tumblr aesthetics from the 2010s 🤓💻🎀

[Music] tumblr aesthetics and trends from the early 2010s if you've been watching this channel for a while then you know that i have thoughts on fashion from the early to mid 2010s we were recovering from the economic recession of the past decade and as a result of necessary frugality fast fashion brands were on the rise which not only accelerated the standard trend cycle but left style in the early half of the decade looking cheap and confused in the 2010s the internet was flourishing and as a result new fashion subcultures and unique aesthetics were beginning to pop up more and more often there were a wide range of sites from instagram to pinterest that people would use to keep up to date with the latest fashion trends but there's no denying that there was nothing as influential to the era and its style as tumblr.com founded in february of 2007 the site was described as a place quote where your interests connect you with people like any new website it took time for the platform to grow and find a following but by the 2010s it had successfully taken off and was a full-fledged social network tumblr's rise in popularity is often directly attributed to the decline of myspace which had lost its once committed user base because of unwanted changes to the platform oh the irony in the 2010s tumblr took over as a social media platform of choice for tweens and teens and was described as an amalgamation of other popular sites like twitter youtube pinterest instagram and wordpress the site allowed individuals to tailor the experience to themselves and connect with other like-minded folks and as tumblr grew communities began to form with users breaking off into their own groups on the platform based on shared interests the largest community on the site revolved around fashion and within that sphere there were dozens of smaller groups that began to develop their own aesthetics and style philosophies in today's video we're going to be looking at 10 different tumblr aesthetics from the early to mid 2010s how they came to be their defining features and whether or not they'll ever make a comeback obviously it would be impossible to cover each and every aesthetic that existed during tumblr's heyday so we're only going to be focusing on the ones that made the biggest impact on the website or actually managed to influence mainstream fashion and trends and keep in mind we're going to be looking at aesthetics that were specifically popular on tumblr so if you weren't active on the site there's a chance that some of these will be unfamiliar to you anyway let's get into it before we get into specifics about individual aesthetics let's first take a look at a few items and trends that were popular in general around this time period and were widely considered wardrobe staples for many of the aesthetics we'll be talking about today if you've watched my other videos on 2010's fashion then most of you will already know what to expect so just think of this as a refresher course skater skirts conservatively and modestly dressing grew in popularity during the early 2010s in stark opposition to the skin-bearing look that prevailed over the early 2000s the influence that past fashion trends had on the era is one of the biggest reasons for the return of the skater skirt both the silhouette and name of the item were inspired by figure skating ensembles from the 1980s which in turn were inspired by 1950s poodle skirts the high-waisted circle skirt first rose in popularity in 2012 after being heavily featured on the runways and by 2014 they were impossible to miss while their hold over fashion during the 2010s was undeniable they've since fallen out of fashion due to how oversaturated they became during their heyday but it wouldn't be surprising if they made a reappearance whenever the next 80s inspired fashion era arrives pleated skirts pleated skirts have managed to stand the test of time with varying silhouettes becoming popular in different eras on one side of the spectrum we saw longer pleated skirts made of chiffon or other lightweight fabrics rise in popularity in the 2010s largely due to business casual styles becoming overwhelmingly popular on the other side of the spectrum short high-waisted skirts with stiff pleats were also popular as a result of the mid 90s comeback with items like the american apparel tennis skirt becoming cult favorites while you could find these stiffer skirts in plaid prints and ode to a classic schoolgirl look in the vein of clueless empire records and the craft pleated skirts were far more popular in solid colors that allowed versatility and re-wearability something that had become a necessity due to the economic climate during this era the tennis skirt was also seen as the unofficial uniform for female k-pop groups who were beginning to receive far more attention from western audiences due to the rise of social media and various groups incorporated tennis skirts into their looks although pleated skirts fell in popularity around the late 2010s this was rather short-lived and we're already seeing them make a comeback now in 2021 high-low skirts also known as the waterfall or the mullet skirt this asymmetric trend was seen as the perfect solution to the mini or maxi conundrum by allowing the wearer to show off their legs while still covering up their behind while it started as a simple summer trend it eventually evolved to become a staple of the era and soon enough high low silhouettes were inescapable pencil skirts named for its slim silhouette pencil skirts have almost always been in style largely due to their association with women's workwear so it makes sense that in a fashion era that loved business casual they would be considered a closet staple crop