To say that TikTok is influential is an understatement. TikTok has taken over the world, and I don’t think I can have a conversation without it coming up at least once. The viral app influences makeup, fitness, health, and style. Personally, I get tons of fashion inspiration when I go on the app and see the vastly different outfit styles that show up on my For You Page. And when it comes to fashion, one thing TikTok has made famous is different “aesthetics.”
And by that, I mean people who have their own unique way of dressing and doing their makeup and hair. The most popular aesthetics I’ve seen on TikTok are Cottagecore, E-girl, Granola, Euphoria, and Brandy girl. If you’re completely lost by what those terms mean, here’s the breakdown of the 5 most popular TikTok aesthetics:
Cottagecore
White, flowy clothing. Blooming flowers everywhere. Fairy vibes. Farm animals. That’s pretty much what makes up the cottagecore aesthetic. It originated in 2010, and people with this aesthetic wear lots of green, brown, yellow, and cream-colored clothing. The general style of cottagecore consists of longer, loose-fitting dresses and skirts, lace and ruffles, and patterns like paisley and floral. Basically, imagine living in a cottage in the middle of a fairy tale- that’s cottagecore.
E-girl
Pretty much the opposite of Cottagecore is e-girl. The e-girl aesthetic actually started on TikTok and is now a prevalent term. Girls who follow this aesthetic will wear lots of colorful hair clips and mesh shirts and probably have pink hair. But they’ll also wear grunge accessories and anime t-shirts. The term actually means “e” for electronic and then girl (and there’s also an e-boy aesthetic!). E-girls will do soft makeup, which means lots of blush on the cheeks and nose and drawn on freckles. In general, the e-girl aesthetic is a combination of soft and grunge.
Granola
The term “granola” is used to describe someone who loves hiking, camping, the outdoors, and is pretty much a hippie. They always have a reusable water bottle on hand, often wear tie-dye, and wear Birkenstocks. Imagine someone with the Granola aesthetic as a typical nature-loving hippie who doesn’t put much effort into their style. Some popular fashion trends for this aesthetic are wearing Patagonia, scrunchies, hiking boots, and friendship bracelets.
Euphoria
This aesthetic has gotten super popular because of TikTok, and it started from the popular show Euphoria. Euphoria was an iconic show because it featured unique styles and makeup and basically created a whole genre of makeup that people now follow. The Euphoria aesthetic includes lots of moody colors like lavender, rose, blue, and green. The styles take inspiration from the 90s and early 2000s, and the makeup uses lots of colors, rhinestones, and bold looks. The show’s styles are meant to reflect Gen Z’s experience with anxiety, sex, and drugs.
Brandy girl
Last, but certainly not least, is the Brandy girl aesthetic. This aesthetic, also known as the Brandy Melville aesthetic, has been popular for quite some time. It’s based on clothing store Brandy Melville, which is extremely popular on TikTok and social media in general. The Brandy girl aesthetic gives a “California girl” vibe, with pastel colors and simple clothing, like denim, cropped tees, and basic tank tops. The Brandy girl aesthetic is minimalistic but still stylish.
