Blokette, whimsigoth, tomato girl, mobwife, gorpcore, old money. It’s 2025 and everything you see (or buy) can likely be folded into a microtrend—and every micro trend has a distinct name, and perhaps a community, behind it. It seems like every word gets the “core” amendment at some point. So much so, that it’s hard to keep in this cacophony of microtrends thanks to TikTok’s echo chamber of information distribution. Sometimes there are many names for similar trends—can someone explain the exact difference between coquette and angelcore? Other times, the names don’t accurately reflect the aesthetic behind them—Y2k aesthetic fashion looks different today than what it references. To clear things up, we’ve cataloged and explained the biggest microtrends from the past few years.
(Disclaimer: It can be hard to chart a year of origin, especially since these are often recycled aesthetics.)
A
Lana Del Rey in the 2010s, an emblem of Americana.Alamy
Americana
Year of Origin: 2010s
Description: The Americana aesthetic has debatably been around since 1776, but what we think of in today’s world of TikTok fueled microtrends was inspired by 1950s WWII-era fashion. Lana Del Rey ultimately brought the patriotic style back when she wore a “Buttwiser” tee-shirt and blue jean cutoffs and waved an American flag in her 2012 “Ride” music video.
Angelcore
Year of origin: 2020
Description: Angelcore combines feminine, coquette fashion with the aesthetic of ancient Greek and Roman art—just dress like a Botticelli painting.
B
Margot Robbie in Barbie kicked off barbie coregetty
Balletcore
Year of Origin: 2023
Description: Clothing inspired by ballet, both in performance and practice. Think: wrap tops, leg warmers, ballet flats, ugg boots, baby pink, and lots of tulle. Natalie Portman in Black Swan was the blueprint.
Barbiecore
Year of Origin: 2023
Description: Piggybacking off the Barbie movie and the subsequent press tour, where Andrew Mukamal embraced what we now know as method-dressing with star Margot Robbie, the concept of dressing like a barbie entered the mainstream.
Bella Swan core
Year of origin: 2020
Description: Twilight’s main character was known for her late 2000s style of muted earth tones, low rise jeans, and layered Hollister T-shirts—and now, we’re wearing that again 20 years later.
Bimbocore
Year of Origin: 2022
Description: Yet another Y2k subgenre based on ditzy characters like Elle Woods (pre-Harvard), Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie in The Simple Life, and Shelley from The House Bunny. It’s all hot pink on hot pink, tiny skirts, tramp stamps, and impractical heels.
Marc Piasecki
Blokecore
Year of Origin: 2021
Description: A play on the British slang term “bloke,” bloke core adds elements of English football (soccer) into everyday wear. Think: vintage soccer jerseys, baggy jeans, and Adidas Sambas.
Blokette
Year of Origin: 2023
Description: Of all the microtrends, this strange mix of “bloke core” (masculine, sporty) and “coquette” (feminine, delicate) styles might stand as the most controversial. The classic outfit was a football jersey, a frilly white skirt, Adidas sambas, lacy socks—and bows everywhere.
Boho Chic
Year of Origin: early 2000s
Description: A fashion trend, popular in the early aughts and now experiencing a resurgence, that draws on the aesthetics of the bohemians and hippies of the ‘70s. It’s characterized by flowing silhouettes, floral patterns, and layered, eclectic jewelry.
Boom Boom
Year of Origin: 2024
Description: The ‘80s popularized a certain in-your-face glamour in its corporate greed and showy displays of wealth. Last year’s Boom Boom aesthetic, coined by Sean Monahan of 8Ball, draws on the gaudy maximalism in loud prints, shoulder pads, and big, gold baubles.
Brat Summer
Year of Origin: 2024
Description: Initiated by Charli XCX’s “Brat” album, Brat summer is categorized by an edgy Y2k-inspired vibe and covered in Brat green.
C
Diane Keaton in Something’s Gotta Give is a coastal grandmother icon.Alamy
Christian Girl Autumn
Year of Origin: 2019
Description: What would you wear to drink a pumpkin spice latte and take Instagram pictures in a pile of orange leaves? Think cozy sweaters, skinny jeans, ugg boots, and a pom-pom beanie over loose curls.
