aesthetic was undeniably one of the biggest trends of the past year. It’s been a refreshing way of reclaiming femininity as we collectively embrace our inner Bridgerton persona—and it looks like it’s here to stay for 2024, albeit in a new form.

Whether you actually live in a chic Victorian cottage or simply need a way to romanticize another long winter in your tiny apartment, “parlor style” is the emerging trend sure to take your leisurewear game to the next level. Read on to learn all about what led to this moment, where we’ve seen the aesthetic, and how to get in on it for yourself.

How the “Parlor Style” Trend Came to Be

Coquette style began to take over in early 2023, following several seasons of adjacent trends like balletcore and cottagecore. Essentially, it’s a more eclectic take on a general movement to reclaim femininity in fashion, full of bows, ballet flats, and Victorian-inspired details like corsets and tulle.

The coquette aesthetic has had its fair share of past moments—most recently in the early 2010s—but the past year has marked a definitive resurgence. The sheer amount of bows, pearls, and intricate updos that celebrities rocked at spring 2023 events like the Met Gala and the Tiffany reopening recontextualized tributes to Karl Lagerfeld and Audrey Hepburn into catalysts for a trend of nostalgic, unapologetically feminine beauty and style. Around the same time, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story premiered, only amplifying the coquette vibes via nail designs, fanciful accessories, and the return of the regencycore aesthetic that surges every time the ultra-popular Netflix show returns.

Later in the year, a new wave of recessioncore style emerged via the quiet luxury aesthetic and the reemergence of ballet flats and Mary Janes as footwear essentials. Recently, it’s been popular to complete otherwise minimalist looks with coquette bows and jewelry, plus we’re seeing retro-meets-modern takes on trending pieces (such as pointe shoe–inspired square-toe flats). More and more celebrities and modern style icons have also been stepping out in exposed undergarments—but this time, it’s not a Y2K whale tail. Instead, it’s all about silky bras that peek out of slip dresses or lingerie as a statement piece—anything that argues our most intimate qualities should be on full display.

After a busy year in which it seemed like almost everyone was putting together themed looks for major cultural events like Taylor Swift’s and Beyoncé’s respective Eras and Renaissance concert tours and the Barbie movie, there’s a sense of burnout just in time for winter. Concert tours are slowing down for the season, and some of this fall’s and winter’s most-anticipated movies were pushed to 2024 due to the recent SAG strike, leaving a bit of a gap to embrace a slower lifestyle. But we’ve already channeled our inner Victorian ghosts with nap dresses galore, and colorful sweats can trigger undesired memories of early COVID, so demand is growing to blur the boundaries between loungewear and occasionwear in a new way. Parlor style does just that by tapping into a more understated side of coquette: the pieces a society lady of centuries past might wear to lounge on her chaise, sip on a questionable elixir, and tell her closest confidantes all about whatever she saw in the garden that morning.

What Exactly Is Parlor Style?

Jumping off previous coquette and loungewear trends, parlor style offers takes on undergarments and leisurewear that most of us rarely see outside of a period piece. Yes, pantaloons and bloomers are a thing again, but this time, they’re on display rather than hiding under layers of skirts and netting. There’s also plenty of corseting and slip dresses presented in fresh ways, plus my personal favorite: overly dramatic robes best worn by a rich widow with a mysterious past. It’s all about looks that are comfortable enough to conceivably wear around the house but never shapeless or uninspired: Instead, you get to romanticize your life as if you’re in Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette.

Parlor style had a major presence in the most recent fashion weeks, too, with Dauphinette leaning hardest into the aesthetic. Olivia Cheng’s emerging brand presented a collection full of ballooning minidresses over bloomers, jacquard pantaloons on full display, and relaxed yet luxe-feeling gowns ideal for pacing aimlessly at 2 a.m. Mirror Palais had plenty of coquette-off-duty goodness too, from structured square-neck blouses paired with comfortable micromini shorts to sheer slip skirts and relaxed ruffles. Fresh takes on silk and lace fabrics as well as corset detailing were also visible at the likes of Sandy Liang, Dion Lee, Alice + Olivia, and Collina Strada, proving the entire industry is thinking about how we can all feel our most decadent, even when we’re just running errands or sitting at home.

The coquette-inspired loungewear pieces that define parlor style have yet to fully take off, but it’s only a matter of time before they do. The dead of winter consistently boosts comfortable yet intentional trends as we look for ways to stay inspired, plus the next season of Bridgerton is set to come out in early 2024. Maybe this will be the year we finally see more 21st-century takes on the square-neck nightgowns that our favorite period romantic leads often wear, or perhaps everyone will get into styling pantaloons in unique ways—which actually don’t feel far off from horseshoe jeans and other statement denim trends of the moment. No matter what, we fully expect to see a heavy dose of reimagined romanticism as the year gets underway.

Build Your Parlor Style Wardrobe

When dressing according to the parlor style aesthetic, choose your own adventure. The key elements are coquette-inspired details, relatively comfortable silhouettes, and fabrics that feel luxe but not too fussy. From there, it’s all about working your pieces of choice into your own personal style so you can effectively integrate the decadent, romantic energy into everything from a fun night out to a casual Tuesday.

Why Parlor Style Is the Moment

While parlor style’s reference material may include some of the most frivolous and out-of-touch lifestyles in history, much like the resurgence of the coquette aesthetic, the current trend is all about redefining the look to romanticize your own life. With slip dresses on a years-long streak of renewed popularity, coquette details already everywhere, and the lingerie and loungewear industries more diversified than before, there are countless ways to create your own take on this lax-yet-luxe way of dressing.

From pop culture moments to the runways to all the creativity across social media and in real life, our current obsession with all things fanciful and feminine is proving that you absolutely can take what you love about your favorite period piece and re-contextualize it into an empowering narrative that sparks joy. Take the parlor style trend as an excuse to finally invest in that expensive robe or simply add a bow to your next work-from-home look. Either way, you’ll be glad you did.