tops similar to other trends of the 2010s crop tops rose in popularity due to the influence of the 1980s and 1990s had on fashion of the decade crop top's hold on the 2010s could also be attributed to the rise of high rise because if you didn't want to tuck in your shirt your only other alternative was to wear a shorter one muscle tees the baggier top alternative muscle tees had a fairly short-lived reign over 2010's fashion but that doesn't mean their impact wasn't noticeable cool tank top whoa cool wrong word for it what it's called a muscle t because of the large armholes you'd often have to wear them over bralettes or bustiers to prevent any unwanted flashing you'll probably remember them as staples in more alternative styles but they were also considered simple diy projects at the time peter pan callers with business casual and retro fashion becoming prominent in the 2010s the return of the peter pan caller was hardly surprising falling in and out of style since the early 1900s the peter pan caller found a new life in the 2010s thanks to fashion icons of the time like zoe deschanel and alexa chung who wore them out and about and on magazine covers the caller eventually reached a point of popularity that peter pan necklaces became a trend themselves and almost everyone looked like they were cosplaying as wednesday adams stripes with simplicity back in style came the reign of stripes it's a pretty simple concept but boy oh boy did we go crazy in execution studs jackets shoes bracelets dresses you name it anything and everything could be spiked or studded the motif had long been associated with alternative fashion as seen with 2000s emo 90s grunge and 80s punk but in the 2010s studs were for everyone acid wash the 80s were back and that's really all you need to know about that statement necklaces with much of our clothing taking on a more simplistic and subdued look we needed to bring back the glam somewhere with the way current jewelry trends are headed i'm really concerned that this is going to make a comeback chokers taking inspiration from the 90s chokers were all over the place during the mid-2010s and were without a doubt one of the most oversaturated trends around while the grunge-inspired chokers of the time have somewhat fallen out of favor there's no denying that they'll make a comeback after all chokers have been around for hundreds of years at this point thick framed glasses now before people come for me i literally wear thick framed glasses in order to see but during the 2010s they were considered an actual fashion statement with people specifically hipsters not only wearing fake glasses but including the motif and other aspects of their clothing never forget when people would pop out the lenses in 3d glasses and wear those around oh what a time try not the hipster look it's cool but also not hosiery again due to the rise of modestly dressing hosuri became a must-have accessory in the 2010s you'd see stockings in a wide range of colors with stars polka dots and even chevron print thigh-high socks were similarly popular during this time and eventually stalking companies began to incorporate the design directly into their hosiery with garter and mock thigh highs being worn by a wide range of celebrities whether you were going for more of a classic feminine look or something edgier and more punk rock there was definitely something for you and while leggings under skirts and shorts had seemingly fallen out of fashion these bizarre clip-on cutout garter leggings still managed to make waves on tumblr crazy colored lipstick nowadays subtler more natural makeup seems to be raining supreme but back in the 2010s everything was big and bold our brows our eyeliner and of course our lipstick i still need science to examine the impact that max ruby wu and heroine had on us as a society now that we've gone through the majority of major trends let's look at specific aesthetics make sure to comment down below which ones you remember and bonus points if you actually wore them blogger style with tumblr making it easier to organically create a large following online aspiring fashion bloggers were all over the site and were largely responsible for the popularization of this very specific 2010's aesthetic when someone talks about tumblr style in the 2010s this is probably what they're referring to and that's largely due to how every individual aspect of this aesthetic could be found in other ones the blogger style was the epitome of mainstream fashion as people thought they had to market themselves wearing the most recognized trends in order to gain the largest following the simplicity and commonality of this aesthetic also led to its other moniker the basic [ __ ] the predecessor to what one might now call chugi the quote-unquote basic [ __ ] was a slang term that rose in popularity in the early 2010s its creation is commonly credited to comedian little duvall in 2009 who used the term as part of his stand-up routine in the years that followed basic [ __ ] would appear in several rap songs and like a lot of african-american vernacular the term made waves on the internet and was eventually commandeered by white people who quickly began using it in excess you're basic while basics in fashion typically refer to versatile pieces that can be incorporated into your closet for years and years like a little black dress denim jacket or white t-shirt in the 2010s the word began to develop a negative connotation it implied that people who were basic were devoid of any personality or uniqueness choosing to only eat wear and enjoy things that were widely considered popular if you liked starbucks went to brunch listened to beyonce or wore leggings you were now a basic [ __ ] there's no debating that the term