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An internet aesthetic, also simply referred to as an aesthetic, is a visual art style, sometimes accompanied by a music genre, that usually originates from the internet or is popularized thereof. Throughout the 2010s, online aesthetics gained increasing popularity, specifically on platforms such as Tumblr, Pinterest and TikTok.

Definition

Internet aesthetics are characterized and identifiable by their visual style. Sarah Spellings from Vogue stated, ''Overtime, “aesthetic” has evolved from an academic word and something utilized by artists and auteurs to something to categorize our own identities by. It can mean both personal style and a vague stand-in for beauty''. Kaitlin Tiffany from The Atlantic stated:

At this point, the word aesthetic is totally divorced from its academic origins. While Tumblr users mainstreamed it years ago, many teenagers use aesthetic as an all-purpose adjective—“that’s so aesthetic” as a shorthand for “that’s so aesthetically pleasing to me.” But in broader internet parlance, it now means a collection of signifiers or, more precisely, a “vibe.”

Many names for aesthetics use suffixes, such as -core.

History

Many news outlets have reported on the ''2014 Tumblr Girl'' or similarly, which was, at the time of it's original popularity, usually described as being soft-grunge, and including artists/bands such as Lana Del Ray, The 1975, Arctic Monkeys, and more. In the early 2020s, the aesthetic was reported as to having a ''resurrection'', specifically by users on TikTok.

Aesthetics WIki, a wiki hosted on Fandom, has frequently been cited for its large database of online aesthetics. According to The Atlantic, the wiki gained a 9,974% increase in traffic during 2020.

Notable examples

Vaporwave

Dark Academia

Dark Academia is an aesthetic that focuses on higher education and gothic architecture, along with a dark color palette. Similarly, Light Academia focuses on the same themes, but with lighter colors.

Cottagecore

E-Kid

The E-Kid, E-Girl and E-Boy aesthetic r

Indie Kid

Popularized during 2020,

Fairy Grunge

According to Teen Vogue, Fairy Grunge focuses on neutral, earthy colors, dark color palettes, and ''flowy peasant skirts, lace, ripped tights, ribbon, knitted sweaters, leg warmers, and corsets'', and some may also wear strap-on wings and pointed ears. The clothes are typically thrifted.

Weirdcore

Clean Girl

Criticism

Some online aesthetics have gained criticism. In May 2021, some users on TikTok started the satirical aesthetic ''Americancore'' to mock those who refer to East Asian culture as aesthetics, specifically the terms Japancore and Kawaiicore. The trend specifically targeted those who went to Asian grocery stores to film videos, with users of the trend instead going to Wal-Mart, an American supermarket chain, to mock those videos. A freelance culture critic onVice stated, ''These videos, for many people, form a narrative that shapes what outsiders think a particular culture is like, and they’re not meant for Asian people at all in this case because they’re almost treated like museum exhibits''. Kyle Chayka from The New Yorker stated ''in attempting to make fun of ignorant white shoppers, some argued, the term ends up mocking the experience of those for whom white American culture really is thrillingly foreign'', also stating ''as another meme goes, can’t we just let people enjoy things?''.

The Clean Girl aesthetic has been criticized for allegedly reinforcing ''exclusionary Euro-centric beauty standards'' and '' thin, wealthy white women front-and-center as the preeminent aspirational figure on TikTok.''

See also

• Subculture
• Scene (subculture)
• 2020s in fashion

References

1. Spellings, Sarah (2021-05-25). "Do I Have an Aesthetic?". Vogue. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
2. ^ Tiffany, Kaitlyn (2021-02-05). "Cottagecore Was Just the Beginning". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
3. "A Glossary of '-core' Style Aesthetics". ca.style.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
4. Ruane, Emily. "From Cottagecore To Goblincore — What's Your TikTok Fashion Aesthetic?". www.refinery29.com. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
5. ^ Nast, Condé (2022-01-02). "The 2014 Tumblr Girl Is Back". Vogue. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
6. Gargione, Frank (2013-02-08). "Frank Asks: Why Is It the '90s All Over Again?". Racked. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
7. Jennings, Rebecca (2020-05-07). "Stuck in 2020, pretending it's 2014". Vox. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
8. Navlakha, Meera (2021-10-26). "TikTok is reviving the 2014 Tumblr-era aesthetic". Mashable. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
9. "The Year in Aesthetics, From Dark Academia to McBling". Vice. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
10. Nast, Condé (2022-02-28). "TikTok's Viral Fairy Grunge Trend Is Inspired by "Twilight"". Teen Vogue. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
11. ^ "TikTok's 'Americancore' Trend Shows Americans How the Rest of the World Feels". www.vice.com. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
12. ^ Nast, Condé (2021-09-28). "America as an Internet Aesthetic". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
13. Randall, Tiana (2022-07-12). "The problem with TikTok's 'clean girl' aesthetic". i-D. Retrieved 2022-08-06.
14. Staff, A. O. L. "Here's Why The 'Clean Girl Aesthetic' on TikTok Is Problematic". www.aol.com. Retrieved 2022-08-06.
15. "TikTok's Clean Girl Aesthetic is Everywhere, But Is It Inclusive?". Bustle. Retrieved 2022-08-06.