Fashion Aesthetics

In the fashion world, there never seems to be one type of concept of clothing or style; it’s diverse and constantly changing. Basically, an ongoing cycle. If you, yourself, have seen a couple on the street with their matching ‘Run Star Hike High Top’, exclusively from Converse paired with baggy clothing, or a group of friends with their multi-colored accessories and outfits inspired from the 2000s, this is what’s called an “Aesthetic” or a “Fashion Aesthetic”. This showcases who we are as individuals through different categories of aesthetics. Taking into consideration the variety and uniqueness of human beings, not everyone will be interested in the concept of “Fashion Aesthetics” and that’s completely reasonable! Before we go into “Why Fashion is Important for the Youth”, first let’s break down the few aesthetics: what they are, potentially finding your aesthetic, solely fitting for you and the person you are!

First and foremost, let’s start with something “light”: Minimalist. To keep it short, this fashion aesthetic is quite simple and subtle. In comparison to other concepts of style, people who have acquired this fashion aesthetic often, not always, tend to keep colors neutral and monochromatic. The accessories worn won’t be layered and colorful and the clothing itself won’t be heavily patterned resulting in that minimalist effect. In terms of “Fashion Statements”, this aesthetic typically won’t have more than one fashion statement because it only typically focuses on one. Associated with this concept is an Instagram influencer, Ida Andu (Instagram: @idaandu) that completely rocks the minimalist genre. She often adds blazers (the fashion statement) to her monochromatic outfits, usually in a darker or lighter color depending on how it would contrast with the innerwear, which creates a pop in the outfit. 

Image Credit: @idaandu on Instagram.

Adding spice to the list: Indie. Like other aesthetics we will cover, this one can also be quite broad in terms of the concept, but for now, we will focus on the gen-z perception of it. Inspired by individuality and independence, Indie is the form of aesthetic that was seen as worn by someone quite different from the crowd. Unlike minimalism, its colors are vibrant and diverse. This aesthetic has a lot of fashion statements but to achieve that, an important fashion staple is baggy clothing! Indie is generally inspired by skater style making the two quite similar. Mivia (Instagram: @mmivia) is an influencer that exhibits the gen-z perception of indie very well. She has signature baggy clothing (fashion staple) and colorful outfits matched with the perfect accessories that everyone is in love with! 

Image credit: @mmivia on Instagram.

Next up: Grunge! Grunge has been around for quite a long time and even to this day, it’s quite a popular aesthetic. The concept of Grunge is edgy and risky. To showcase that, Grunge often has a darker color scheme. In the matter of fashion staples, I have noticed that their tops are always standing out, whether that be through graphic tees, lace tees, etc. Grunge is often perceived as an aesthetic that suits well with the genre of rock. Instagram influencer, Yua (Instagram: @ngc1961), expresses this aesthetic wonderfully through her fashion. She plays into the edgy side of fashion from head to toe, especially with her uniquely altered tops (fashion staple) and extremely well-done hairstyles! 

Imagine credit: @ngc1961 on Instagram.

Going back to a softer concept: Cottagecore. This aesthetic is heavily inspired by cottage/agricultural living. It emphasizes how peaceful the whole idea of the cottage lifestyle is. To express this pleasant sensation, the colors that are utilized in this aesthetic are on the lighter and softer scale as well as pastel-like colors. Cottagecore is quite lenient towards light dresses and skirts creating that feminine and innocent product. The infamous brand, Marc Jacobs, often uses the concept of Cottagecore to showcase its products. In their ‘Daisy Marc Jacobs’ commercial, they wore elegant, light-colored, loose dresses (fashion staple) along with floral accessories that symbolizes the concept of Cottagecore.  

Image credit: Marc Jacobs

Going back a decade or two: Y2K. Y2K is an aesthetic determined by the clothing and fashion trends from the 90s to the mid-2000s. If you have ever watched Bratz as a little kid, you probably remember how funky they dressed, and that’s exactly what Y2K is! It consists of very girly and funky and over-dressing with bling sensation. During this period was also the revolution of technology which was then applied to the fashion trends with a lot of holographic and futuristic effects. Similar to Indie, Y2K is also very colorful and diverse. There are a lot of fashion statements in this aesthetic producing the funky effect of Y2K but to accomplish that Y2K look a few important fashion staples are low-rise bottoms and baby tees. Fashion icon, Paris Hilton, was one of the trendsetters during these times. She wore a lot of pink and defined chic with her multi-colored halter tops and low-rise skirts (fashion staple). 

Image credit: https://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/gallery/paris-hilton-outfits?image=5f468ee1c12ae421ef5bc699

Toning it down: Dark Academia. The Dark Academia aesthetic revolves around European ancient and classic literature. It reveals the studious side of the fashion world and how we can apply this to our fashion and lifestyle. This aesthetic gives a lot of fall vibes along with renaissance Europe, with its dark neutral tones and colors and outfits inspired by the renaissance period. Dark academia is not so much prone to fashion statements as every piece of the outfit has details that contribute to its Dark Academia concept. Contrasting to Dark Academia is Light Academia, a lighter version of Dark Academia. 

Image credits: https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/43487952642199164/ https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/296252481745872812/

And lastly, to end this list of diversity: Hypebeast. Streetstyle is another aesthetic that is quite broad in terms of concept, but a sub-category of streetstyle is Hypebeast which is quite in demand in the social hierarchy of celebrities. In simple terms, Hypebeast is a modern form of streetwear. It’s generally focused on its contemporary design. Hypebeast is quite a complex concept as well, but from how many perceive it to be, it’s quite an expensive form of fashion. Hypebeast showcases new high-end products and is quite the trendsetter. Celebrity, Kylie Jenner plays into this concept very well as she is a very well-known person in the world of streetwear and is also known as a huge trendsetter. Kylie Jenner has displayed her love for the Hypebeast concept through her clothing, especially from the extravagant high-end sneakers and bags she obtains! 

Image credit: https://styledumonde.com/2016/09/new-york-ss-2017-street-style-kylie-jenner/ https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/382876405822939462/

Whilst there is still so much to cover in the world of fashion, here’s a sneak peek of how diverse and unique it can be. Through fashion, we are able to come together as one through our individuality and passion for fashion!