What is aesthetic fashion?
Aesthetic fashion is all about the art of style including all that is pleasant to look at. Unsurprisingly, aesthetic fashion is ever-changing and a much broader concept. Different people find different things aesthetic depending on their personal tastes. Thus, there are various subcategories under aesthetic fashion as a whole including indie, grunge, soft-girl, vintage and more. The categories are also based on fads of specific decades such as the 70s, 80s, and 90s. While the younger generations are more likely to embrace this style of clothing, aesthetic clothes can be worn by anyone as it essentially involves a good looking outfit and allows one to express themselves, in a way, they find pleasing.
While aesthetic fashion emerged during the Tumblr movement in the early 2010s, different subcategories of aesthetic fashion have been more popular than others through the years. For example, recent years have seen a rise in popularity for the 90s and Y2K aesthetic fashion. During the Tumblr movement, users started mixing grunge, gothic and sporty styles, which were most popular during the time, especially amongst teenagers. The different subcategories under aesthetic fashion may vary by a lot, so we’ve rounded up some outfits that best explain each subcategory.
Indie Aesthetic Outfits
Image Source: Pinterest/Cosmique Studio, Emmanuela Diaz
Much like the overall concept of ‘Indie’, indie fashion is also a lot about independent and individual self-expression. Indie fashion is not mainstream and may include a whole lot of earthy tones and thrifted pieces, giving it a mix of retro and vintage vibes. Common elements also include checkered knits, detailed denims, cropped and oversized silhouettes. Some ideal outfits may include bombers with cropped tees and high waist jeans, as well as loose trousers with fitted tops and sneakers.
Grunge Aesthetic Outfits
Image Source: Pinterest/ava, HoneyWattpad
Most sought-after during the 90s, grunge fashion was made popular thanks to the underground music revolution around that time. Think oversized shirts, band t-shirts, wide-leg trousers and combat boots, including a whole lot of black and darker tones. The grunge aesthetic is edgy and rebellious, with a hint of preppy added to the mix. Apart from common elements like checkered bottoms, black stockings and biker jackets, accessories in silver and black tones like layered chokers and black beaded pieces are also a part of this aesthetic style.
Vintage Aesthetic Outfits
Image Source: Pinterest/Honeycomb Hippie, Nine Lives Bazaar
The vintage subcategory is perhaps the most versatile under all aesthetic fashion. As times change and fashion moves forward, styles from different decades can be paired under the vintage category i.e, the 70s, 80s, 90s. Vintage fashion usually doesn’t follow many rules, you can dress as per one particular decade or even incorporate multiple in one outfit. Key elements include boyfriend trousers, denim skirts, turtlenecks, slogan T-shirts, Circular sunglasses, light-washed denim, and platform shoes. The best place to get your hands on vintage fashion is undoubtedly vintage stores, thrift stores and second-hand marketplaces.
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90s Aesthetic Outfits
Image Source: Pinterest/90s Outfit, LAC Lookbook Blog
90s trends were some of the most popular ones in fashion. Even as 90s fashion has made a comeback, 90s elements like tie-dye, vests and tailored pieces have taken the runway and street style by storm. In many ways, the 90s were a time of great change, social revolution and technological advancement, a lot of which can be seen in 90s fashion. The 90s were defined by the popularity of several TV figures and political female figures like Margaret Thatcher, Princess Diana and film stars closer to home like Madhuri Dixit and Karisma Kapoor. Some outfits that are great examples of 90s aesthetic fashion include a statement suit, a slip skirt with a sweater, and vests with high-rise jeans.
Soft Girl Aesthetic Outfits
Image Source: Pinterest/Aesthetic Clothing, Chic Boho Style
If the feminine, romantic aesthetic is up your alley, soft girl aesthetic fashion is going to be your favourite style of clothing! This type of aesthetic fashion includes pastel shades like powder blue, baby pink, lemon etc., and elements like clouds, fluffy animals, checkered prints and flowers. Silhouettes are often shorter and cropped yet elegant, cutesy and feminine. Soft girl outfits include pastel checkered miniskirts or dresses, cloud sweaters, cropped cardigans, and daisy print dresses.
Cottagecore Aesthetic Outfits
Image Source: Pinterest/Samantha Monero, quean
Taking you back in time and giving a whiff of countryside life is the cottagecore aesthetic. It includes softer silhouettes, subdued colours, flowy fabrics and floral prints. Typically, this aesthetic would include a dress that cinches at the waist and either has puffy sleeves or feminine sleeve details. Add cute hair accessories like a bandana and easy sandals, and your outfit is cottagecore-ready! You can also opt for a flowy skirt in a pastel shade with a vintage-style blouse or shirt to be in line with this aesthetic.
Dark Academia Aesthetic Outfits
Image Source: Pinterest/Pregnancy Tips, Raissa Mayo
Inspired by classic literature and works by Oscar Wilde and Jane Austin, the dark academia aesthetic is neo-classic with a romantic vibe. The colour palette includes darker hues like charcoal, black and deeper shades of brown and green. Dark academia outfits typically include turtlenecks or chunky knits with checked trousers, tweed blazers, brogues with a hint of gold accessories. This aesthetic can be easily merged with different trends of current times as well.
Femboy Aesthetic Outfits
Image Source: Twitter/James Charles, Pinterest/Kevs Abel
Reflecting the more gender-neutral trends of our times is the Femboy aesthetic. It includes men and boys—irrespective of their queer status—dressing in traditionally feminine clothing. Recent times have seen a lot more gender awareness and the blurring of gender lines, something that can be reflected and represented perfectly with clothing choices. This is where the femboy aesthetic comes into the picture. Made popular by GenZ influencers and celebs like Jaden Smith, this aesthetic can be included in one’s wardrobe with butterfly clips, paste; cardigans, cropped tees, miniskirts and slip dresses.
Emo Aesthetic Outfits
Image Source: Pinterest/Wattpad, Pajaris
The emo aesthetic was most popular around the 2000s. A lot of emo music bands were responsible for paving the way for the emo look into popularity. The aesthetic includes a whole lot of blacks, stripes, fishnets and layers. An emo outfit would include a short skirt, dark jacket, fishnet stockings along with converse shoes. Makeup also plays an important part in any emo outfit, including dark hair, bangs, heavy eyeliner and dark lipstick.
Hippie Aesthetic Outfits
Made popular by younger generations of the 60s and 70s, hippie fashion reflects a carefree and liberated way of life. Festival fashion and bohemian-style details are highly prominent in hippie aesthetic fashion. While the colour palette includes vibrant hues, abstract prints, flowy fabrics and long layers are other common elements. Some examples of hippie outfits would include a cropped top, bell bottoms and a printed long jacket as well as a flowy maxi skirt, crochet top and fringed accessories.
Aesthetic fashion is versatile and freeing
Aesthetic fashion is probably one of the most widespread and versatile styles of clothing one can wear. While you may notice a lot of overlaps amongst different subcategories, it’s the coming together of common elements that make the real difference. We hope these styling ideas helped you get all the inspiration you need to get your aesthetic style on point!