itself is incredibly sexist and derogatorily calling someone basic eventually became so commonplace that you could find it slapped onto any old coffee mug or sweater identifiable items that were a part of the blogger basic aesthetic were skater or high-low skirts denim or leather moto jackets bustiers florals chevron high-rise skinny jeans floppy hats peep-toe heels cardigans slogan tops statement necklaces and infinity scarves basically anything that bethany moda released in her aeropostale collection and we can't forget about the donut or sock bun which were as much a part of the aesthetic as anything else individually these items aren't necessarily offensive but combined it just looks a bit disjointed aside from online influencers female celebrities who were associated with this style at the time were lauren conrad ariana grande ashley benson and camila cabello since blogger's style was made up of so many pieces of mainstream fashion there's no denying that parts of it will inevitably make a comeback but the entire look as a whole i doubt it kawaii style this aesthetic had its roots in japanese lolita fashion hence its name kawaii a japanese word that roughly translates to cute the idea behind the kawaii aesthetic was to bring cuteness and youthfulness to one's life in a clear rebellion against the idea of growing up and becoming a sad jaded adult while the trend began as a reference to japanese sweet lolita fashion the kawaii aesthetic as we knew it on tumblr was modernized westernized and simplified in order to be easily consumed by the masses and quickly identified while scrolling through one's dash taking inspiration from east asian fashion trends in general you may have also seen the kawaii style tagged as ultang the korean phrase that roughly translates to best face whether or not something was kawaii could be easily determined by its color palette the aesthetic was almost exclusively limited to light pastels in feminine colors like pink mint blue purple and orange with white accents in line with its childish roots small animals and desserts were also popular motifs within the aesthetic and it wasn't uncommon to see shirts or dresses with pictures of cute cartoonified characters on them and not forgetting its lolita origins stockings lace ruffles collars and circle skirts were also a crucial part of the kawaii look overall it was quite similar to other styles that were prevalent on tumblr but by centering itself around childishness and asian fashion it was still able to stand on its own although it didn't necessarily make a huge impact on the fashion world as a whole hipster fashion in stark contrast to the supposed basic [ __ ] hipsters took pride in the fact that they were wholly unique and refused to bow down to mainstream expectations just be a hipster an individual we shop at thrift stores although initially intended to be a counterculture of sorts a way of rebelling against what was popular most individuals who identified as hipster ended up conforming to the popular style of the subculture like vintage clothing indie music and coffee all of which were enjoyed by the majority of the population hipster fashion for women could be easily confused with other aesthetics due to the overarching trends of the decade but what made the look somewhat individualistic were its somewhat retro influences apart from horn-rimmed glasses which were often mocked due to their association with the hipster aesthetic you'd also spot bold lipstick colored hair patterned scarves wacky sweaters plaid shirts beanies skinny jeans camo jackets suspenders and denim in general while the specific brand of hipster could vary depending on where you were the look was often associated with folks living in portland or brooklyn and had it come about in more recent times i don't doubt that the hipster would have become synonymous with gentrifier interestingly while hipster men and their extreme mustaches got to be in on the joke it was hipster women who were often treated with far more ridicule twee fashion within the hipster aesthetic there were further offshoots including the more hardcore rockabilly look but the one that was able to achieve mainstream success was the twee aesthetic taking notes from the british slang term which was defined as quote excessively dainty delicate cute or quaint the twee aesthetic had a comforting vintage feel that took inspiration from fashion trends of the 1970s and 1960s with an emphasis on femininity and whimsy you would often see a-line dresses knitted cardigans bowler hats blazers hair bows t-strap shoes stockings peter pan collars blouses and tailored shorts the whimsical nature of the twee aesthetic can be attributed to the time in general we were recovering from the hardships of the economic recession and as such we were on the hunt for fun and frivolousness you might notice something similar happening in fashion today in the aftermath of the pandemic cuteness was a large aspect of the twee look and kittens puppies and other woodland animal motifs would make their way onto sweaters necklaces and dresses however as if to contrast the childishness of these motifs the twee look also incorporated more dated conservative styles coming off as more mature and adult almost librarian-esque similar to how h m and forever 21 epitomized blogger style american retailer mod cloth was heavily associated with twee style due to their emphasis on vintage and retro fashion celebrities who wore twee styles included zoe deschanel taylor swift and on occasion alexa chung on tv you could spot twee fashion on rachel berry in glee or cassie in skins and films that somewhat epitomized the aesthetic as a whole were moonrise kingdom damsels in distress and 500 days of summer i retroactively think of the