In 2023, the way that society (particularly Gen-Z) interacts with the fashion industry has transformed drastically. In the past, the jargon surrounding fashion has been particular about certain items - for example, ‘staple pieces’ and references to particular trends have been very common. However, in the past couple of years, this has changed. The language surrounding fashion has shifted to ‘aesthetics’. Instead of looking at individual clothing items and details, people now want to achieve a particular overall look which encapsulates a ‘vibe.’
Certain aesthetics have done better than others. For example, the ‘clean girl aesthetic’ became massively popular on TikTok recently, cultivating a trend for drinking water, using natural skin care products, and prioritising health and wellness. TikTok has become one of the major platforms in which people will share these looks with each other. People can collaborate on creative decisions and take inspiration from each other, allowing everyday street fashion to become more artistic and inventive.
This can be seen with the rise of ‘cottagecore.’ Cottagecore is an internet aesthetic which promotes an ‘idealised rural life.’ Cottagecore clothing can be defined as clothing which is very flowy and loose, influenced by rural clothes of the past. Involving a lot of pale colours, vintage details such as embroidery and frills, and modest cuts, it has become one of the most defining trends of the past few years. Many fashion brands have designated ‘cottagecore’ sections, where potential customers can buy clothes suited to that particular aesthetic.
Cottagecore is not the only aesthetic that has become popular on the internet recently. With the rise of the popular TV Show ‘The Last Of Us,’ many people have started to dress in ‘apocalypse-core’ clothing. Apocalypse-core clothing can be categorised by neutral maximalism, utility wear, and mismatched pieces. Layering, distressed clothing and earth tones are the most popular visual cues for this aesthetic. It does not stop there - there are hundreds of fashion aesthetics that have been described with the suffix ‘core.’ Fairycore, princesscore, witchcore and blokecore are some of the most popular online.
Many commentators debate whether this recent influx in aesthetic-based popular fashion will be a good thing or a bad one. On one hand, the popularisation of fashion as a social commentary or representing a concept is leading to increased creativity and new ideas on the fashion scene. The evolution of fashion is allowing people from all walks of life to play with style concepts previously only available to high-end fashion.
Some commentators have also pointed out that these aesthetics can be used to promote over-consumption and micro-trends, which are harmful to the environment. Unfortunately, conflating aesthetics with lifestyle can also lead to the promotion of harmful ideals, particularly if the aesthetic is based on historical roots (such as cottagecore.)
Although there is some cultural baggage, plenty of people have also made the cottagecore aesthetic an inclusive and welcoming online space. It would be fair to say that no fashion movement is without its limitations - what can lead one person to increased creativity and personal expression can make another spend money unnecessarily. However, how this influence on TikTok and Gen-Z will manifest cannot fully be seen yet. Perhaps watching closely at fashion trends and documenting the rise will see how the aesthetics movement will leave its mark on fashion.
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