25 Types of Aesthetics: Your Guide to 2022 Trends | Redbubble Life

Can you believe how many different types of aesthetics exist? If you only know about a handful, you might be surprised to find that this list of the top 25 types of aesthetics is only a tiny smattering of what exists in the world.

Keep reading to immerse yourself in some of the most popular trends of 2022 so you can create outfits that best express who you are.

1. Soft Girl Aesthetic

If you’re going for a cutesy, sensitive look, a soft girl aesthetic might just be your vibe. This feminine style has some Kawaii-Chibi feels, yet it’s softer (hence the soft girl name). It can also be dressed up for a more sensual yet innocent look.

Date of Origin: Late 2010s
Main Fashion Items: oversized sweaters, hair clips, heart patterns, cozy clothes, teddy bears, pinafores and jumpers, fuzzy scrunchies, white sneakers
Color Palette: anything pastel — think fluffy clouds, rosy pink cheeks, and dainty florals
Personality Traits: drawing, reading, baking bread, staying up listening to music, chatting with friends.

2. Grunge Aesthetic

Hello, ‘80s! The Grunge aesthetic has been around for a minute — showcasing the rebels, the misfits, and the music. You could say grunge is making a comeback, but really, it never left—the quintessential aesthetic for an anticonsumerist, counterculture movement.

Date of Origin: 1980s
Main Fashion Items: oversized T-shirts, plaid flannels tied at the waist, ripped jeans, combat boots, bell bottoms
Color Palette: plaid, denim, earth tones, pale colors
Personality Traits: thrift store shopping, making garage band music, having heated conversations about capitalism and society, chilling out with friends, breaking curfew.

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3. Cottagecore Aesthetic

Step into a magical forest full of nymphs, waterfalls, stone cottages, and a peaceful life. Cottagecore is perfect for those floating in the clouds — or in the English countryside — who want to embody the romanticism of a slower, more natural way of life with a shabby chic style.

Date of Origin: 2010s
Main Fashion Items: flowing dresses, gingham aprons, overalls, lace, embroidered flowers, simple jewelry.
Color Palette: Nature-inspired colors like browns, greens, faded florals, dusty rose.
Personality Traits: Frolicking through the flowers, baking bread, knitting sweaters, planting a garden, journaling, slow living

4. Baddie Aesthetic

A Baddie Aesthetic is very done up, with thick eye-liner, current trends in style, makeup, and glam. Someone like Kylie Jenner likely comes to mind when you think of a Baddie. Many beauty gurus on Instagram and other social media adopt a Baddie aesthetic.

Date of Origin: 2010s
Main Fashion Items: bodysuits, crop tops, camo pants, name brand hoodies, hoop earrings, high-waisted hot pants
Color Palette: red, neutrals, black, beige, metallics
Personality Traits: heavily made-up, trendy, confident, spending time to look glamorous, shopping, posing for social media

5. Hygge Aesthetic

The centuries-old Norweigan word Hygge relates to comfort, self-care, gratitude, and self-care. The hygge aesthetic is all about wrapping up in your favorite sweater, lighting a few candles, and snuggling down to read a good book.

Date of Origin: Unknown
Main Fashion Items: Cozy sweaters, wool socks, warm headwraps
Color Palette: Earth tones like brown, maroon, forest green, navy blue, beige
Personality Traits: indulgent, enjoys all things relaxation, bubble baths, crackling fire, drinking hot cider, connection, cozy fall

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6. Art Hoe Aesthetic

Perhaps you did a double-take on the term Art Hoe (Is this about gardening or art?). Well, it’s a little of both. The Art Hoe Aesthetic is centered around celebrating art, nature, plants, bees, and all things 90s vibes.

Date of Origin: 1990s – 2010
Main Fashion Items: painted overalls, graphic T’s, mom jeans, colorful hair clips, basically anything 90s fashion.
Color Palette: mustard, checkered, blue jeans, primary colors
Personality Traits: quirky, diverse, nature lovers, appreciative of high art, sensitive to current events,

7. Indie Aesthetic

Individuality and independence are the names of the game for this freedom-loving aesthetic. While many aesthetics have evolved over the years, the Indie aesthetic has some of grunge, vintage, and normcore vibes.

Date of Origin: 2000s
Main Fashion Items: Band T-shirts, Chucks, beanies, jeans, natural or no makeup, loose hair, flannel
Color Palette: moody neutrals, soft blue, green, red, black
Personality Traits: individualistic, likes to make music with friends, movie buff, taking Polaroid pictures, discussing philosophy

8. Skater Girl Aesthetic

The skater girl aesthetic branched off the grunge aesthetic in the 1980s and 1990s. But it’s also a subgenre of the skater aesthetic, which has been around since the 1940s — so you decide! Skater girls definitely have a punk vibe mixed with the 1990s. Feel free to make it your own.

