“That outfit is so emo,” remarked my sister as I walked past her room. Glancing down at my black leggings and plain black T-shirt, I found myself a little confused. Even though my chosen workout outfit wasn’t exactly “emo,” the associations from this often-joked-about early 2000’s subculture had lingered long enough for my sister to make the connection.
Subcultures were the movement of the 20th century, with new personal styles ranging from emos, goths, and punks all the way to hippies, flappers, and surfers. But along with floppy discs, parachute pants, and drive-in movies, these movements didn’t quite survive to the modern era. Instead, they have been replaced by Gen Z’s favorite new way to express ourselves: aesthetics.
From cottagecore to dark academic to old money, aesthetics have defined online spaces when they first arose around 2020.
Aesthetics typically include a specific clothing style or music taste, and these online “vibes” can be found on Pinterest collages and Instagram feeds, which are filled with hundreds of highly filtered photographs featuring similar color schemes and layouts. Many people, especially influencers, find themselves trying to replicate these “vibes” within their own lives.
Want to make your life more “dark academia”-esque? Consider investing in a dark trench coat and a few candles to light up your study space (which isn’t just for aesthetic purposes, I promise!)
Want to embrace the cottagecore lifestyle? Try out gardening or baking sourdough. (And have fun trying to dodge the trad-wife sympathizer allegations.)
Cottagecore and dark academia aren’t the only aesthetics gaining popularity—according to the Aesthetics Wiki, there are thousands of overly niche styles to choose to base your entire personality on. “My favorite aesthetic would probably have to be coastal grandmother,” says Caitlynn Koenig, a sophomore at Grandview High School. “Our favorite is coquette,” agreed two other students.
But aesthetics lack the one feature that has clearly defined subcultural movements: political activism. Many subcultures advocated for racial justice and LGBTQ+ rights. They provided safe spaces for marginalized groups to come together as a community. From hippies advocating for peace, to emos increasing mental health awareness, to punks rebelling against unjust governments, activism has always been a huge player in this game.
Aesthetics, on the other hand? Not quite.
Aesthetics revolve around constantly shifting trend cycles—as one aesthetic rises to popularity, another fades. Take, for example, the “clean girl” to “mob wife” pipeline that flooded my FYP about a year ago. Instead of remaining a core part of one’s identity, aesthetics are just a meaningless phase—a Pinterest board that stops getting added to after a few weeks.
But aesthetics don’t stop at revolving around pointless trend cycles. They also promote consumerism and overconsumption, which contributes to the 92 million tons of clothes sent to landfills every year. Needing to have the latest clean girl Shein top or the coolest Y2K-coded miniskirt (even when you’ll stop wearing them when they fade out of popularity a while later) supports unethical fast fashion industry, as well as trashing your sense of personal style.
Many 20th century and early 21st century subcultures faced fashion with a different approach, since they couldn’t overnight order the latest alt-core corset top from Temu. Instead, they prioritized reusing old materials or clothes to create something new—something affordable but still cohesive with their personal style. Meanwhile, aesthetics simply pose another excuse to pile on to your Shein cart. They have commoditized personal style and our very way of living by easily influencing thousands to buy useless (but trendy) closet items, rather than timeless staples.
Some students think aesthetics pose a threat to individuality—they sort people into boxes. If you want to be dark academia, you must replace your closet with dark, moody clothes, and always drink black coffee. And of course, you can’t mix that with fairycore, vintage or anything else—otherwise, you’re not a “real” member of that aesthetic.
“I feel like the need to categorize everything is such a weird thing. People do it because they want to feel connected to others… but I still think it’s strange,” explains Edna Tilahun. In her opinion, you should be able to form your personality without the influence of aesthetics.
Jokes about emo kids and hippies aren’t going anywhere, but maybe it’s time to give them a little credit. Subcultures have gone from strong, united political movements to mindless, rapidly shifting aesthetic trends, feeding into overconsumption across the globe.So what can we do? Instead of hopping mindlessly on every trend, we need to slow down and think: Where did this come from? What does it stand for? Is this top really me, or did an influencer just link it on their trendy Amazon storefront? By digging a little deeper, we can build a society that values authenticity and sustainability over whatever’s trending this week.
Author’s Note:
This editorial started as a project for my English class and ended as a passionate article about a topic that is not often discussed—the rapid trend cycles that emerged from subcultures. From environmental to psychological, there are so many effects to consider from our modern ways of conveying style. Please enjoy!
Emersen Fischer | 16 | Centennial, CO | @emersen_f on Instagram
