The 6 Trendy Aesthetics that Took the Internet by Storm : Which Aesthetic Suits You Best?

VSCO Girl 

VSCO girl is an aesthetic that’s been trending for years. It’s the hallmark high-saturation, “pura vida,” pro-environmentalist, and “good vibes only” girl who has a perfectly edited instagram feed and will often be spotted with a pastel starbucks drink in hand (with a metal straw of course— sustainability first). This internet aesthetic is named after the photo editing app VSCO (pronounced “visco”), which has a collection of bright and crisply-contrasted filters that inspired the name of the teen-girl aesthetic. This style caught on far and wide and was made popular by several internet trends  that blew up on Tik Tok, Instagram, and YouTube. Though often described as “basic,” the VSCO girl aesthetic actually strays a little from basic and leans into laid back and comfortable, as a primary element of the look is capturing a low-effort vibe (think messy buns and natural makeup). Due to this aesthetics' popularity on the internet within the past few years, it’s understandably referred to as “basic” in the context of mainstream. A style heavily dependent on a collection of oversized tee shirts and leggings and Nike shorts, the VSCO girl aesthetic is usually acquired by one who seeks to make their lives as vibrant as their instagram feeds. The VSCO girl starter kit is as follows: a sticker-covered hydro flask, a pair of Birkenstocks, a light pink hoodie, an oversized tie dye tee, an ice drink from Starbucks, and a colorful selection of scrunchies. VSCo girls are largely a representation of a Gen Z subculture that loves nature and sunlight, loves comfort and living life through a bright, sweet VSCO filter.

Dark Academia

Inspired by scholarly academies and traditional Victorian structures. The Dark Academia aesthetic is inspired by traditional academia with a touch of grunge. For a taste of this palette, think gothic architecture, dark cloudy skies, and rustling leaves, and autumn vibes, classic literature, a piping mug of black coffee and studying in a building at night. The origins of this aesthetic subculture come from the fashion of the 1930s and 1940s, particularly amongst university students at Oxford and Ivy League schools and private school students. Wardrobe examples include cardigans, blazers, plaid skirts, oxford shoes, and materials of houndstooth and tweed, heavily inspired by traditional scholarly appearances with neutral colors and earthy tones and materials. The recent cancellation of school due to COVID-19 has ironically contributed to the growth of this trend on the internet, as this aesthetic is a way to bring back the comfort of normalcy within traditional school systems and education. When it comes to style, this aesthetic focuses on darker, muted tones and plaid patterned or corduroy pants, coats or skirts. Button up shirts, peter pan collars, turtlenecks. As previously mentioned, this aesthetic is highly inspired by classic film and literature, drawing visual inspiration from classic literature with a darker twist such as works by Dostoyevsky or the film Dead Poets Society. 

Cottage core

Cottage core is an internet aesthetic that swept the internet within the past few months. When it comes to cottage core, think of a sun-kissed fairy tale, and a flower-covered cottage in the woods. Cottage core, like several other popular aesthetics, represents a nostalgia for an era of life that was never experienced— in this case it’s as early as the colonial times, among rural settings that revolved around pure nature as opposed to technology. To get a proper vision of this aesthetic, picture a romantic interpretation of a simple, rural life— a closet of warm whites, neutral browns, mustards, deep greens, lavender, faded floral, and some wild flowers.The clothing is modest, mild, and draws inspiration from the medieval. Popular materials in this palette are cotton and light weight linen (similar to the materials used in today’s sustainable fashion).This aesthetic draws inspiration from literature such The Secret Garden and Little Women, and films such as Little House on the Prairie and Pride and Prejudice. In addition to the fashion however, Cottage core also celebrates old traditions such as foraging, baking, pottery, and sewing. 

E girl 

There are a few stereotypical styles that categorize an E-Girl. These usually include bright colored hair, winged eyeliner, and edgy, borderline-grunge, clothing. Let’s start with the hair: popular color choices are bright green, hot pink or light pink, half-black half blonde or silver. As for their outfits, they usually include several different elements— the outfit will most likely be very visually heavy with a variety of textures patterns and materials. Staple clothing includes long sleeve black mesh tops, colorful hair clips, chain necklaces, choker necklaces, graphic tees on top of striped sleeves. The E-girl aesthetic of 2020 includes elements from anime, skate culture, cosplay, goth and grunge. Like several of the aforementioned internet of aesthetics, Tik Tok played a large role in the growth of this trend as it is a platform where several can use the camera and background music to showcase their aesthetic. Makeup is an important part of the E-girl aesthetic as well heavy winged eyeliner is a popular choice as are mini hearts or dots drawn below the eyes. Eye shadow and blush and heavily saturated and in unnatural shades such as hot pink, resulting in a very dramatic, doll-like, cartoon-like bold appearance. The “E” in E-girl stands for “electronic girl” due to a more outdated definition of E-girl that referred to girls who have a prominent internet status— think gaming and streaming platforms. Now, with the spread of this aesthetic on Tik Tok however, the term E-girl has evolved to define the aesthetic listed above and shown in the images below.  

Soft Girl 

The soft girl aesthetic goes is tangent to the E-girl aesthetic with several stylistic similarities, but a major difference in concept. A soft girl’s has a style that embodies hyper-femininity, childlike qualities, and cute, sweet sometimes vintage like clothing for an overall cute and “soft” appearance. Much like E-girls however, this aesthetic also incorporates the use of dramatic and profound makeup and maximalist attitude towards clothing and accessories. Except the key difference is that the E-girl aesthetic gears these features towards a grungy appearance, whereas the softgirl aesthetic capitalizes on girliness. Common elements of this aesthetic includes flowers, hearts, angels, drawn-on freckles, lip gloss and dewy, glowy makeup, butterflies, pleated skirts and materials such as velvet, silk and fur that are paired with bright accessories. This look is often representative of a soft girl’s personality as well, which is usually characterized as gentle, feminine, and sweet.