Soft Colonial Wanderlust is a Victorian-inspired consumer aesthetic that was popular from the late 1980s to mid 2010s. It consists of black and white photographs, hand-colored photographs, antiquated technology, chinoiserie, japonisme, and general orientalism. Nathan and Breanna detail the aesthetic in this week’s episode of Silent Generation, from its murky origins in ‘60s/‘70s British animation to its eventual identification by CARI in 2017. They discuss how Twee is the “girl version” of Soft Colonial Wanderlust, how hand-colored photographs serve as the foundation for the aesthetic’s color scheme, and how Soft Colonial Wanderlust differentiates itself from Steampunk by eschewing digital technology. 

Links:
Soft Colonial Wanderlust Pinterest Board: https://www.pinterest.com/silentgeneration/soft-colonial-wanderlust/
Soft Colonial Wanderlust CARI Page
Soft Colonial Wanderlust Aesthetics Wiki Page
What is Soft Colonialist Wanderlust? Facebook Group
Soft Colonialist Wanderlust Are.na Page
https://anemptyblissbeyondthisworld.neocities.org/CARI/soft-colonial
The surprising evolution of hipsters in the 2000s
The Mysterious Geographic Explorations Of Jasper Morello

Artwork:
Hendrick's Gin "Escape"

Recorded on 01/31/2026