How To Copy Cottagecore Aesthetics & Outfits | The Fashion Journal

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Hey, pretty people!

The last couple of years have been full of new and interesting fashion trends. The majority of those were born directly on social medias like Instagram and Pinterest, of course.

This 2020 we saw the rise of Dark and Light Academia, which were the stars of chapters 2 and 3 of The Fashion Journal. This time around, however, we are going to talk about a completely different aesthetic.

For chapter 4, in fact, we are going to analyze a much brighter and more colorful trend; Cottagecore.

WHAT IS COTTAGECORE?

Cottagecore is one of the most recent addition to the fashion world, but it is quickly taking over. The interesting patterns and prints are more and more appealing for the younger audience. Moreover, the items are becoming cheaper and easier to find.

This trend’s backbone is Nature, and everything orbits around this theme. From the clothes to the colors, every single piece is supposed to remind you of Nature and offer you a more relaxed, easy and fun vibe.

In this fourth chapter we are not only going to analyze this trend’s general aesthetics, but also talk about the most popular pieces and colors; moreover, I will give you 10 different outfits to take inspiration from.

So, are you finally ready to find out how to copy Cottagecore aesthetics and outfits?

Let’s get started!

THE ITEMS

Just like we said when talking about Academia, fashion trends have a general abundance of clothing pieces to choose from. Cottagecore is no exception, that’s true, but has a few items that are considered more popular than others.

I would say that the stars of this trend are long skirts and dresses. The former ones are preferred long and flowy; with the latter ones, however, there is much more room to play.

While long, flowy, light dresses are the perfect embodiment of the Cottagecore style, there are also many other lengths and shoulder cuts you get to experiment with. Knee-length or just above seems to be a favorite of many people, and for the summer almost everybody seems to enjoy off-the-shoulder sleeves quite a bit.

SMALL DETAILS

One thing I deemed interesting about this whole ‘movement’ is how every little detail of the outfit seems to embrace the aesthetics, even socks.

In the previous chapters we analyzed more serious and stern styles, where the smallest details were somewhat overlooked and the colors were toned down and dull. This time around, however, a pair of bright socks with butterfly prints all over them will not raise eyebrows, but rather complement your outfit perfectly.

A detail you have most likely grasped by now is that Cottagecore is primarily a spring and summer fashion trend.

It is full of lighter colors and fabrics, with bright prints all over; the main focuses are skirts, shirts, dresses and cardigans, and that’s not exactly what you would go for to face a cold and harsh winter. To be honest, this is an easily fixable ‘issue’; simply go for thicker items that are still full of color and fun prints, and you should be good to go.

Something you will most likely enjoy about this trend is how varied and comfortable it is.

There is an exquisite variety of fabrics, prints, lengths and cuts that feels refreshing when compared to the Academia styles we discussed in chapters 2 and 3. Moreover, it can easily adapt to every season with just a couple of tricks.

When it comes to the comfortable element, we distance ourselves from Academia yet again.

If before there was a nice contrast between a fitted item and a baggier one, this time we almost always have outfits that look slightly looser. This doesn’t necessarily translate to wearing something oversized, but is a fairly important element of Cottagecore’s aesthetics.

THE OUTFITS

Since there are so many items to choose from when it comes to creating your Cottagecore outfit, this section is going to be fairly small.

Among the most popular pairings, we can find your old-fashioned sweater and skirt. This is not only a classic, but something that can go in every season. Another liked pairing is represented by a simple cardigan layered over a dress.

Like we said before, since there are so many items you can create a great amount of outfits. There aren’t any standard rules for this, which is why I encourage you to experiment as much as you can.

Something I didn’t quite expect out of this was to find so many similarities with Light Academia.

When you compare the two Academia styles, Dark and Light, you will find that the latter is a much more relaxed trend, with comfier and cozier clothes; in this sense, it kind of reminded me of Cottagecore.

THE COLORS

Just like we saw with Academia, the aesthetics of Cottagecore can be varied and customizable. Between these, we can definitely encounter two prominent ones; a lighter one and a darker one. However, I feel like this distinction is much more different than the one we encountered before.

In fact, while Dark and Light Academia were two sides of the same coin (although with a few differences that made them both unique), this darker Cottagecore theme isn’t as widely popular as its lighter version. I would almost define it as some sort of ‘subculture’, for lack of a better term.

The most prominent and used colors in Cottagecore are soft and muted, although still pretty light. This happens because there seems to be a great usage of colorful and elaborated prints. Those wouldn’t look too good on richer hues, and wouldn’t grab as much attention.

White and beige are definitely the most used shades, although we can find a bit of black from time to time. The fact that white plays such a big role in this trend also gives prints yet another opportunity to steal the scene and furtherly enrich the outfit.

Since we have skimmed over them basically ever since the very beginning of the chapter, let’s actually talk about the prints.

Like we have said before, they are the true star of this fashion style, and the variety offered in Cottagecore is quite amazing. Although they can get pretty soft and minimalistic at times, they almost always are fun, extra and colorful.

The most popular ones are, of course, Nature-related; that’s why you will see flowers and butterflies practically everywhere you look. However, that doesn’t mean you should stick to those only. In fact, other popular choices in Cottagecore are fruits, mushrooms and other similar choices.

10 KEY ITEMS & TIPS

Lastly, before we get down to the 10 items you should invest in to start building your Cottagecore wardrobe, let’s do a quick recap.

Cottagecore is a Nature-inspired trend that has white, beige and lighter colors as its most distinctive hues. It is perfect for Spring and Summer (and warmer months in general), and is full of comfy, soft and flowy pieces of clothing.

Dresses and longer skirts are well-liked clothes among this trend. However, pretty much every item you feel comfortable wearing can be part of your Cottagecore outfit.

10 KEY ITEMS

White short-sleeved t-shirt
White shirt
Light blue jeans
White cardigan
Jeans skirt
White sweater
A sweater in your favorite color
A printed t-shirt
White, flowy dress
A printed sweater

Now, this is by no means a mandatory list; in fact, I encourage you to experiment as much as you can with this trend. Go for items you like and believe you would wear often, and maybe step outside of your comfort zone.