Clean Girl Aesthetic
Year of origin: 2022
Description: This trend centered on self care, minimalist fashion, natural makeup looks, and an organized lifestyle. Think quality basics, solid colors, skincare over wacky fabrics, heavy makeup, and loud prints.
Gisela Schober
Coastal Cowgirl
Year of origin: 2022
Description: Coastal cowgirl is the clash between westernwear and beachwear. The rugged elements of the west like cowboy boots, turquoise jewelry, and suede fringe merge with softer, more delicate influences like sundresses, ethereal linen, and seashell accessories.
Coastal Grandma
Year of origin: 2020
Description: This is the IRL manifestation of a Nancy Meyers’ movie; Coastal Grandma alludes to that relaxed coastal lifestyle she depicts so well via linen pants, knit sweaters, and nautical influences—all in a neutral color palette, of course.
Coconut Girl
Year of Origin: 2020
Description: This Y2K subset embodies a summery style reminiscent of the Australian mermaid show H20. Think hibiscus swimsuits, brightly colored tank tops, and tropical prints.
Coquette
Year of Origin: 2020
Description: This dainty, hyperfeminine style revolves around baby pink, lace, pearls, bows, and mary janes.
Corpcore/Office Siren
Year of Origin: 2023
Description: This cultural phenomenon brought the romanticization of cubicles and fluorescent lighting as Gen Z headed to the office for the first time. Think sexed-up officewear: bayonetta glasses, tight blazers, pencil skirts, and pointy heels.
Cottagecore
Year of Origin: 2020
Description: Imagine the clothing of a Victorian milkmaid living in a meadow in the middle of nowhere. Think: flower crowns, prairie dresses, flowing skirts, lace, and gingham.
D
A dash of fashion week dopamine dressing.getty
Dark Academia
Year of origin: 2020
Description: This craze brought a newfound mass interest in classic literature, a focus on intellectual pursuits, and a dark, moody aesthetic inspired by libraries, old universities, and vintage fashion. It centers the aesthetic of a 1970s professor: dark trench coats, round glasses, oxfords, tweed pants, and turtleneck sweaters.
Dopamine Dressing
Year of origin: 2020
Description: Amid fallout from the pandemic, dopamine dressing was a way in which people used their clothing, particularly unique accessories, bright colors, and eccentric shapes, to bring them joy.
E
Barbie Ferreira as Kat in Euphoria is very much an E-girl.Courtesy of HBO
E-Girl
Year of origin: 2019
Description: An E-girl is defined not by her IRL ensemble but by her online presence, be that on Twitch, Instagram, or any other social platform. The corresponding clothing, however, takes inspiration from the latter, with brightly colored hair, Sailor Moon skirts, colorful barrettes, pulling influence from the anime, punk, and goth subcultures.
F
Bridget Jones is the quintessential frazzled English woman.getty
Fairycore
Year of origin: 2020
Description: The magical sister of cottagecore blended earthy, fantasy, and feminine styles. Think whimsical maxi skirts, corset tops, and ethereal crystal jewelry.
Farmer’s Daughter
Year of origin: 2022
Description: A direct result of the Pearl movie, this style romanticized a vintage, country coquette aesthetic. Think cowboy boots, overalls, picnic baskets, braided pigtails, and lace bloomers.
“Fancy Nancy” Core
Year of Origin: 2024
Description: Fans of the beloved childhood character grew up to take the original maximalist girl’s style to a new level. Think layering, crazy tights, tutus, costume jewelry, hats, funky shoes, crazy patterns, and endless accessories.
Fisherman Aesthetic
Year of Origin: 2025
Description: A cousin of coastal grandma, the fisherman aesthetic encourages adopters to dress like a fisherman on the New England coast with a mix of cable knit sweaters, breton stripes, boat shoes, netted accessories, and, of course, fisherman sandals.
Frazzled English Woman
Year of Origin: 2023
Description: Helena Bonham Carter and Bridget Jones are the queens of this quirky, early 2000s style. Think random scarves, stripes, layering, mismatched patterns, and, when more elevated, Vivienne Westwood.
