Cowgirl hats and boots. Pink jumpsuits. Sparkles. We have all witnessed the rise of the Barbie aesthetic, and this Halloween, Barbiecore was more prominent than ever with girls donning outfits inspired by Greta Gerwig’s blockbuster hit. However, the origins of Barbiecore undeniably began with the aesthetic Bimbocore. Bimbocore – a bigger narrative shift in the world of feminine fashion, whereas Barbiecore arguably is more of a hone-in on the girly aesthetics of the movement – is an aesthetic centred around pink, glitter, the y2k aesthetic, the hyperpop music genre, and occasionally a punky take on all things girly! Hannah Collins – professionally known as the singer Scene Queen – originated the Bimbocore aesthetic, and coined it as a subgenre of metalcore determined by feminist themes. She may be known to you by her single ‘Pink Panther’ which featured on her debut EP Bimbocore which rose to fame on TikTok.
Pink, glitter, and skater skirts may be flashing through your thoughts when considering Bimbocore, and you wouldn’t be far off. Popular examples include Britney Spears’ pigtail-ed and school girl-inspired outfit in the ‘Oops!… I Did It Again’ music video and my personal favourite y2k icon, Paris Hilton. Elle Woods from the 2001 film Legally Blonde is an early example of bimbocore, wearing a hot pink leather suit to prove that students, businesswomen and lawyers don’t have to shy away from their femininity to be smart and successful. TikTok star Chrissy Chlapecka – sporting an impressive 5.2 million followers – is a perfect example of Bimbocore. Her hair is either a bleach blonde or a perfect pink shade, paired with fluffy neon pink coats and bikinis. She writes self-proclaimed “hot girl anthems” which encourage listeners to be accepting of all body types and all sexualities.
Conclusion
So why is Bimbocore so important? In a world where femininity has been shamed and the term ‘dumb blonde’ remains a commonly used proverbial, Bimbocore teaches us that unabashed femininity does not detract from a person’s self-worth. In many aesthetics, such as the ‘Clean Girl’ or the ‘Coquette’, it is rare for a subgenre to be so open to all shapes, sizes and sexualities. Bimbocore encourages all to embrace their feminine side and express their gender euphoria through fashion. Modest fashion has certainly been on the rise in 2023. Janelle Monáe and Bella Hadid have been harbingers of the modest fashion aesthetic with their Ralph Lauren Academy Awards look and Proenza Schouler’s Fall 2022 collection look respectively embodying this trend. However, Bimbocore is a fun reminder in the midst of women approaching a more classic and refined look that femininity is worth celebrating. Bimbocore is a trend I hope doesn’t die out soon, and if anything, I hope to see more and more fun ‘bimbo’ looks at bigger fashion events and even on the runway.