Date of Origin: 1990s
Main Fashion Items: baggy shirts, baggy pants, hoodies, flat-bottomed shoes (for skating), tank tops
Color Palette: Typically darker colors like browns, blacks, greens, but also free to wear whatever color suits their mood
Personality Traits: loves to skate, talk smack to friends, eat delicious takeout, road trips, listen to live music, personalize their skateboards with stickers

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9. Dark Academia Aesthetic

Dark Academia has surfaced in different formats over the decades, but most recently has seen a revival based on a love for poetry, literature, and movies like Dead Poets Society. Book lovers will enjoy the Dark Academia Aesthetic.

Date of Origin: 2010s-2020s
Main Fashion Items: 1940s prep school vibes, sweaters, tweed jackets, layered outfits, trousers, soft knits
Color Palette: Earth tones and neutrals, like muted blacks, browns, and tans
Personality Traits: curiosity, discussing philosophy, semi-frequent existential crises, getting nerdy with pop culture in the movie, book, and art genres.

10. Light Academia Aesthetic

Visually, the light academia aesthetic is the yin to dark academia’s yang. Rather than focusing on things like literary tragedy and oppression, light academia focuses more on positivity and happy endings. Literary nerds have a home within the dark and light academia aesthetic.

Date of Origin: 2010s
Main Fashion Items: turtle necks, blazers, gold jewelry, tweed skirts, Doc Martens, berets.
Color Palette: soft neutrals, plaid
Personality Traits: painting, daydreaming, reading and discussing books, visiting art galleries, picking flowers, playing board games

11. Vintage Aesthetic

Anything before 2000 is considered vintage (the horror!), so the vintage aesthetic can have all kinds of looks. It really depends on what style you’re going for. Some might hit up grunge looks while others lean into some cottagecore or hippie vibes.

Date of Origin: 1890s – 2000s
Main Fashion Items: depends on the decade – typically vintage finds, mix-matched outfits
Color Palette: anything from old blue jeans to gold jewelry to band T’s from the 70s to grandma’s lace
Personality Traits: enjoys thrift store shopping, listening to old records, journaling, watching pop culture films, creating art

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12. Minimalist Aesthetic

Simple, modern, clean are some of the traits of a minimalist aesthetic. This style ranges from art to the home to how someone dresses. Those who are minimalist prefer less clutter and unnecessary additions to fashion.

Date of Origin: 1960s
Main Fashion Items: white or gray T-shirts, blazers, black pants, button-up shirts
Color Palette: muted tones in black, gray, beige, and simple patterns
Personality Traits: clean freaks, constantly downsizing possessions, attending abstract art shows, organizing closets

13. E-girl Aesthetic

The e-girl aesthetic, a.k.a. the electronic girl, is typically popular among girls and women but is open to any gender. This aesthetic teeters the line between nerdy and sexy, with a dark edge to things — with a little bit of emo thrown in there.

Date of Origin: early to mid-2010s
Main Fashion Items: anime makeup, pigtails, cosplay costumes, lingerie, plaid schoolgirl skirts
Color Palette: black, pink, bright colors, pastels
Personality Traits: watches anime, enjoys Japanese culture, is quirky, dresses up in cosplay, gaming, and Youtubers

14. Normcore Aesthetic

The normcore aesthetic is for the humblest of humans who want to blend into the crowd. This aesthetic is more of a viewpoint but contributes to a look that is average and “normal.” If you like the styles found in Seinfeld, normcore is the vibe for you.

Date of Origin: 2000s
Main Fashion Items: plain T’s, baseball caps, sneakers, and “box store” style clothing
Color Palette: any colors are welcome here
Personality Traits: like the simple things in life, don’t want to stand out in a crowd, reject beliefs about fashion, shops at Costco

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15. Kawaii Aesthetic

You’ll be squealing from the eternal cuteness that is the Kawaii aesthetic. For those who want adorable facial features on all of their belongings, including fuzzy kitty purses, a Kawaii collection is for you. You can even find Kawaii coloring pages for adults and kids.

Date of Origin: 1970s
Main Fashion Items: “cute” clothing, childlike wardrobe, pigtails, and fluffy stuffed animals
Color Palette: pastels, soft pinks, baby blues, and light purples
Personality Traits: positive, happy-go-lucky, kind, enjoy taking cute selfies, jumping up and down with friends

16. 80s Aesthetic

As you can guess, the 80s aesthetic started in the 80s. Remember those old Richard Simmons workout videos? Brightly colored leggings, leotards, and headbands were the way to go. Say hello to big hair with this style vibe.

Date of Origin: 1980s
Main Fashion Items: leotard, color-block jackets, scrunched up socks with black or white shoes, harem pants
Color Palette: anything bold and bright and funky
Personality Traits: attending aerobics classes, getting a perm, dancing the night away, hanging out with friends in popular public spots

17. Goth Aesthetic

Bring out the black eyeliner and the punk rock music for the goth aesthetic. Many people refer back to their “goth” period in life, and perhaps you’re still living in it. This dark, mysterious, and subtly playful aesthetic is a favorite of many.