G
Gorpcore at fashion week.getty
Girlhood Aesthetic
Year of Origin: 2023 Description: The girlhood aesthetic is the pink-washed embodiment of all things sweet and innocent—essentially combining all the stereotypical interests of a six-year-old girl. Think: bows, ruffles, flowers, tulle, headbands, and ballet flats.
Edward Berthelot
Goblincore
Year of origin: 2020
Description: Goblincore adds a grungy edge to the fantasy elements of fairycore and cottagecore. It involves a lot of patched corduroy pants, oversized knit sweaters, and Dr. Martens—all in dark, earthy colors.
Gorpcore
Year of origin: 2017
Description: This fashion trend combines functional outdoor gear with street style. Take your Gore-tex rain jacket, Solomons, cargo pants, and Patagonia backpack out of the garage—they’re stylish now.
Grandmillennial
Year of Origin: 2019
Description: Imagine dressing like your grandmother’s house with upholstery-like fabrics, antique-inspired jewelry, and furniture-like details like fringe, toile, and crochet. It was a manner of dress popular particularly among millennials.
Description: This baddie aesthetic was born of high school girls who wore long acrylic nails, false eyelashes, large hoop earrings, ripped skinny jeans, and sneakers.
Hot Girl Summer
Year of Origin: 2019 Description: Hot Girl Summer is a cultural phenomenon named after the Megan Thee Stallion song and album, encouraging women to be confident, carefree, and single during the summer months. Clothes? What clothes? The fewer, the better.
I
Sky Ferreira, an icon of indie sleaze.getty
Indie
Year of origin: 2020
Description: This hyper-saturated TikTok trend brought an influx of ‘90s and y2k inspired fashions, such as baggy jeans, crop tops, bucket hats, and butterfly clips. The irony is that the fashion and artists associated with the Indie aesthetic (Clairo, Wallows) were already mainstream.
Indie Sleaze
Year of origin: 2021
Description: 2010s Tumblr returned in full force a few years ago, with everyone wearing ripped tights, grungy makeup, and thrifted, eclectic looks to rival Effy Stone and Sky Ferreira.
M
The mobwife moodboard is dominated by imagery from The Sopranos.Alamy
McBling
Year of Origin: 2019
Description: This subset of y2k was pioneered by Paris Hilton and experienced a resurgence toward 2019. Think endless sequins, bedazzled everything, hot pink tank tops, and skirts the size of a belt.
Dave Benett
Menocore
Year of Origin: 2017
Description: Another term coined by ManRepeller’s Harling Ross, menocore was a precursor to coastal grandmother. It essentially encapsulates the act of dressing like a middle-aged woman on a beach vacation.
Mermaidcore
Year of Origin: 2023
Description: All things aquatic were all the rage following the 2023 The Little Mermaid remake and this encapsulates that. Think: iridescent shell and pearl jewelry, floating light blue dresses, and shimmering makeup looks.
Mob Wife
Year of origin: 2024
Description: This visually quite loud aesthetic glamorizes the confident, powerful women of mafia families—watch The Sopranos for inspo. Its iconic pieces are fur coats, flashy jewelry, sunglasses, tight dresses, and dark colors.
N
Phoebe Philo might be the strongest display of the normcore movement.getty
Normcore
Year of Origin: 2010s
Description: One of the first microtrends of this “core” era we’re in, Normcore was essentially about dressing normally. It was the Jerry Seinfeld look; simple T-shirts, dad-style jeans, and New Balances.
O
Jackie O—no one does old money better.getty
Old Money
Year of origin: 2023
Description: If you attended cotillion or boarding school, belonged to a country club, rode horses recreationally, benefited from legacy admissions to an Ivy League school, or if your name is followed by “the third,” there’s a good chance you might just have a claim to the old money aesthetic. This timeless style leans preppy in the most classic sense—forgoing flashy accessories while still looking filthy rich.
