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Bowie State | Career > Her20s

The Soft Girl Era Isn’t Just a Trend, It’s a Healing Season

Kayla Turner Student Contributor, Bowie State University
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Bowie State chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Let’s be real, the “soft girl” era has been everywhere. It’s on TikTok, it’s in the captions, and it’s definitely showing up in the way so many of us are choosing peace over chaos. But somewhere along the way, I realized this isn’t just a trend or an aesthetic. For a lot of us, especially Black women and college girls constantly in grind mode, it’s actually healing.

I used to think being “soft” meant being weak. I thought it meant letting people walk all over you or not speaking up for yourself. But now, I see softness as strength. It’s about choosing to slow down, setting boundaries, and honoring your emotions without apologizing for them. It’s realizing that peace is something you protect, not something you beg for.

Being in my soft girl era doesn’t mean I don’t hustle; it just means I don’t lose myself in the process. I can love pink, wear my perfume that smells like candy, cry when I need to, and still handle business. I can be ambitious and gentle with myself. There’s power in that balance.

The truth is, softness is rebellion in a world that keeps telling women to toughen up. Choosing calmness, grace, and emotional honesty is how I remind myself that I deserve a life that feels good, not just looks good.

So yeah, the soft girl era might be trending online, but for me, it’s personal. Its growth. It’s healing. It’s learning that the most beautiful version of me is the one that’s at peace.

Because at the end of the day, being soft isn’t about being perfect, it’s about being whole.

Kayla Turner

Bowie State '26

Kayla Turner is the President and Campus Correspondent of Her Campus at Bowie State University. She leads the chapter’s relaunch after a period of inactivity and is dedicated to rebuilding it into a vibrant hub for student voices, creativity, and empowerment. As a multi-passionate writer and student leader, Kayla oversees all editorial direction, event planning, recruitment efforts, and digital content strategy for the chapter. Her writing often centers around self-love, womanhood, campus life, and beauty, with an emphasis on wellness, fashion, and feminine power.

Outside of Her Campus, Kayla is a highly involved senior at Bowie State University majoring in Child & Adolescent Studies. She currently serves as an Office Assistant in the Department of Language, Literature & Cultural Studies, where she supports daily operations and academic programming. She is also the Communications Director for an organization, and “Miss.” for a second. Kayla is working toward her goal of becoming a childcare director and eventually owning her own daycare center. You can connect with her on LinkedIn to learn more about her journey.

When she’s not balancing her campus commitments, you can find Kayla journaling in pink ink, collecting perfumes and plushies, or sipping on a Caramel Ribbon Crunch Frappuccino from Starbucks (no whip, extra crunch!). She’s a lover of all things soft, sparkly, and spiritual and believes that with faith, a plan, and a little bit of glitter, anything is possible. 💕✨