When Will Aesthetic Culture Slow Down?
Can we have a chance to catch up first?
Where were you during the summer of 2023 when shell hair claws and pearl chokers were in style for ‘mermaidcore’? Or when overly coral-pink blushed cheeks and eye-shadowed lids were the craze for the ‘strawberry girl’ look which followed its predecessors – the ‘vanilla girl’ and ‘latte girl’ aesthetics, that sold the simplistic look of subdued make-up and neutral tones.
All three looks could appear to derive from the ultra-feminine ‘coquette core’ aesthetic that gained popularity a few months prior, though also shows similarities to the ‘clean girl’ style of minimalism and softness.
Don’t forget, 2023 also had ‘bimbo core’, ‘europe core’, ‘barbie core’, ‘siren core’, or even the ‘coconut girl aesthetic’ – to name a few.
There is a potential you have heard each of these aesthetics and even tried to keep up with them through their rapid popularity shifts, or you haven’t heard of the majority or any of them at all, so instead will read this article with a raised eyebrow and perplexity to why there are so many and what could possibly be on the horizon next.
Well, 2024 has already seen the hype of ‘corporate core’, ‘the mob wife aesthetic’ and now currently ‘tennis core’ and the ‘garden girl’. Some aesthetics have even been revamped from their parent trend a few months prior, such as ‘coastal grandmother’ to now ‘grandad core’, but you may be wondering, why are there so many?
Well, considering that a large demographic of Gen Z are teenagers, being young, impressionable and trying to find an identity is a rite of passage during puberty. Millennials had scene culture in the late 2000s, younger millennials and older Gen Z had the ‘indie Tumblr aesthetic’ of the early to mid-2010s.
Now Gen Z has multiple styles, looks and personas within the duration of only a few months, due to the ever-moving train of re-identification and the need to belong, regardless of what is to.
Not only does this quick shift become unattainable but also unsustainable to keep up with. Financially, it’s quite the freight to sustain and additionally encourages another one of the rapid trends biggest problems – over-consumerism.
Furthermore with a majority, if not all of the aesthetics being rooted in beauty, the aesthetics come with a need to always reshape a way to be beautiful. The pressure on women and girls to prioritize their beauty, whether that’s ‘bunny, cat, dear or fox’ beauty, over everything else, has become an ever-growing problem with the boom of social media.
Although picking an aesthetic because it resonates with a person is harmless, the need to conform because social media tells them to, however, is not. Whether it told you that you didn’t have nice enough skin because you’re not doing the ‘clean girl’ look, or that you’re not soft and feminine enough if you don’t style yourself in a babydoll dress fit for ‘coquette core’.
Overall, wear what truly makes you feel comfortable and content, not what the current trend makes you feel that you have to.
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