Every summer, we look for a new aesthetic to define our style, or at least influence it enough to update some of our key looks and avoid posting the same outfit twice on our Instagram feed. I know I do it, even though I try to shop as little as possible. You probably do too, whether you want to admit it or not. My point is, as much as we like to convince ourselves that trends don’t dictate our consumption habits or the way we look, they have a crucial influence on what we deem ‘cool’ or not—be that the latest trend in question or its exact opposite.

And this summer, the ‘coconut girl’ aesthetic certainly looks like it’s about to be crowned first place. Where does it originate from and how will it impact your wardrobe this summer 2021?

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The fashion trend is mainly defined by the hibiscus flower print, a motif associated with Hawaiian shirts (also called Aloha shirts) that originated as early as the 1920s in Hawaii, along with surf-inspired graphics, puka shells, crochet details, halter tops, and platform sandals in bright colours. As a kid, I owned the ‘Barbie Cali Girl Summer’ called Lea—her skin was slightly tanned, and her hair smelled like coconut. A typical coconut girl icon if you ask me.

You guessed it, the aesthetic initially appeared on TikTok, now home to countless new trends, ranging from fashion to food and everything in between. Just in time for this year’s summer, and after countless COVID-induced lockdowns spent dreaming about the perfect outfits for a tropical holiday, many TikTokers have decided to replace their cottagecore, grunge fairy and egirl statement pieces with a more relaxed and carefree approach.

@hiitskait222

#greenscreen IM OBSESSEDDDDD 🤩🤩🤩🥺🥺🥺 #coconutgirl #keywestkitten #y2ksummer #y2k #hawaii #florida #lanadelrey #SkipTheRinse #aquamarine

♬ television heaven lana del rey - ghost girl

Think maximalist pastels mixed with youthful tackiness. Surfer girl mixed with pastel Scandinavian interior design—Roxi and Billabong with a touch of House of Sunny femininity, you know? Many fashion experts define the coconut girl trend as an evolution and amalgamation of Y2k fashion and the VSCO girl.

As an aesthetic, the coconut girl highlights a cultural moment where people are daydreaming of a summer that’s both carefree and removed from the troubles of our current times. That’s exactly why fashion is looking joyful and optimistic at the moment. According to Saisangeeth Daswani, head of advisory at trends intelligence company Stylus, it’s also one of the reasons why we’ve seen such a huge burst of colour on the runways recently. “It takes inspiration from beaches and that disposable camera finish,” said Daswani when speaking to NYLON. “It’s about halter tops and miniskirts, pastel colors, glitter tattoos, floral prints, and Claire’s-inspired accessories. It’s equal parts escapism and joy.”

@thedigifairy

You heard it here first... 🌺🐡🐚#coconutgirl #beachcoquette #floridacore #VSCOgirl #keywestkitten #h2o #bluecrush #aquamarine #fairytrends

♬ Cruel Summer - Bananarama

It’s all about chilled out vibes, colourful (but not super bright) clothes, wavey prints and hair, shell necklaces and key pieces featuring hibiscus prints. You can probably already picture the real-life version of my Barbie Lea already—she’s tanned, most definitely smells of coconut and never wears shoes. She spends all her free time on the beach, her diet consists solely of fruits, and she exudes good ‘Sun’s out, bun’s out’ vibes only. Now, take all of the clichés I’ve just listed and try to find a common point between them. Nonchalant, positive, and relaxed are probably adjectives that came to mind, and it makes sense the younger generation would be craving those same attributes for their summer of 2021.

Who doesn’t want a laid-back summer after over a year of non-stop, stressed out panic? If that sounds like a dreamy way to spend your summer, then feel free to indulge in the aesthetic (responsively). If it sounds too cheesy for your miserable ass—no judgement here—don’t you worry, the coconut girl will probably only last a couple of months before we all get sick of it and move on to the next flashy and novel aesthetic.

This morning Aesthetic Wiki’s Discord server was jam-packed with users trying to remember the name of an aesthetic that involves wolves and neon lights. As I played an invisible piano over my keyboard in hopes of flossing the term off from the tip of my tongue, I realised how we often define an aesthetic using multiple adjectives—not knowing that there is an entire community out there dedicated to channelling it. The latest on this list is ‘lovecore’. What we once used to define as “that lovey-dovey style” is now a full-fledged aesthetic with a cult-like following on TikTok and Tumblr.

Think Valentine’s Day, but all the time. Lovecore is an internet aesthetic that blends the hyper-femininity of cottagecore and soft girl with Valentine’s Day motifs like hearts, boxes of chocolate, lipstick, cupids and love letters. Labelled as a “visual culture of manufactured romance and affection,” the aesthetic focuses on a wholesome celebration of love rather than its erotic counterparts. On these terms, the official jam for lovecorists is Crush by Tessa Violet. Remember how Violet overthinks and turns all shades of pink? That’s the foregone wholesomeness lovecore channels.