Date of Origin: 1979
Main Fashion Items: dark clothing, dark lipstick, black hair, chokers, thrifted clothing, and handmade jewelry
Color Palette: black and other dark colors, although there are subgenres wearing pastels
Personality Traits: deeply into music culture, attending underground concerts, open-minded, and enjoy philosophical discussions

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18. Y2K Aesthetic

The 90s aesthetic, also known as Y2K or kaybug, is popular because it’s a time that many of us grew up in. The Y2K aesthetic is futuristic, featuring all things shiny, modern, and hopeful for a new millennium.

Date of Origin: 1990s
Main Fashion Items: tight pants, all things silver, original Nokia phones, and clamshell flip phones
Color Palette: silver, bright and vivid colors
Personality Traits: rocking out to a boy band, starting a website, dancing at raves, dreaming about what the future will look like

19. Streetwear Aesthetic

Streetwear aesthetic is a casual style birthed from skater and California surfer cultures. Throw in elements of Japanese culture, hip hop, and punk, and you’ve got your streetwear under control.

Date of Origin: 1990s
Main Fashion Items: sweatpants, oversized brand name T-shirts, flat-bottomed shoes, fanny packs, and puffy coats
Color Palette: neutrals like gray, beige, and black, with pops of vibrant colors thrown in
Personality Traits: surfing on the weekend, skating on a weekday, spending time putting outfits together, and movement arts

20. Pastel Aesthetic

How do you get pastel colors? By mixing a lot of white with most shades of any other color. Pastel aesthetic is just as it sounds, a vibe that goes for the softness of pastels, creating a calm and dreamy appearance. It’s also closely associated with a lot of romantic aesthetics.

Date of Origin: Unknown
Main Fashion Items: cute dresses, jackets, soft knits, handbags
Color Palette: all pastel colors, typically blues, pinks, and purples
Personality Traits: creating dreamy mood boards, posting inspiring quotes on social media, snuggling up with cute stuffed animals

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21. VSCO Girl Aesthetic

The VSCO girl aesthetic is still a popular trend, especially in places like California and other heavily populated areas. Think Jeeps, Polaroid cameras, and a blend of 90s friendship bracelets meets outdoors meets name brands.

Date of Origin: 2010s
Main Fashion Items: name brand products, chapstick, scrunchies, socks with birks, oversized basic tees, and butterfly hair clips
Color Palette: a broad color palette with pastels, checkered, pastels, and neutrals like denim and beige
Personality Traits: taking pictures at sunset, getting Starbucks with besties, covering all belongings with Redbubble stickers.

22. Femboy Aesthetic

Where are all the femboy aesthetic lovers at? This fun and empowering aesthetic is gender fluid, where a person can embrace their masculinity while also dressing in feminine clothing.

Date of Origin: 1990s
Main Fashion Items: dresses, skirts, thigh highs, and any other feminine-presenting accessories
Color Palette: pastels, black, white, and pink
Personality Traits: playing dress-up, following makeup tutorials, reading books, having philosophical discussions, open-minded

23. Kidcore Aesthetic

While kidcore aesthetic is inspired by the 1980s and ‘90s, it became an aesthetic in the 2010s when people started reliving their childhood through fashion and lifestyle choices. Kidcore is perfect for those looking for more play and color in their lives.

Date of Origin: 2010s
Main Fashion Items: light-up shoes, denim overalls, puffy sleeves, striped socks, high tops
Color Palette: bright primary colors, rainbows, neon, pastel colors
Personality Traits: putting on temporary tattoos, watching old Nickelodeon cartoons, reminiscing, reading beloved children’s books

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24. Hippie Aesthetic

The peace-loving hippie aesthetic has been around for quite some time. Derived from the word hipster, this counterculture youth movement was focused on nature, music, and building a community centered around love.

Date of Origin: Mid ‘60s
Main Fashion Items: long flowing skirts, tank tops, floppy hats, sandals, suede vests, fringe
Color Palette: all the colors of the rainbow, tie-dye, and denim
Personality Traits: eating a vegetarian diet, playing music around a fire, going al natural, gardening, doing yoga, having philosophical discussions

25. Boho Aesthetic

Drawing from hippie influences, the boho aesthetic is all about rich textures, threadbare fabrics, and other aspects of a free-spirited vibe. A Bohemian flair hit its peak in popularity in 2005 but has been around for much longer.

Date of Origin: Late 1960s, and possibly mid-late 19th century
Main Fashion Items: long flowing skirts and dresses, loose, long hair, chunky jewelry, crop tops
Color Palette: neutrals, beige, copper, maroon, and other vibrant yet earthy colors
Personality Traits: watering house plants, playing music, picnics on the beach, painting, going on road trips, crafting with friends

It’s exciting that you can showcase who you want to be in this moment, whether you embody the cottagecore aesthetic or fall cozy or Y2K no matter what type of aesthetic you embody. This list of some of the most popular aesthetics is inspiring and nostalgia-inducing. Find all kinds of inspo on finding more love for yourself, and don’t be afraid to make a splash with your style.

Header Image: White, Lime Green, Teal, & Yellow Floral/Botanical Pattern designed by somecallmebeth