Ah TikTok, what a love/hate relationship I have with you. Do I think you’re funny? Sure. Do I think you’re equally over-rated? Of course. But are you also under-rated? You bet. The world of TikTok introduced me to the rebranding that Gen Z was giving to the fashion world. Dark Academia? Yeah that’s just classic equestrian fashion. Soft Girl aesthetic? It’s what’s called “girly”. If there’s one thing fashion has taught me it’s that, there’s nothing new under the sun. So Gen Z, you can keep your wide leg pants and middle parts. I paid those dues about 20 years ago. But go ahead and keep making my personal style trendy. You do all the work, and I just reap the benefits.
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Soft Girl Essentials
Like I said previously, soft girl aesthetic is just girly. Lots of pinks and pastels, florals and lace, and don’t forget bows. By definition “Soft girl is a fashion style, popular among some young women on social media, based on a deliberately cutesy, feminine look.” Very original, no? While this resurgent of feminine style has come about, it’s also been taken to an extreme. I’m personally not tying to fall down that rabbit hole for a multitude of reasons. One of the main ones being, I don’t really wear make up. The whole covering your face in blush & lip gloss that TikTok has added to this look isn’t really my “vibe”. (Vibe AKA personal style?) Here’s the basics of a soft girl outfit:
- Pinks & pastels (But mostly lots and lots of pink).
- Lace (think dainty).
- Florals (but only in pink).
- Bows & hair clips (the daintier the better).
I’d say I hit on about 3 of the 4 requirements of soft girl aesthetic. To make up for the fact that this dress is gingham and not floral, I curled my hair before clipping it with a lace bow and found flowers to shoot the photos. What do y’all think, should I tackle the Cottagecore trend next?
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