What is the Soft Girl Aesthetic?

The Soft Girl Aesthetic is yet another aesthetic that was popularized by TikTok. Some describe it as “the happy medium between VSCO and e-girls”, meaning they have the bright colors and bubbly personalities of VSCO girls while putting a little more effort into their outfits and makeup like e-girls. This aesthetic is based on the stereotypical look of the popular group in classic high school movies or the girl-next-door. Many who try the soft girl aesthetic get inspiration from characters such as Cher from Clueless, Rachel Green from Friends, and Regina George from Mean Girls. Something that these characters all have in common is the influence of the 1990s. The 90s influence is a large part of the soft girl aesthetic. Some staple items from the 90s in this look are mom jeans, platform or chunky sneakers, and layering t-shirts under dresses. The main thing that classifies an outfit as part of the soft girl aesthetic is the femininity of it. Usually, one would use stereotypically feminine colors such as purple and pink. In addition, soft girls tend to go for more fitted clothing and mini skirts than the baggy clothes we see in other aesthetics.

How to Achieve the Look:

Clothes - Some items you must have to achieve the soft girl aesthetic are pleated skirts, cardigans, and mom jeans. A huge aspect of this aesthetic is the monochromatic outfits, so if you ever have trouble putting together a soft girl inspired outfit, just pick a color and choose which pieces you want to pair together based on that one color. If you aren’t really into the monochromatic look, you can never go wrong with a plaid skirt and a white cardigan.

Accessories - When it comes to jewelry, you should aim to wear more dainty pieces. Layering necklaces creates a really nice look, but they shouldn’t be chains that are too big or chunky. You don’t want your jewelry to be a distraction from the outfit. There are many hair accessories that are used in the soft girl aesthetic. The most common one being hair clips, specifically butterfly hair clips. These clips come in many different colors, so usually one would try to match the clips to the color of their outfit to stick to the monochromatic aspect of the aesthetic. Headbands are also quite popular for the soft girl look. Like the hair clips, you should try to match it to the color of your outfit or the pattern on one of your clothing items.

Makeup - A makeup brand that has taken the soft girl world by storm is Glossier. Any of their products can be used to achieve a soft girl inspired look. The makeup for the soft girl aesthetic is very focused on blush and lipgloss. Those are the two main makeup products to use for this look. The rest of the makeup for this aesthetic is quite minimalistic, so it doesn’t matter what other products you choose to use.

Shoes - The best shoes to wear with a soft girl inspired outfit are chunky sneakers that contrast with the fitted and feminine aspect of the outfit. A few examples are platform Vans, Nike Air Force 1s or Nike Air Max 90s, but any shoe that is a little bulky will work.

Will You Try It?

These are just loose guidelines as to how to achieve the soft girl aesthetic, but by no means do you have to stick to just these items. This year is all about trying a bunch of different looks and mixing and matching what you like from each aesthetic.  I encourage you to be adventurous with your style and find out what you like!