In terms of visuals, lovecore is synonymous with bouquets, frosted cakes, candies, angel wings, stuffed animals and absolutely anything that is heart-shaped in tints and tones of red, pink and white. Frequent imagery also includes blushing anime girls with hearts for eyes. If this imagery intensifies, the aesthetic then gets looped into a subcategory called Yandere.

Lovecorists can be found donning a mix of lingerie, satin dresses, angel wings and formal date wear. Specific pieces in this regard are heart-printed garments and accessories, satin slip dresses, fitted turtlenecks and crop tops with feminine trims and details. If you are ever bestowed with the honour of dating a lovecorist, remember that they love baking, writing love letters, holding hands, cuddling and going out on fluffy dates.

 

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On TikTok, #lovecore has amassed over 15 million views with content creators on a roll to make it one of the most positive hashtags on the platform. Lovecorists here are often found baking cherry-laden cakes, giving room tours, crocheting heart-shaped mug rugs and suggesting playlists to channel the aesthetic as an entire subculture. Data from Google Trends for the search term ‘lovecore aesthetic’ picture a dynamic graph where lovecore has even witnessed peaks in July 2020—quite far away from the retreating showers of Valentine’s Day if you ask me.

Then there is Etsy and Depop. On the former, lovecore is linked to strawberry earrings, wigs, bubble blowers, Kandi lighter cases and brooches. Curated searches on Depop feature satin dresses, lacy corsets and Crocs charms—all dipped head to toe in a bucketful of hearts. A quick scroll among the 235 thousand posts under #lovecore on Instagram, on the other hand, would tumble you down a rabbit hole full of Sanrio’s famous characters.

From Kuromi to Hello Kitty, these characters are often featured as graphic motifs embodying the nostalgic love for an era rooted in self-love and positivity. This nostalgic obsession of lovecore with Sanrio characters is part of a broader movement towards childhood innocence and connections that is already engulfing aesthetics like kidcore.

Lovecore is all about feeling the love for the pieces you wear. Since hyper-femininity plays a huge role in the aesthetic, Betsey Johnson is essentially looped in as a representative. One of the most iconic looks associated with lovecore is Lirika Matoshi’s strawberry midi-dress, which Tess Holiday wore to the 2020 Grammys. Although it originally retails for $490, knock-offs costing no more than $20 are now available on Amazon for those looking to nail the aesthetic without busting their pastel piggy banks.

 

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One of the most important aspects of lovecore is its versatility. The aesthetic can be both maximalist or minimalist depending on the wearer’s taste. One can either go full-blown Betsey Johnson with chunky charms and Hello Kitty hair clips or choose to keep it subtle with heart-shaped earrings tucked behind soft curls.

The appeal of lovecore is not just limited to fashion, it is also tapped as a medium of self-expression within the LGBTQ+ community. “I spent my entire youth hating myself and the concept of hetero romance didn’t interest me at all,” shared Tumblr user femmesweetheart, who runs a blog dedicated to the aesthetic. In an interview with NYLON, the 24-year-old admitted her obsession with love in all its forms after being a part of the LGBTQ+ community herself. For her, lovecore means baking heart-shaped cookies, listening to La Vie En Rose and wishing only the best for others.

Lovecore is also known as heartcore, crushcore and cupidcore among its fanbase. However, the aesthetic should not be confused with angelcore or romantic academia even though they are backed with similar principles. In terms of its subgenres, lovecore can be divided into two:

Pagano lovecore focuses on the iconography of love in Greco-Roman mythology and the Italian Renaissance, rather than Christian traditions. Common motifs under the subculture include marble statues, doves, old jewellery and ancient love poems. Aphrodite, Eros and Adonis are the major figures present in Pagano lovecore. The subgenre also harbours an overlap with dark academia in terms of its obsession with ancient Greek literature.

 

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Shakespearean lovecore has a heavy focus on the element of romance as depicted in the works of famed playwright William Shakespeare. Remember how I mentioned that lovecorists enjoy writing love letters? In this regard, the subgenre revolves around Shakespeare due to the common portrayal of romance in his works. Common motifs and values in Shakespearean lovecore include poetry, antique furniture, forbidden/tragic love and architecture depicted in the time period of his plays.

 

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With all that said, lovecore can be concluded as a celebration in itself. A celebration of love—no matter the day, time or occasion. And in an era where even little gestures of love go a long way, the more the frills, the better.