Where Has the Clean Girl Gone?
The ‘Clean Girl’ aesthetic has ruled makeup and style trends for the past three years, but now it seems her reign is coming to an end.
Slick back buns, neutral sets, light makeup looks and many, many claw clips. These are the hallmarks of the Clean Girl Guidebook. Back in 2020, with the help of a worldwide pandemic and growing social platform TikTok, the Clean Girl aesthetic grew to unbridled popularity.
This is no ordinary fashion trend, it is an all-encompassing lifestyle.
From students to working women, elements from the Clean Girl movement can be found in almost any woman’s closet. Seeing as nothing good lasts forever, so-too must the era of the Clean Girl come to an end.
With every fashion trend the popularity of a piece will live and die. The Trend Life Cycle is what keeps the fashion industry moving, and due to social media trends live and die faster than ever, which makes the Clean Girl Aestetic’s lifespan all the more impressive.
One factor attributed to the Clean Girl’s decline in popularity, is the gradual rebound of the economy. Economic prosperity is a major factor to patterns in the fashion industry, since these conditions directly affect buying habits. Looking back on the 2008 recession, Normcore, which is a style focused on more unisex and plain, brandless clothing, emerged from the economic crash.
“I don’t like to be held back by what I am wearing – there is already so much in life to get on with.” Phoebe Philo, former creative director at Celine, spoke on the recession’s impact on her own fashion tastes with British Vogue.
If the Clean Girl is on her way out, then who, you may be wondering, will take her place? Well, the best way to predict the future is to look at the past.
Opting for neutrals that work for any occasion and timeless gold jewelry, the Clean Girl aesthetic allowed consumers to save money by investing in rewearable staples. In reflection of the economy’s recent upturn, consumers are bouncing back to louder aesthetics. Liberated pocketbooks are more willing to splurge on flashy colors and fabrics, despite the lack of versatility. For example, look at the upcoming “Mob Wife” trend, where ladies are flaunting large, luxurious furs and bold eye makeup.
What’s old is new again! A resurgence in the ‘90s cool girl, coined by the likes of Kate Moss and Pamela Anderson. With trademarks such as smokey makeup and metallic accents making a strong comeback within the past year.
The setting in which scouting took place was a dim, smoke filled, and by no surprise, incredibly loud sea of beautiful women and cigarette smoke; it took something to stand out of the backstage shadows. These instances of standing out is where true fashion began to bloom.
Some, like Blake Lively, joined this trend with such fervor that it almost felt like a rebellious rejection to the Clean Girl’s focus on quiet luxury. Where the Clean Girl trend loved replicable, polished outfits and accessories, new trends favor expression and individuality.
No longer do girls want to blend-in, but instead they want to see personality reflected in fashion. Trading out our neutrals and subdued silhouettes, we are welcoming bright colors, loud prints, and eclectic pieces into our closets. Be it through wardrobes inspired by Mob Wives, ‘90s bombshells, Barbie, or a blend of multiple trends there are plenty of different directions to which trendsetters are pivoting. Whatever direction people choose to take it, one thing is for certain: from now on, girls just want to have fun.
Written by
Molly Waters