aesthetic as the manic pixie dream girl look the swag girl beginning as a movement within the rap and hip-hop community the short-lived swag era can largely be attributed to the budding young musicians of the time like new boys mac miller and tyga because of the newfound ability for up-and-coming artists to easily post music videos and photos of themselves swag fashion was born and immediately took off much like the music scene it stemmed from the swag look was a fascinating combination of late 2000s pop punk fashion combined with urban street wear from the 90s popular brands like obey vape and supreme reigned supreme during the time period and items of clothing that made up the aesthetic included high-top sneakers skinny jeans drop crotch pants denim vests snap back caps muscle tees sportswear and of course shutter shades although male musicians are often attributed to the start of the swag era women quickly adapted to its fashion with celebrities like zendaya rihanna and becky g being considered style icons within the community although the swag aesthetic was heavily influenced by black style and culture and in a sense was an ode to the ingenuity of the younger generation it would eventually go on to be commandeered by the likes of miley cyrus the kardashians and rita ora before eventually dying out entirely this wasn't a one-off case of appropriation however and we'd go on to see more of it in other 2010's aesthetics festival fashion music festivals have always had their own unique fashion associated with them just look at woodstock or burning man but with the rise of celebrity culture and social media in the 2010s music festivals evolved into an entirely different thing it was no longer all about the music but who you were with and what you were wearing from coachella to glastonbury to afropunk festival fashion was on the rise festival fashion could be seen as a direct offshoot of the boho chic trend which had rained over the 2000s thanks to celebs like sienna miller kate moss and rachel zoe during the 2010s the look was somewhat updated to include contemporary trends like high-rise denim shorts crop tops flower crowns booties fringe vests and floppy hats unfortunately it also resulted in a lot of cultural appropriation that included white festival guests wearing bindies cornrows indigenous headdresses and tribal print and of course since many of these people were celebrities and their outfits considered enviable and desirable the trickle-down effect resulted in this manner of appropriation becoming widely acceptable due to the marketability of coachella and other festivals like it celebrities swarmed to these events in droves sporting outlandish outfits that would fuel endless hashtag summerinspo to many music lovers this rise in popularity was seen as more of a negative than a positive these festivals had now become fashion shows even alexa chung who was often attributed with the early rise of festival fashion said quote it's a place where you used to be free to express yourself but because of social media now it's the one weekend where there's more pressure to get dressed festival should be a time to unwind and celebrate with your friends and have fun soft grunge the aesthetic i was most drawn to back in the day the soft grunge style first began taking off in 2012 before hitting its peak in 2014 much like the hipster aesthetic soft grunge portrayed itself as being unique although the style itself was fairly mainstream albeit with a few alternative touches that made it edgy the aesthetic was actually so popular that it was regularly spotted on celebrities with demi lovato miley cyrus taylor momsen and skye ferreira becoming certifiable fashion icons on tumblr staying true to its name the soft grunge aesthetic was exactly what it was described as a watered-down version of 90's grunge that included aspects of 2000's emo and 2010 simplicity similar to how those in the grunge scene in the 90s were all about underground artists soft grunge enthusiasts on tumblr would base their entire personalities around indie alternative rock bands like the neighborhood the 1975 arctic monkeys the rolling stones the ramones ac dc and nirvana this rock and roll influence was apparent in the soft grunge style philosophy and the majority of outfits included ripped shorts band tees doc martens chokers platform shoes camo jackets sheer stockings and muscle tees a big part of the appeal of the soft grunge aesthetic was how it branded itself it came off as somewhat effortless yet incredibly enviable and of course instagramable it was a special club you could only enter if you owned a pair of jeffrey campbell litas and an american apparel tennis skirt if i could define it any other way i'd call it the not like other girls trope as an aesthetic unlike other aesthetics of the 2010s that leaned into color the soft grunge look was primarily made up of whites blacks and the occasional red specifically maroon and even its details were distinctly harsh in comparison to some of the preppier aesthetics and leather studs and lace became popular motifs within the community because the 2010s were all about versatility the soft grunge look incorporated items that you could easily mix and match for an effortlessly edgy look and it wouldn't be all that uncommon to see someone wear the same thing repeatedly i still think that compared to other aesthetics from the 2010s this one manages to hold up the best in fact i'd still wear a lot of the outfits i've shown so far so it'll be interesting to see how the next generation reinterprets the style because it already took such heavy influence from 90s fashion i can't imagine there being much else to play around with pastel goth with the scene and emo trends of the late 2000s falling by