Written for Influencer Intelligence
The average TikTok user is confronted daily with the latest niche look or vibe offering to categorise their visual identity. ‘Micro-trends’ and ‘Micro-aesthetics’ take subcultures to a new extreme, galvanising the popularity of fashion, beauty and lifestyle trends overnight. The difference being, they have a far shorter lifespan. Whilst some micro-trends catch on, others, pegged as the ‘next big thing’ disappear into oblivion within a few weeks.
2023 has seen a constant treadmill of micro-aesthetics and trends, from ‘Cold girl’ makeup to ‘Cottagecore’ home design, ‘Plazacore’ to ‘Vanilla girl’, most of which gather billions of hashtag uses and views on TikTok, spawning a far-reaching, if fleeting content trend. But do micro-aesthetics have any real impact in the real world?
Let’s take ‘tomato girl’ – a concept which has 26.7m views to date on the platform. A look which takes inspiration from Mediterranean Summer holidays, it encompasses juicy red tomatoes, linen dresses, green tile, red accessories, citrus fruit-prints, vintage heirlooms, barely-there makeup and the odd Aperol Spritz. Its palette is tomato-red, pale yellow, brown, white and hunter green. Think la dolce vita with a splash of The White Lotus’ Sicilian quiet luxury. Aside from publications such as Teen Vogue, Byrdie, WWD, The Guardian, Refinery29 and Vogue covering the apparent phenomenon of ‘Tomato girl Summer’, brands including Jo Malone reportedly scrambled to churn out tomato-scented candles, whilst M&S reactively launched a line of basket bags and espadrilles inspired by the aesthetic.
As far back as 2022, the ‘Coastal Grandmother’ TikTok fashion trend was taking off. With 558.1m views, the look is inspired by Nancy Meyers movies about an older woman who spends her days at the beach, dining on lobster rolls and white wine and reading a romantic novel. Her home is filled with seashells and her wardrobe is preppy, with white and blue accents.
The latest trend to have hit the scene in November, is that of the ‘Horse girl’. Perpetuated by the likes of Kendall Jenner and Bella Hadid, it encompasses all things equestrian, with a hint of girlhood escapism, nature and freedom. Trixie Mattel recently released an eyeshadow palette inspired by the trend, with shades called ‘Rodeo Queen’ and ‘Mane Character’, in a nod to its ascent. Whilst the Horse girl TikTok Style channel has 29.6m views, the hashtag #horsegirlenergy claims 26m views and #horsegirlvibe 1.2m. With luxury brands like Hermès and Ralph Lauren historically showcasing equestrian influences, and Stella McCartney’s 2023 F/W collection titled ‘Horse Power’, this is very likely to be a style touchpoint making its way to the high street for next season. If brands can incorporate this kind of imagery into their next shoot, campaign or product offering may gain an edge over their competitors.
Whilst some embrace these labels as organic trends that build community and niche appreciation, consumers would be forgiven for having the opinion that of the hundreds of active categories, some micro-aesthetics have been cooked up by brands to sell products. A concept that gains credence when considering the success of ‘Barbiecore’, which coincided nicely with the release of the blockbuster Barbie movie this Summer.
One of the largest and most successful micro-trends to take off, #Barbiecore (1.1bn views) birthed a resurgence of the hot pink aesthetic of years past, paying homage to the doll herself with maximalist pink colourways, hyper-feminine dresses, hair bows, high heels, glitter and glam. A lifestyle examined in serious news outlets such as Forbes, CNN and TIME Magazine, adopted by celebrities like Lizzo and Kim Kardashian and featuring on Valentino’s runway – Barbiecore demonstrated real staying power. Thanks to over 100 brand partnerships negotiated in conjunction with the Warner Bros release, this was a micro-trend that proved paying attention could undeniably bring in the big bucks.
Similarly, Hailey Bieber has leveraged her own micro-trend to sell units of her latest makeup collection. The model’s beauty brand, RHODE, jumped on the ‘Strawberry girl’ aesthetic (creamy rose and pink blushers, juicy stained lips and berry motifs), declaring ‘Strawberry girl Summer’ on her Instagram, before releasing a Strawberry Glaze peptide lip treatment.
It is no secret that joining in on trending conversations can reap benefits for brands and content creators when it comes to visibility, shareability and discoverability. What will be crucial is trying to identify the micro-trends that can actually impact buying patterns and preferences, as well as deciding which conversations are relevant to your target demographic and how they align with your brand.
Aside from sales and joining the conversation, keeping up to date with micro-aesthetics, as one would do reacting quickly to a circulating meme, for example, could help marketers become more relatable and friendly with customers and can ameliorate reputation and sentiment on the whole. Marketers can show they live in the same world as their consumers, forming a thread that unites them both in a common understanding. It is a great opportunity to show a bit of personality and move away from a purely corporate image.
With over 900 Gen-Z-coined labels (think ‘Goblincore’ and ‘E-girl’) circulating the social sphere, an entire Wikipedia page has been built to help navigate each aesthetic. According to the database: ‘There is currently no dictionary definition that captures the complexity of this phenomenon, which arose in the Internet youth.’ The sheer volume of trends and the pace at which they are born and put to bed means determining the best ones to harness can be a tall order. That being said, in a day and age when consumers can do more than replicate a trend, they can personify it, incorporating it into their identity – trend tracking is going to be an essential tool for any marketer or advertiser, and one that more than likely most influencers brands are working with will already be on top of.
Comments