Cottagecore Dress Inspiration Galore

Hero image: (from the left) 1861.ca, Aje, MissPatina

Do you love the simple life? That the kind of life celebrated by cottagecore fashion aesthetic and it became quite a trend.

At the moment, cottagecore is one of the most popular niche aesthetics in fashion. Reddit and Facebook are full of cottagecore communities in fashion or home decor, but at the top of the list are cottagecore dresses.

Prom dresses, wedding dresses, going-out dresses - so many people want them in that ruffled, Victorian cottagecore style.

When you Google “cottagecore dress” you will find a whole page of e-commerce stores specialising only in cottagecore dresses. (Consider yourself warned though: When you click through the excitement will probably fade, though.)

Etsy: VeratheLabel

Cottagecore, at least in fashion, is an aesthetic that captures the simple, romanticized life in nature.

It’s called cottagecore after the type of the house in which the gentry of English countryside lived in the 18th and 19th century.

Some of these countrymen were well off but not rich enough to run a big house with servants like the Downton Abbey. Those lived in houses that would still be jaw-dropping mansions by the standard of today’s housing market, but back then they were called “cottages”.

Dress via thecottagecore.com

So, cottagecore focuses on the fashion that evokes that life in the country.

• There are the themes of farming, soft colours and most of all the earthy tones and flowery prints for the day.
• For the evenings, the colours might get brighter, materials silkier and the cleavage deeper.
• There’s a lot of frills and ruffles for both day and night.

Especially the last point of cottagecore fashion characteristics draws a lot from the Victorian era in England. That’s where a lot of cottagecore dresses get their aesthetic from.

British Victorian dress via fashionlady.in

Modest Corragecore Dresses

Some of the classic cottagecore choices strongly inspired by the Victorian period will be modest cottagecore dresses with puffy sleeves and long, full skirts.

Beth dress from littlewomenatelier.com (pricy)

Etsy: OmeelyNatural

ThredUp: La Maison Talulah Cocktail Dress

Etsy: Herdlyprod

The Edith dress from misspatina.com

Cottagecore dresses that show skin

But the truth is that the Victorian era was not too prudish in terms of fashion. Rich women would show off their shoulders and fashionable evening dresses were always cut quite daring.

Here’s a beautiful ball gown from the 1890s:

Victorian ball gown via Pinterest

Showing skin translates very easily into the 2020s version of the cottagecore dress aesthetic:

Show all the cleavage, or make it a mini skirt, or both.

Etsy: XiadaniShop

Mini Classic dress from sondeflor.com

Cottagecore prom dress via 1861.ca

ThredUp: Great Jones Ruffle Hourglass Dress

In high fashion of 2022, you don’t see a lot of cottagecore styled dresses anymore. The attention is moving on to grandmacore and other less dreamy, less romantic aesthetics.

Here’s one of the rare cottagecore-inspired dresses found on Matches Fashion in June 2022:

Aje Fallingwatter cotton poplin dress

You might say that most niche aesthetics are based on romanticizing the vintage, but then cottagecore really is one of the least practical ones out of them. Just the sheer amount of focus that dresses get in cottagecore particularly speaks volumes.

That said, if you appreciate the beauty of nature and a slower pace of life, then this is the aesthetic for you and cottagecore dresses with it. With Cottagecore products, you can surround yourself with all things natural and beautiful. From home decor to fashion accessories, there’s something for everyone who loves this rustic aesthetic. Shop now and bring a piece of cottagecore into your everyday life.

To get some more of the best for casual cottagecore aesthetic dresses, keep scrolling. E-shops, designers or Etsy sellers are credited below each image.

Carmen dress from sondeflor.com

Meg dress from littlewomenatelier.com (pricy)

Etsy: Fomonkpodafant

Audrey dress from sondeflor.com

Etsy: allthebeautifullinen

Regency dress from misspatina.com