The Coquette Aesthetic: What's This Trend All About?

Get to know the Coquette Aesthetic trend, a style that's been dominating TikTok and Pinterest searches and embraces a classic vintage look.

A return to the lace and ruffles of the Victorian era combined with elements such as ballerina shoes or long white stockings… Accentuating the feminine, the elegant, and the childish is the central axis of the Coquette Aesthetic trend, which has become all the rage among the young women and teenagers of Generation Z.

Implementing this style requires attire such as long dresses with lace, floral prints, and pearl necklaces. Meanwhile, this style returns to the sumptuousness of the ladies of the nineteenth century, but also seeks simplicity and anchoring with modernity. In this article, we’re going to tell you all about it.

What is the Coquette Aesthetic?

The literal meaning of the trend is ‘coquette aesthetic’. Therefore, the central theme is beauty, delicacy, and everything that’s pleasing to the eye. As a vintage style, this trend brings back details from the past – some that became quite eccentric and others that never went out of fashion. For example, exaggerated lace, ruffles, die-cuts, and hair bows are quite popular in this trend.

The Coquette Aesthetic was born from the Aesthetic style, which also refers to a vintage look, but became popular closer to the second half of the twentieth century. In the Coquette aesthetic, what predominates is a classic conception of beauty, romance, and love.

Although this trend accentuates the feminine, it also does this from a traditional perspective, since pink and white colors abound, along with pastel shades. In addition, it’s linked to a stage of youth and adolescence, approaching the styles known as the Soft Girl or the Lolita movement.

How did it come about?

Like many of the current trends, young people have popularized them through social networks, especially Instagram and TikTok. As far as fashion is concerned, one can’t ignore what happens on Pinterest, a site that’s specialized in art, decoration, and clothing.

The case of the Coquette Aesthetic emerged as a sub-style of the general Aesthetic trend.

However, this is a look with roots in another social network, as well: Tumblr. There, in the early 2010s, many young women began to appropriate the Lolita aesthetic in reference to the work of Vladimir Nabokov. With great furor in countries such as China, Japan, and South Korea, the style added details such as the color red and pronounced makeup.

As for the visual aspect, the Shabby Chic decorative trend may have also been a reference, but with similarities to Coquette, especially in terms of sophistication and color palette.

Clothes and accessories to dress in a Coquette Aesthetic style

Since 2021, the evolution and combination of elegant vintage trends have resulted in the emergence of the Coquette Aesthetic style. As a central axis, this look makes delicate and fine details coexist with colors, accessories, and even objects that refer to tenderness. The following garments are the most used.

Dresses

If someone looks at a picture from the nineteenth century – especially those of high society – they’ll find very characteristic dresses. They were long, with lace, many pleats, petticoats, and ribbons. The Coquette trend seeks to return to the typical elegance of the Victorian era, without neglecting the embroidery, floral prints, and lace.

The dominant color range is white and beige. Light brown, pink and gray are also part of the trend. The important thing is that they don’t stray from pastel tones – i.e. soft and light colors.

As alternative clothing, satin dresses, those with floral prints, and even cardigans, especially those with bare shoulders, are also included. Tulle dresses with glitter and transparency also fit well with the Coquette fashion.

Hair

Hairstyles can be very varied, and it’s possible to wear them both with loose hair as well as up. However, there is one element whose presence refers directly to the Coquette Aesthetic: the hair tie. Along with the bows, this item can also be present in some details of the dresses.

Footwear

There are two options of shoes that fit perfectly with the style. On the one hand, boots are typical for more everyday use. On the other hand, closed-toe flats work well in tune with the Lolita trend.

The second option is a little more daring, as it allows the combination of white and long stockings. Any Coquette shoe should allow for the use of tights and socks with lace or embroidery.

Accessories and details

The Coquette-style outfit can be completed with a series of accessories and jewelry. In fact, the incorporation of pearls in bracelets or necklaces is one of the main details that distinguish this fashion. Among the possible accessories are the following:

• Buttons. Buttoned and lace-trimmed shirts call up the elegance of antique dresses.
• Pearls. This is one of the fundamental details of the Coquette Aesthetic. They can be seen in rings, earrings, necklaces, and even in certain garments.
• Ruffles. This piece, typical of Spanish flamenco dresses, is incorporated in sleeves, skirts, or shirts as a very characteristic detail of the style.
• Gloves. Some people choose to add lace gloves that add elegance to their outfits.

The Coquette Aesthetic trend examples

Like all fashion, the Coquette Aesthetic isn’t limited to clothing and accessories, but includes a general visual aesthetic. Some celebrities who carry it out function as an inspiration to seek and adapt the style to personal preferences. Among the celebrities who exhibit it is the actress Elle Fanning.

In addition, certain movie characters remained as referents of the Coquette style. For example, think of Nina, the protagonist of the film Black Swan, played by Natalie Portman. With her youthful ballerina look, she’s a clear inspiration for this fashion.

Along with her, the elegance shown by actress Kirsten Dunst with her character of Marie Antoinette in the 2006 film exposes the most sumptuous details intended by the style. The music also complements a fashion that places the work and look of Lana del Rey as the main soundtrack.

The Coquette Aesthetic is an ideal trend for events

Although at first glance this may seem like a pretentious and exaggerated style, the craze for vintage dresses and aesthetics is flooding social networks. Both in publications and in searches, the Coquette style has positioned itself as one of the central variants within the wide range of the Aesthetic style.

In this case, the important thing is to focus on details that appeal to the history and exaggeration of classic femininity. Wearing a Coquette outfit is an elegant and eye-catching way to be fashionable, which makes it a great choice for parties or events.