January 18, 2024

Ever Heard of the Coquette trend?

Coquette Aesthetic:

What's the Buzz and How to Rock It Beyond Pink Bows

"Coquette." French for flirtatious, this word has been popping up everywhere lately, even making a cameo on a loaf of bread. Seriously. Just recently, my friend Alex caught my eye on Instagram, flaunting a baguette wrapped in a pink bow. Not too surprising, given that "coquette aesthetic" started making waves on TikTok in 2021, though it really kicked into high gear around mid-2023.

Pink bows are taking over my feed these days. They're on nails, clothes, shoes, socks, hairstyles, even on pets and toilet paper! An article I read last year by Laura Pitcher in The New York Times hinted at this. It talked about how bows took over Fashion Week, and I wondered if they'd ever hit their peak. But, true to form, just when you think they have, they bounce back. This hit home when Jordan, our social media guru, spilled the beans on how the talk about the coquette aesthetic skyrocketed on Twitter. The next thing you know, memes flooded in, and Jess, the local singer, threw it back on Instagram, saying, 'Before it was a trend, I was already #coquette,' with a bunch of throwback photos rocking pink bows.

So, What's the Deal with Coquette Aesthetic?

To get the lowdown on this 2024 trend, don't get it twisted with balletcore, cottagecore, or princesscore. But, let's be real, they all share a vibe – rewriting the book on hyper-femininity. They're all about reliving childhood, romanticizing the everyday, setting a mindset, and defining an identity.

The hyper-feminine trend kicked off on Tumblr in the 2010s, initially linked to Nymphet (Lolita) aesthetics inspired by Vladimir Nabokov's novel from 1955. The coquette girl puts her own twist on hyper-femininity without turning it into something overly sexy.

How to Rock the Coquette Style?

Coquette clothes and accessories are all-out feminine. Step one: create a mood board. Bows are the main squeeze, and if they're pink, even better. Toss in some lace, pearls, Peter Pan collars – hearts are fair game. Hairstyles with bows and makeup in soft tones seal the deal. The coquette language screams hyper-feminine but doesn't care about age, race, or gender. If you dig the vibe, it's for you. Think Air and Mazzy Star vibes, movies like Marie Antoinette and The Virgin Suicides by Sofia Coppola, the magic of Simone Rocha's collections, Alexa Chung front-row at fashion shows, and Lana del Rey as your spirit guide. Pinterest, TikTok, and Instagram are your go-tos for inspo, and the street style crew has given it the nod.

From the runways this Spring-Summer 2024 season, Sandy Liang's collection is the coquette aesthetic on point. Picture leggings and a miniskirt paired with a massive satin bow cascading from the model's hip, topped with a small pink bow, giving off that playful vibe. Lace dresses with puff sleeves and satin bows on a black dress scream coquette. Sandy Liang even spilled the beans to fashion editor Sarah Spellings, admitting she couldn't help but think of Cecilia Lisbon from The Virgin Suicides during the creative process.

Simone Rocha is another coquette queen. This season, pink and blue bows in her collection are twinning with accessories hanging loose and catching the breeze. Pearls are the cherry on top in fun bags shaped like dreamy wedding cakes.

Historically, coquette fashion has been around since the 17th century, as seen in a portrait of Queen Henrietta Maria rocking a satin bodice fastened with coral-colored bows. The Victorian era really amped up the coquette look, evident in James Tissot's painting "Too Early" (1873) and the stylish women adding bows to their chic outfits.

The recent surge of the coquette aesthetic isn't random. It comes hot on the heels of Greta Gerwig's Barbie influence on our shopping habits. Nostalgia has been the MVP in fashion lately, bringing back childhood memories as a healing balm. For me, it's my buddy recalling how I used to rock my style back in the day.