PARIS, Dec 13 — Faced with the drop in temperatures in a large part of the Northern Hemisphere, trendsetters are rallying on social media. The goal? To set the tone of a seasonal wardrobe likely to combine style and comfort, all in perfect harmony with the winter weather. And so lands the ‘Vanilla Girl’ aesthetic, fulfilling the expectations of fashion lovers while also keeping us snug.
Ever more numerous — and fleeting — trends arising from TikTok keep coming thick and fast, always bringing something new. The pace is such that, rather than giving rise to full-blown fashion phenomena, they instead provide micro-inspirations that appeal to a wide range of people. So, after ‘normcore,’ ‘Plazacore‘ and ‘Barbiecore,’ make way for the ‘Vanilla Girl,’ the latest aesthetic that’s proving a viral hit on the Chinese social network. Between elegance and coziness, it translates into a perfect winter wardrobe to face the seasonal elements with style.
Creamy colours
There’s no denying that the ‘Vanilla Girl’ aesthetic already has a huge following on TikTok, with no less than 200 million views for the dedicated hashtags. According to data shared by the fashion retailer Pour Moi, Google searches for the term ‘Vanilla Girl’ have increased by 78 per cent in the last few months, all over the world. The key to the aesthetic is a refined, even minimalist wardrobe, in which two colours dominate: white and cream — neutrals evidently inspired by vanilla.
From coats to turtlenecks and chunky-knit sweaters, the entire winter wardrobe now comes exclusively in these two shades. But contrary to what you might think, this snug, cozy spirit is not just embodied in warm pieces. In fact, tank tops are also on the agenda, whether in cotton or knitted wool, and pajamas are not fluffy or flannel, but silk, if you please!
Soft, cozy materials
In addition to creamy colours, the ‘Vanilla Girl’ aesthetic embraces comforting materials such as wool, fleece and shearling. Still according to the fashion retailer, cream boots stand out as the most popular fashion item since the emergence of this trend, with Google searches up more than 500 per cent in the last three months, ahead of cream fleeces (+400 per cent), sheepskin boots (+235 per cent), cream coats (+235 per cent) and cream silk pajamas (+230 per cent).
Note that the trend is not limited to the frontiers of fashion, and is also making some forays into the beauty sector. This can be seen in vanilla-inspired hair colours, like the ‘Vanilla Almond Butter’ shade that was already buzzing in the spring, as well as beauty looks inspired by the cold weather, like ‘I’m Cold’ makeup, which has scored tens of millions of views on the Chinese social network. — ETX Studio