P
Prairie core is defined my layered prairie dresses.getty
Prairie Girl
Year of Origin: 2019
Description: Little House on the Prairie and Gunne Sax brought the 1870s to 1970s fashion, popularizing flowing floral cotton dresses adorned with lace-up fronts and billowing sleeves. This trend was revived yet again in 2019 through strange means: the fashion of Little Women (2019) and Kim Kardashian’s random milkmaid photoshoot.
S
Gwyneth Paltrow’s court appearance garb was the pinnacle of quiet luxury.getty
Sardine Girl
Year of origin: 2025
Description: The fisherman aesthetic quickly devolved into just a fish aesthetic. Glittery, colorful designs based on sardine tins and the fish themselves have taken over this summer.
Shoppy Shop
Year of origin: 2022
Description: Think of those fancy grocery stores that feel like an IRL version of your Instagram feed. They often carry tinned fish, swanky olive oil, and the latest prebiotic soda.
Southern Gothic
Year of Origin: 2023
Description: This ghostly version of Farmer’s Daughter brings to mind the image of a girl running through a corn field at midnight, wearing only her tattered vintage nightgown and crucifix. This nostalgic, spooky, and rural style was pioneered by Ethel Cain.
Stealth Wealth/Quiet Luxury
Year of Origin: 2023
Description: This distilled version of minimalism emphasizes understated wealth, timeless pieces, and high-quality materials. Think classic silhouettes and neutral color palettes rather than flashy designer brand logos.
Claudio Lavenia
Stick of Butter Dressing
Year of Origin: 2023
Description: What we now think of as the explosive butter yellow color trend originally started as “stick of butter” dressing. Writer Harling Ross coined the term in her ManRepeller days and it means to dress head-to-toe in neutral shades of yellow and beige.
T
The Challengers cast, specifically Zendaya, brought tennis core to the masses.getty
Tenniscore
Year of Origin: 2024
Description: Reaching its apex with Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers, Tenniscore is perfectly preppy. Old Money’s sporty subtype features pleated skirts, cashmere sweaters, bright white sneakers, and striped navy polos.
Tradwife
Year of Origin: 2020
Description: Tradwife is short for traditional wife and encompasses a movement of women embracing more traditional domestic gender roles. The corresponding fashion involves soft, feminine, conservative silhouettes. Mormon homesteading influencers Nara Smith and Ballerina Farm popularized this lifestyle trend.
Tomato Girl Summer
Year of Origin: 2023
Description: Starting as a makeup trend, the tomato girl summer romanticized a mediterranean summer. Think flowing dresses, warm colors, linen, fruit prints, headscarves, and espadrilles.
Fox
Twee
Year of Origin: 2022
Description: Twee references the demurely feminine side of the hipster generation. Referenced imagery includes Alexa Chung in jean shorts, tights, and heeled Mary Janes, Zoey Deschanel in a babydoll dress with an exaggerated cat eye, and anything with a Peter Pan collar.
V
Vanilla core entails dressing in layers of, well, vanilla.getty
Vanilla Girl
Year of Origin: 2022
Description: This cozy version of the clean girl wears creamy white sweaters and neutral matching sets—and requires you to burn a candle at all times.
VSCO Girl
Year of Origin: 2019
Description: The founding father of microtrends. The video editing app VSCO became synonymous with scrunchies, messy buns, hydroflasks, oversized T-shirts, Birkenstocks, and reusable straws. We blame Emma Chamberlain.
W
Whimsigoth is essentially an homage to whimsigothgetty
Whimsigoth
Year of origin: 2022
Description: Whimsigoth is a witchy, celestial aesthetic born of the many fantasy/gothic movies and shows from the ‘90s, like Practical Magic, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Charmed. Think ethereal velvet and lace dresses in deep jewel and earthy tones.
Y
No one did Y2k better than Clueless.getty
Y2K Aesthetic
Year of origin: 2020
Description: This microtrend is a distilled version of those popular in the late ‘90s and early 2000s. It’s become a sort of retro futuristic amalgamation of low slung jeans, flash “going out tops,” and baguette bags.
You Might Also Like
4 Investment-Worthy Skincare Finds From Sephora
The 17 Best Retinol Creams Worth Adding to Your Skin Care Routine
