LA stylist Marisa Ledford told People magazine that the style was a hyper-feminine one that paid homage to the “Victorian Regency era” and first rose to popularity in the 2010s on Tumblr, as well as the Japanese Lolita subculture, which became popular in the 1990s and also took inspiration from Vitoria clothing.
As to why the trend is blowing up in 2024, social media marketer Mya Shell said on TikTok that the aesthetic lets women reclaim a sense of their childhood and bring girlhood into their adult lives. It’s a way to get back in touch with their younger, more innocent selves and share it with the world playfully.
The coquette look has also been a way to pay tribute to 2024, which is being dubbed “the year of the girl” due to pop culture moments like Greta Gerwig’s iconically pink “Barbie” movie and Taylor Swift’s equally legendary Eras Tour. Not to mention women reclaiming girlhood with viral memes like “girl dinner” and “girl math.”
At the end of the day, girls just want to have fun, as the saying goes! This lighthearted trend is just another way to have fun and embrace womanhood in all its beauty, so more power to #coquetteaesthetic.