the wayside we were just waiting for another edgy alternative fashion look to pop up then came the pastel goths alternative fashion has always thrived on social media just look at the e-girls of tik-tok and tumblr was no exception in comparison to the soft grunge aesthetic which took notes from fashions of the 90s pastel goth was all about marrying traditional punk elements of the 1980s with softer more youthful colors we saw in other 2010's trends the aesthetic as a whole was essentially a way of buying into teen angst while still coming across as cute and just as a note this is also the aesthetic that i attribute the rise of galaxy print to something i will never forgive it for similar to the kawaii aesthetic the pastel goth incorporated lighter colors into their wardrobe but stayed true to their alternative roots by including traditionally goth motifs like chokers platform shoes bold makeup and leather one of the must-haves of the aesthetic was colored hair whether it was your entire head or just dip dyed you'd commonly see baby pink mint green or lavender which were colors that were often incorporated into the pastel goth look while skeletons and skulls were popular imagery all over tumblr and in fashion in general it was especially prevalent within the pastel goth aesthetic as seen with these pants that were practically synonymous with the look i personally think that this particular aesthetic never fully went away it just got rebranded and turned into the e-girls of tick-tock who will inevitably turn into something else the california girl no not the katy perry song a precursor to the visco girl of the late 2010s the cali girl was easy and breezy epitomizing outdoorsy summer vibes and portraying a down-to-earth nonchalant quality she could surf and skate she spent all her time outdoors loved acai bowls and probably had a photographer as a boyfriend it was also known as the alexis ren effect while the basic uniform was a cropped t-shirt denim shorts and vans you'd also spot california girls in ruffled shorts bikinis spaghetti strap tops tie-dye and floral dresses while the soft grunge aesthetic was associated with american apparel the cali girl was all about brandy melville the italian brand was founded in the 80s and opened their first us location in 2009 where the business quickly found popularity with young teens who loved the malibu look the brand employed and by 2014 brandy melville was the number one fashion brand when it came to teen spending in the us the immense popularity of brandy melville within the aesthetic led to one of the biggest criticisms of the california girl since brandi employed a single size marketing strategy their clothing would obviously be exclusive to thin girls which pointed out a glaring problem that tumblr's fashion community had as a whole as you could probably tell even from this video there was a huge issue when it came to diversity and representation on tumblr with every single aesthetic pushing the narrative that skinny white women were the only ones who could be fashionable much like the brand it got so much of its inspiration from the california girl aesthetic refused to change with the times and before long it was irrelevant the art hoe one of the more contemporary styles we'll be discussing today this aesthetic was actually created in 2015 in response to the overwhelming whiteness that dominated tumblr we realized that the work of people of color has been institutionally excluded initially begun as an art movement that promoted work created by and for people of color the art hoe aesthetic was intended to be inclusive and empowering focusing on collapsing stereotypes and uplifting black latinx indigenous asian and other poc who were being silenced by the white majority online co-creator of the art home movement mars explained that its name which is sometimes criticized as being sexist is used to quote empower and uplift participants of color it's normally a derogatory way to refer to women especially black women as being promiscuous within the male gaze using the term in an arbitrary way diminishes its harmful origin in light of something better knowing a bit more about the aesthetics background its evolution in recent years is even more jarring as it's since been whitewashed and appropriated to the umpteenth degree with the majority of people who are considered icons for the aesthetic being white unlike some of the other aesthetics we've discussed artho style can be quite easily defined and continues to be popular today the vintage somewhat cozy style has become associated with several key items including fjallraven backpacks mom jeans pins graphic tees converse overalls doc martens hair clips and turtlenecks much like how many early tumblr styles shared trends with other aesthetics you'll note that some parts of the art hoe can be found in other modern day looks like the visco girl e-girl and soft girl now that we've looked at all these different tumblr aesthetics are there any that you're looking forward to seeing make a comeback i hope you enjoyed this video don't forget to like and subscribe and i'll see you soon bye you

Channel: ModernGurlz

Views: 373,955

Rating: 4.9476786 out of 5

Keywords: style, modern gurlz, 90s fashion, fashion, movie review, movie commentary, moderngurlz, review, movies, Film analysis, movie analysis, analysis, video essay, trivia, movie reviews, tv theory, cinema, television, entertainment, deep meaning, tv answers, disney, glenn close, ranking, ranking movies, costume design, fashion analysis, style analysis, tumblr, tumblr style, tumblr fashion, 2010s style, 2010s fashion, hipster fashion, soft grunge, tumblr aesthetic, miley cyrus

Id: N1VZIx77akE

Length: 29min 15sec (1755 seconds)

Published: Tue Jun 22 2021