Over the course of the past few years, the term ‘aesthetic’ has been adopted by Gen-Z to describe a particular style or, according to Aesthetics Wiki, “a collection of visual schemas that creates a ‘mood’”. The phenomenon of the creation and spread of certain aesthetics has gained attention over 2020 and 2021 when everyone was trapped inside and spending more time on social media. Aesthetics such as cottagecore, dark academia, fairy grunge, and McBling have become well known across the internet, especially on TikTok. 2021 brought about a whole host of new aesthetics which have gained popularity and spawned large communities. However, which of these aesthetics will continue on in 2022 and which will fade into obscurity?
Dark and Light Academia
Dark academia is a social media aesthetic based around higher education, writing, classic literature or poetry, the arts, and classic Greek and Gothic architecture. On top of this, the ‘dark’ part of the aesthetic comes from the underlying themes of mystery, darkness, and the unknown. Activities such as calligraphy, visits to museums, libraries, and coffee shops, as well as all-night studying sessions are common interests amongst the dark academia community. In terms of fashion, the style is based upon clothing worn by students in the 1930s and 40s. Typically, outfits consist of cardigans, blazers, dress shirts, plaid skirts, Oxford shoes, and clothing made of houndstooth and tweed. On any dark academia mood board, you’ll find images of red wine, libraries, gothic architecture, and antique books.
Light Academia is a softer version of dark academia. It instead focuses on an idealized calm, happy, and productive student life. The fashion is similar to dark academia, however, it often incorporates lighter colors such as beige, white, and tan. A Light Academia mood board would include pictures of fancy lattes, book-pressed flowers, a newly bought nib, and neat leather satchels.
Both types of the academic aesthetic appear set to stay, mostly due to their almost ‘timeless’ quality and the positive endorsement of learning which attracts many teenagers and young people to it. Additionally, a vast majority of students were isolated during 2020 and 2021, so dark academia brought a sense of positivity about education despite many schools and universities being held online. These aesthetics have become highly popular on TikTok and Pinterest, as well as being picked up by high street brands which have started catering to the dark/light academia styles.
McBling or Y2K
The Y2K and McBling aesthetics are a reimagined version of the late 90s and early 2000s fashion and culture. More specifically, the McBling aesthetic focuses on the 2000s “MySpace era.” Both aesthetics have a bright, saturated color palette, mostly the hot pink popularized by Paris Hilton at the time. As well as bright colors, the McBling style incorporates glitter, bedazzled flip phones, Juicy Couture, lots of over-the-top jewelry, low-rise jeans, and basically any outfit worn by Paris Hilton or other celebrities of the era. The aesthetic attempts to copy the overall optimistic feeling of the time, as well as the emerging obsession with social media (such as MySpace and Blingee).
Will this aesthetic stay? It’s hard to tell. For millennials who lived through the 2000s, seeing old fashions re-emerge brings back some fond memories, as well as the overall optimism of the time. However, just as fashions from the past come around and disappear as people move on, the current Y2K obsession will likely fade out. Some people have expressed dismay at why the over-the-top ‘cringey’ fashion of the 2000s is now popular among Gen-Z teenagers who are too young to truly remember the era they are trying to emulate.
Fairy Grunge
Fairy Grunge is a nature-inspired fashion aesthetic that combines edgy, goth-inspired casual pieces with added fairy-like details such as flowy skirts and delicate jewelry. The colors are predominantly inspired by nature, such as brown, black, olive green, and cream. Fairy grunge fashion includes zip-up hoodies, fairy-inspired jewelry, leg warmers, and tutu or gathered skirts. Fairy Grunge heavily supports thrifting or modifying clothing, as opposed to buying fast fashion or ‘ready-made’ outfits from high street retailers. The aesthetic is also influenced by the renewed interest in the Twilight saga films, which have the same color palette, layered 2000s pieces, and woodland backdrop.
Judging by the push towards sustainable fashion and the movement away from high-street or fast fashion, fairy grunge very well may stick with us through 2022 and beyond. The promotion of upcycling, supporting small businesses, and using nature to help with mental health stands this aesthetic in good stead to continue to be popular
Cottagecore
Although cottagecore really took off over 2020, it remained prominent online throughout 2021. Cottagecore is an aesthetic inspired by a romanticized interpretation of western agricultural or country life. It focuses on simple living and harmony with nature, rejecting the rush of hustle culture and technology. The aesthetic introduced many people to long-forgotten skills and past times, such as gardening, pressing flowers, baking bread, and going for picnics. Over the initial lockdowns, cottagecore provided people with an escape from being confined indoors, as they could join in on the fantasy of living in a remote cottage and having a simpler, less hectic life. Most cottagecore mood boards contain images of meadows, farmhouses, home-baked goods, forest animals, and Victorian illustrations of fairies or woodlands. The fashion is based on a modernized interpretation of historical fashion, such as Edwardian blouses, knitted sweaters, flowing cotton dresses, and antique aprons. Just like fairy grunge, cottagecore heavily promotes upcycling and buying vintage or second hands, which is in line with the aesthetics appreciation for the environment and sustainability.
Cottagecore seems set to stay due to how many people it helped during lockdowns and the awareness of the environment it promotes. It also helped bring back nearly forgotten trades, like bread making and cross-stitch, so it also has created a means of carrying on traditional skills which would otherwise completely disappear. As a push back against consumerism, cottagecore will likely remain popular as more and more people come to accept that sustainability is the way forward if we want to save the planet.
