In case you haven’t seen it on your For You Page, the coquette style aesthetic is trending across socials. With over 700 million views and counting on TikTok alone, Gen Z can’t get enough of this frill-filled look. So what exactly is the coquette aesthetic? CF dives into everything coquette and gives a breakdown of the style.
What Is Coquette Style?
A coquette is defined as a “flirtatious woman”. Many Tumblr Girls and now TikTok creators are embracing this hyper feminine style. It combines elements of cottage core, angel core, and Lolita with a vintage feel from the 1950s and ‘60s. Many are loving the coquette lifestyle, which highlights embracing lighthearted femininity while maintaining a genuine and modest cottage core aesthetic.
Lace, pearls, and delicate pastel colors give the coquette style a whimsical, romantic feel. It combines elements from several eras and draws inspiration from other aesthetics like balletcore and royalcore. This aesthetic can be found in films where it’s used quite frequently. Examples include Kirsten Dunst’s performance in “Marie Antionette”, Natalie Portman’s performance in “Black Swan” and Lana Del Rey’s early 2010s music videos vintage Americana period.
Coquette Fashion
Coquette essentials include lace blouses, pearl jewelry, stockings paired with miniskirts, and chunky heels, pointelle knits, frilly dresses, corsets, and more. Need some budget-friendly inspiration? Look no further.
A-Line Dress
The A-line silhouette is one of the most flattering cuts because it gives the appearance of a smaller waist and wider hips. It’s also a very minimal and elegant style that can be easily accessorized. $32.
Cropped Rib Knit Cardigan
The feminine trim and breezy silhouette of this cardigan makes it the perfect layering piece to be paired over a dress. $27.
Frilly Socks
The general coquette aesthetic is highlighted by ruffles and frills. And what better way to incorporate them than with these lace top socks? One pair $8.
Caradise Mary Jane Platform Shoes
Mary Janes are the quintessential coquette footwear choice. Both girly and edgy they complete any look. $40.
Mini Bag
It’s no question that mini bags are in and this pick perfectly pairs with coquette styles. $21.
Pearl Jewelry Set
You can wear pearl jewelry of this type with any style of clothing. Pearls truly ooze hyper-femininity and daintiness while also adding a touch of elegance. $25.
It is important to note that the coquette style has not always been inclusive. When you make a quick Pinterest or TikTok search, it is abundantly clear that those who embody and love hyper-feminine fashion tend to be skinny and have fair skin tones. A lot of feminine clothing pieces have received criticism for neglecting to represent people of color and a variety of body types, to the point that some people think it promotes problematic standards.
Now that coquette is returning to mainstream style however, a wide range of people from different backgrounds, with different body types and with different gender expressions have come to identify with the aesthetic regardless of looks. This has allowed the coquette community to become diverse and inclusive to the point that anyone can take part!
So what do you think? Is the coquette style for you? If so, College Fashionista would love seeing how you incorporate coquette into your personal style. Tag CF with your coquette looks @cfashionista.
Featured image via @samanthasybo. Design by Her Campus Media.
