Ever since COVID-19, the new year has brought about various new trends and aesthetics that have dominated the Gen-Z fashion market. Some aesthetic trends of 2023 were ‘the old money aesthetic,’ ‘the clean girl aesthetic,’ and ‘the coquette aesthetic.’ Because so many trends go viral in a year, trend cycles are constantly changing with everyone on the lookout for the next viral statement piece. Content creators are even posting videos analyzing current trends that are going viral on social media in order to predict the next big aesthetic.
THE ‘VIRAL’ AESTHETICS OF 2024
So what are some of the trends of 2024 so far? Last year we welcomed the ‘clean girl look’ with slick-back hair and minimalistic outfits, whereas 2024 is the year of the ‘mob wife aesthetic’ which entails having big, blown-out hair, animal prints, and faux fur coats along with flashy jewelry. It is also said to be the year of corporate couture, with ‘the office siren’ look ending up on everyone’s for-you pages. Gisele Bündchen’s cameo in the 2006 movie The Devil Wears Prada was one of the trend’s biggest inspirations. It mainly consists of pencil skirts and stilettos paired with dramatic eye looks. The ‘old-money’ look continues to grow strong with people leaning into more quiet luxury pieces that allow them to look more chic instead of gaudy.
WHY DO WE GIVE THESE AESTHETICS SO MUCH IMPORTANCE?
The biggest question is why do we let these trends become so popular? One reason for this could be that, by dressing up as a certain aesthetic, we treat it like an alter ego. For example ‘the office siren’ look is becoming famous because it shows that women can still tune into their femininity even while working in male-dominated fields. It shows that pencil skirts and stilettos don’t hold us back from being a boss.
By having this in the back of our minds, it helps us become more confident and aware of what we can do. This is very similar to why the ‘clean girl’ aesthetic was so famous last year as it was portrayed as a person who wakes up early every morning, looks presentable and fashionable at any given moment, and prioritizes her work and health more than anything. By treating these aesthetics as different identities, consumers are more inclined to follow them so they can be the most ideal versions of themselves. It’s the same principle as to why a lot of us create vision boards so that we can manifest the person we want to be. Dressing up according to various aesthetics brings us a step closer to becoming the most ideal versions of ourselves.
HOW WE GET INFLUENCED
One of the biggest inspirations for these trends besides social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram is Pinterest. Its algorithm is almost always accurate in predicting upcoming fashion trends based on past aesthetics. Pinterest is an app people go to when they need inspiration or ideas, so it makes sense that it is one of the main reasons we look at these aesthetics as inspiration regarding our ideal lives. Some other sources of inspiration are celebrities and content creators. Influencers like Sofia Richie Grainge inspire more and more people to follow a trend and increase its popularity. Celebrities like Hailey Bieber even use their brands to create aesthetics. When she was promoting her skincare line, Rhode, she came up with the ‘glazed donut’ look which encouraged people to buy her products so they too could achieve this look. She also has an $18 smoothie available at one of L.A.’s most expensive grocery stores which people are going crazy over despite its obscene price. This just proves how much people are willing to pay just so that they can ‘keep up’ with the trends and feel closer to their favorite celebrities.
REMINDER!
Even though these trends inspire us, we need to see them as only that and not as a part of our identity because our personal and individual style is something that a lot of people forget about as time goes by. We have to remember that it is our differences that make us unique and this translates into our fashion choices as well.