Plaguecore takes inspiration from Renaissance and Baroque era plague doctors. The aesthetic revolves around curiosity and discovery. Those within the community are typically committed to the pursuit of knowledge, as well as learning about older medicinal practices like bloodletting. The aesthetic’s visuals include colors like black and grays, as well as bird masks and cloaks.
Individuals within the Plaguecore community usually refer to each other as “doctors”, though many individuals use alternative titles such as nurse, student, and apprentice. However, using the title “doctor” in other contexts is likely to cause confusion, as the term typically refers to a qualified practitioner of medicine. Plague Doctors do not necessarily have recognized credentials in the medical field. It’s important to note that they place great importance on trusting and respecting actual medical professionals. The community actively avoids actually trying to diagnose or treat people experiencing issues with their health.
This aesthetic originates from Tumblr.
Fashion[]
The following list is an amalgamation of fashion inspired from the 17th century renaissance period, and various other aesthetics, such as Dark Academia. It looks at original plague doctor uniform through a modern lens.

@Littleadventuresofdrypestis on tumblr

@Drbarty on tumblr
Accessories[]
- Wide brim hats such as sunhats, fedoras, gauchos, or boleros
- Hats, pins, or headbands that incorporate veils
- Other accessories such as bonnets and ruffle headbands
- Gloves (leather, medical, lace, etc)
- Collar pins and brooches
- Dark glasses, or a mask (medical or decorative)
- A cane or staff
- Black nail polish
Torso[]
- Layers: suits, blazers, buttoned jackets, sweaters, turtlenecks, and occasionally corsets
- Long, shapeless silhouettes
- Cardigans, dresses, coats, cloaks, and robes (typically knee-length or longer)
- Gothic or otherwise macabre graphics and complimentary accessories
Legs[]
- Jeans, trousers, and overalls, usually cuffed or tucked into shoe
- Eye-catching belts, chains, sash, and/or lanyard
Shoes[]
- Boots (usually Doc Martens, although sometimes just simple rubber boots)
- Buckled shoes (e.g. Mary Janes) or low heels
- The attire usually consists of colours like muted brown, black, grey, white, and occasionally a vibrant contrasting colour like yellow or red. One can often find flowing and/or textured fabrics like leather, corduroy, lace, and mesh trims.
The community strives for comfort and inclusion, and therefore this list is not intended to set a “rule” or “standard” for plaguecore fashion. This list is rather a compilation of common themes and elements one may incorporate into their wardrobe if it is of interest.
Visuals[]
- Masks and mask collections (medical and/or decorative)
- Ravens and crows
- Leeches
- Rats
- Bookshelves
- Leather-bound books, as well as journals and sketchbooks
- Dark red wine in ornate glasses
- Lanterns and candles
- Bottles and jars
- Houseplants
- Herbs
- Incense (typically lavender scented)
- Small trinkets, especially homemade
- Ethically sourced taxidermy
- Ethically sourced bones
- Graveyards
- Abandoned buildings
Activities[]
- Nighttime walks
- Walking through nature
- Spending time in graveyards
- Collecting trinkets that click or chime when tapped against each other
- Safely collecting herbs and flowers
- Pressing flowers
- Appreciating macabre, odd, or otherwise “weird” creatures
- Matching medical masks to to one’s outfits
- Sketching anatomically correct drawings of an organism
- Learning about the history of medicine and medical practices
- Lighting an incense stick (typically lavender scented, but can be any scent)
- Offering the respectable amount of assistance for the elderly and disabled
- Checking in on friends and family members
Media[]
Fictional Characters[]
- Kai Chisaki from My Hero Academia
- SCP-049 from SCP Foundation
- The Plague Doctor/Hawkman from DC Comics
- Robert Merivel from Restoration
- Percival Fredrickstein von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III from Vox Machina
- Eileen the Crow from Bloodborne
- Plague Doctor from Darkest Dungeon
- Julian from The Arcana
- Byron Meredith/Merrymaker from DC Comics
Webfiction[]
- 11B-X-1371
Video Games[]
- Darkest Dungeon
Darkest Dungeon is a video game released in 2016 for PC, PS4, Vita, Switch, Mac, iPad, Xbox One, and Linux. A Plague Doctor features as one of the main playable characters, and she's a DPS class centered around blight.
Music[]
Songs[]
- The Great Mortality by Apocalypse Orchestra
- PLAGUE DOCTOR by Morbid Hallucinations
Playlists[]
- Dr. Iver-Mectin's Playlist to Cure Patients to by Angel
- plague doctor energy by v<3
- A Plague Doctor's Study by vengeance