If you’ve been on the internet at any point since the August of 2019, you probably have heard the phrase “Christian Girl Autumn.” Christian Girl Autumn is a way of life from the months of September to December where women put on their suede wide-brim hats and skinny jeans, grab a hot Pumpkin Spice Latte, and stroll to the chorus of leaves crunching beneath the heels of their thigh-high boots.
Despite its name, Christian Girl Autumn has no real religious or political backing. The viral sensation began with a joke tweet that described two women, Caitlin Covington and Emma Gemma, as symbols of fall, facetiously called “Christian Girl Autumn.” The term Christian Girl Autumn comes as a response to a phrase coined by Megan Thee Stallion in her song, “Hot Girl Summer.” The song was a hit in the summer of 2019 and inspired numerous trends across social media.
Covington took the joke lightly and has been participating in the trend since 2019. She posts fall-themed content on her Instagram, where she has amassed a following of 1.3 million followers.
Christian Girl Autumn epitomizes fall, the same way that Isla Vista is the clear-cut definition of a beach town. Here, the sun shines until December, Eucalyptus trees and Palm trees stay a solid green, and pumpkin spice lattes are almost always ordered iced. The only time that UCSB students will wear a beanie is for the “Beanies and Bikinis” dayge hosted by Snow Club.
All of this is to say, it’s hard to get into a fall mood for us Gauchos. Luckily, there are a few activities to make it really feel like you’re in Vermont drinking cider with Caitlin Covington.
The first thing I like to do to really make it feel like fall is bake. Whether that be a pack of frozen cookie dough or your Great-Grandma’s revered baklava recipe, home-baked goods bring a level of comfort like no other. Recently, I’ve been enjoying Pumpkin Spice muffins from Trader Joe’s. I heat them up with some butter in the morning and it feels like they came fresh out of the oven. Put on your favorite Autumn playlist, light a fall-themed candle, and bake to your heart’s content.
Another supremely autumn activity that will satiate your fall cravings is watching a scary movie. I am a strong proponent of the horror genre, but I understand why it isn’t everyone’s favorite. For me at least, watching a Halloween-themed thriller always gets me in the Autumn spirit. Some of my favorites include the original Scream, The Blair Witch Project, and Halloween (or, you could go to Her Campus at UCSB’s scary movie night to watch Jennifer’s Body). But for my readers who aren’t big fans of horror, I recommend cozy movies likeKnives Out, When Harry Met Sally(or any Meg Ryan rom-com for that matter!), and the Twilight saga, obviously.
In a similar vein, I love reading in the fall, cuddled up under a blanket with a warm cup of coffee. Some of the best books for this activity include Donna Tartt’s The Secret History, the Anne of Green Gables books, any Jane Austen novel, and my personal favorite, Markus Zusack’s The Book Thief. Being in college and reading papers in every class can make reading for pleasure feel tedious. But let me tell you, getting lost in the right book is transformative.
Some rapid-fire things that make it feel like fall for me include maroon-colored nails, warm lighting, Birkenstock clogs, Bella Swan outfits, tea tree oil, crocheting, and Red (Taylor’s Version).
Seasons refuse to change in our perfect beachy bubble, so we have to work with what we’ve got when it comes to the autumn season. We will, sadly, never have the picture-perfect Christian Girl Autumn in our time at UCSB. But, crafting a fall atmosphere isn’t that hard, especially if we keep our blinds shut and turn the AC on.