The virtual fashion scene has been split in half: one side features slicked back ponytails, loose linen pants and oversized blazers whilst on the other’s, essentials are mismatched patterns, unusual silhouettes and clashing colours. The battle of the ‘clean girl’ versus the ‘weird girl’ has spread across social media. However, with more and more celebrities leaning towards the ‘weird girl’ vibe, this rising aesthetic may soon dominate the fashion world.
So, what exactly is the ‘weird girl’ aesthetic? The ‘weird girl’ aesthetic is a melting pot for many of the trends which have dominated the last 10 years, whilst also paying homage to the Harajuku style which ruled the early 2000s. The aesthetic is maximalism to the max and is infused with Y2K elements and influences. To sum the aesthetic up in one sentence, nothing matches but everything works. The ‘weird girl’ uniform includes leg warmers, chunky necklaces, statement earrings paired with a maxi skirt, a baby tee and some form of hair accessory. This aesthetic truly rejects the phrase “less is more” and instead decides that absolutely nothing is too much. The ‘weird girl’ aesthetic involves a carefully curated outfit that appears to be both casually thrown together and mismatched on purpose.
One of the driving forces behind the aesthetic is model Iris Law. Law is frequently seen sporting ties, bold prints and a bleached blonde buzz cut on her Instagram, to her current 657,000 followers. The model, deemed an ‘It-Girl’ by V Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar and Grazia, has helped catapult this quirky style through her frequent use of social media. Bella Hadid is yet another model who adopts this eccentric aesthetic with many of her street style outfits perfectly encapsulating it. Devon Lee Carlson, Enya Umanzor and Lindsay Vrckovnik are other influencers to which many fashion lovers are turning for inspiration.
This trend has burst onto the scene in the past year. Many influencers who previously dressed in a minimalist manner have succumbed to the ‘weird girl’ trend and are now donning mismatched patterns and daring colour combinations. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what shifted within the fashion world – have people found their true style post-pandemic or is the aesthetic just another fleeting trend which we will look back on with regret?
The ‘weird girl’ aesthetic has no rules or boundaries: it pushes people to be their true selves and wear whatever they want. However, one could question the authenticity of these fashion choices as the inspiration for many of their outfits is clear. The reversion back to maximalism is understandable with many fashion trends operating on a 20 year cyclical time frame. Harajuku street style from the early 2000s is indistinguishable from the outfits seen on the followers of the ‘weird girl’ trend. The influence is apparent.
Heaven by Marc Jacobs helped bring this trend to the luxury fashion market. Set up in 2020, the collection caters to Gen-Z buyers with eclectic and eccentric taste. Maxi skirts screen printed with the face of Kirsten Dunst, camouflage dresses with frilled collars and mesh tops with the phrase “I want to be a stray rat” on the front are some of Heaven’s iconic pieces and are no longer as outrageous as they may have once seemed.
Whether you like it or not, the ‘weird girl’ aesthetic is here to stay. With some of the biggest names in fashion following the aesthetic, it has slowly but surely found its way into the mainstream fashion world. Only time will tell if it is the latest internet micro-trend or if the aesthetic will become a constant in many people’s lives.
