The Bridgerton Effect: Why Romance Has Reclaimed Culture
- Curation Edit
- 9 hours ago
- 3 min read
In a world driven by optimisation, romance has returned as emotional currency.
Romance didn’t re-enter culture with fanfare. It slipped back in quietly, through candlelight, orchestral pop covers, lace-soft silhouettes, and stories that allowed feeling to unfold slowly.
When Bridgerton premiered, it wasn’t just consumed; it was felt. The show lingered on anticipation rather than action, emotion rather than resolution. It reminded audiences of something long neglected: the pleasure of waiting.
A Reddit viewer captured this shift succinctly:
“It wasn’t the drama—it was how much time the show gave to emotion. Everything felt slower, gentler.” — Reddit user, r/Bridgerton
That slowness struck a nerve. And culture responded.
Why Romance Feels Necessary Right Now
Romance resurfaces most powerfully in moments of collective fatigue.
After years dominated by productivity culture, minimalism, and hyper-functional branding, emotional exhaustion has set in. People are no longer moved by efficiency alone. Function without feeling feels hollow.
As Marketing Brew noted while examining the return of romance across branding, consumers today are gravitating toward brands that “offer comfort, intimacy, and emotional reassurance rather than relentless persuasion” .
Romance, in this moment, is not indulgence.
It is relief.
From Utility to Intimacy: How Brands Are Responding
This shift is most visible in beauty and personal care, where romance translates naturally into ritual.
When Dove collaborated with Bridgerton, the campaign didn’t rely on novelty logos or overt promotion. Instead, scent, packaging, and storytelling were aligned with the emotional world of the show, wisteria notes, pastel florals, and a sense of softness carried through every touchpoint.
One Reddit user discussing the launch observed:
“It didn’t feel like a product drop. It felt like stepping back into the mood of the show.”
That distinction between transaction and immersion is where romance proves its value.
Fashion Always Moves First
Fashion, as ever, articulated the emotional shift before marketing caught up.
At Dior Spring/Summer ’26, romance appeared not as nostalgia but as language. Flowing silhouettes, delicate detailing, and cinematic staging reframed femininity as both soft and strong emotion as power, not weakness.
Stylist described the wider resurgence of romantic aesthetics across fashion and film as a cultural turn toward “comforting narratives that allow people to process uncertainty without numbing themselves” .
Romance here is not about looking backward.
It’s about feeling held.
The Redefinition of Desire in Beauty
The same recalibration is evident in lingerie and beauty storytelling.
Victoria’s Secret has quietly shifted away from overt spectacle toward intimacy and vulnerability. Recent campaigns centre softness, self-possession, and emotional realism desire that feels lived-in rather than performed.
A Reddit comment responding to the shift summed it up clearly:
“It finally feels like the brand understands women aren’t performing for an audience anymore.” — Reddit user, r/popculturechat
Romance today is less about seduction. More about recognition.
Indian Brands Reading the Emotional Room
Indian beauty and personal care brands are responding with equal nuance.
Nykaa’s recent storytelling leans heavily into sensory language, skin, scent, ritual, positioning beauty as companionship rather than correction. Meanwhile, Kimirica builds romance through texture, packaging, and naming, offering indulgence that feels intimate, not excessive.
As LBB Online noted while questioning whether brands can “sell love,” romance resonates only when it feels emotionally fluent “less campaign, more conversation” .
This is romance as tone, not tactic.
Romance Beyond Brands: A Cultural Permission
The resurgence isn’t limited to marketing. Romance publishing, particularly romantasy has surged, fuelled by BookTok and Gen Z’s rejection of emotional detachment.
One Reddit reader explained the appeal this way:
“Romance guarantees that feelings matter. That promise alone feels radical right now."— Reddit user, r/books
What we’re witnessing is not escapism. It’s emotional permission.
Romance has returned because we are tired of being untouched by the things we consume.
In an age obsessed with speed and optimisation, romance reintroduces pacing. It allows brands to slow down, soften their voice, and build meaning through atmosphere rather than assertion.
Romance, when done well, doesn’t persuade. It stays, every era reveals what it longs for.
Ours is longing for intimacy, reassurance, and stories that feel human again. Romance answers not with spectacle, but with presence. And that may be why it feels less like a trend and more like a return.