In November of 2024, people sat in anticipation of one of the most imperative elections in American history. Many were surprised by the outcome despite the subtle foreshadowing in fashion and beauty trends.
Trends that many young adolescents gravitated towards.
The clean girl trend made waves during the start of the pandemic with high-brow fashion making a comeback and simple, beige aesthetic taking over social media. This minimalist approach gave way to makeup-less beauty, neutral clothing and healthy eating habits.
The clean girl wakes up at 5 a.m., exercises before the sun rises and works in a lavish high-rise above a city skyline. Her clothes are always pressed, her room clean and the food she eats is Pinterest-worthy. A lifestyle afforded to few, this movement catapulted millions of people to upend their lives in favor of a trendier, cleaner one.
Clean girls have a set routine with little to no deviations and minimal materials in their lives. They always look put together and are never flashy with their wealth. But, deep down, this aesthetic is a demanding lifestyle that requires a certain level of affluence.
Although not flashy, wealth is the underlying factor in this trend. People need to be able to make enough to afford brand name clothing and a stylish living arrangement. Yet, they need to have free time to go out, work out and hang out with friends.
The beige and neutral undertones have often been compared to purity culture untouched by colorful fashion. The trend itself has long been determined to be a movement of conformity and exclusion. When looking up inspiration for clean girl aesthetics, people of color, plus size models and disability awareness are missing from the mainstream media.
Although not the start of the conservative trends, it was one of the first glaring examples of a cultural shift. A trend that requires money and influence yet heavily relies on traditional gender roles and ideals of the past. A push towards conservative values.
Another trend blowing up TikTok was the Cottagecore experience. Cottagecore is the return to a simpler life, one usually in the countryside. The trend is embezzled with lace trimming, peasant dresses and a simple no-makeup makeup look.
This aesthetic heavily relies on a quiet, simple life on a farm, yet the underlying tones of such life are a pullback to 50s style culture. Cottagecore and the inevitable Trad Wife trend give way to an old-school ideal that women are bred to perform domestic labor on their own, raise children and depend on their husbands to provide a living.
Both trends skyrocketed in popularity as cooking from scratch became a favored hobby and farm life suited people in rural areas. Different from the clean girl aesthetic, these trends landed among those who could afford the lifestyle being fed to them through their screen.
With the pandemic in full swing, people had time to indulge in their hobbies such as gardening, knitting and baking, which are all staples of this trend. On the outside, this lifestyle seemed acceptable. Something anybody could participate in. But, the ‘rules’ of this trend quickly became apparent.
The idea that women were meant to be performers in their own homes permeated the internet. Their contributions to the household duties such as cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, growing and raising children were regarded as things that had to be done. The Cottagecore aesthetic romanticized the life of a woman who stays home all day, tends after children and looks after the house. They wake up early, they are dependent on their spouse and they perform unpaid labor all day, every day.
Their education, financial independence and compensation for their labor are an afterthought. Sometimes, not a thought at all.
The trend works hand in hand with the Trad Wives lifestyle, otherwise referred to as Traditional Wives. Written in the name, this aesthetic succumbed to history’s idea of what makes a good wife and mother. Trad wives are known for keeping a spotless house with a perfect manicure, but never talking back to their husbands as it would be seen as disrespectful.
Not only are these trends a push back to conservative values, but they also thrive off of exclusivity.
Trends like Cottagecore and Trad Wives paint a picture of the nuclear family—one devoid of authenticity and usually ignoring modern values. In its exclusivity, it does not mention struggles that some families deal with, such as financial instability and infertility. It also does not mention same-sex couples or disabilities. Ignoring the disparities in equality and equity between spouses, the trend thrives off of a one-size-fits-all family, regarding it as the standard.
The push towards more patriarchal values became apparent when women gave up their financial and economic independence to be homemakers. A staple of both trends that infiltrated domestic life.
Trends and aesthetics only grew as the pandemic continued, and are still popping up to this day. Both in political unrest and enormous societal change, they distinctively define an evolution within generations.
What was once a cute aesthetic to try has become a high-maintenance lifestyle upending millions of lives. The swing from liberal to conservative values has been apparent for years now, but people gave little to no thought to it.
But, there were also evident changes going around.
Fashion and beauty trends have always made a statement. It is about lifestyle and aesthetics, but also about personal choices. People wear what makes them comfortable, do what makes them happy and present themselves to the world with those factors.
Lifestyle choices are how people express their identity to the world. When those choices are a part of a growing cultural shift, it makes a statement.
These trends illustrate people’s identities and personal values. They translated into reality, inextricably linked to each other. As one aesthetic became less popular, there was another popping up in its place.
This trend will happen again and again as society decides certain values are more important than others. Fashion, beauty and politics are powerful forms of expression that shape the socio-political landscape. These trends are not just a reflection of individuality; they are challenging norms, encouraging dialogues, advocating for change and redefining the industry. One trend at a time.
*This is an opinion piece for InfUSion Magazine