If you’re looking for new ways to style and romanticize your life this year, let us introduce you to the cute and girly fashion aesthetic taking over our outfits mood board: coquette core! This aesthetic is all about embracing your feminine side with frilly bows, flirty florals, and plenty of pink. And yes, it’s seriously trending right now.
While the coquette aesthetic isn’t anything new (Lana Del Rey has been rocking the style for years!), it has made a recent mark on the fashion world — and we can’t get enough. So much more than a fun fashion trend, coquette core is a timeless aesthetic with certain styles and outfit silhouettes dating all the way back to the Regency era. Marie Antoinette, we’re looking at you!
So if you love all things girly and romantic, we’ve created this complete fashion style guide to help you channel the coquette aesthetic in 2024 — plus a few of our favorite outfits to use as inspo. Let’s get into it!
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Full FAQ Guide – Everything You Need to Know About the Coquette Aesthetic
Before we jump into our favorite coquette outfits, let’s break down everything you need to know about the coquette aesthetic and what makes it such a dreamy style. We’re talking about the meaning behind this aesthetic, who it’s best for, and the must-have fashion essentials to help you incorporate coquette core into your style. Bring on the bows and lace!
What is the coquette aesthetic?
The coquette aesthetic is a fashion trend that celebrates all things romantic, girly, and hyper-feminine style — think: ribbons, bows, frills, lace, and florals. It takes inspiration from vintage styles, such as the Regency and Victorian eras (hello, Bridgerton!), as well as classic girlhood obsessions, like ballet and princesses.
While the word “coquette” means “a woman who tries without sincere affection to gain the attention and admiration of men” — aka, a flirty woman — this aesthetic is more about channeling your feminine side than anything else. Like the other viral girlcore trends (girl dinner! girl math!), the coquette aesthetic is about reclaiming all the things that make girlhood so special….and looking super cute at the same time!
What We Love About the Coquette Aesthetic And Coquette Core Fashion (And Who This Style is Best For)
As hopeless romantics, we love how the coquette aesthetic channels flirty and feminine fashion vibes, but with a modern twist. There’s just something undeniably dreamy about lacy mini dresses, dainty floral prints, and allll the bow details. It makes us feel like we’re the main character in a period drama directed by Sofia Coppola — obsessed!
And with such a whimsical and playful style, coquette core fashion is perfect for anyone who wants to spark a little joy with their outfits. After all, why settle for muted color palettes and simple silhouettes when you could cover yourself in head-to-toe pastels, ruffles, and pearls?! It’s the perfect way to inject your daily life with a little extra beauty and take some time for self-care (in the form of accessorizing).
What aesthetics are similar to the coquette aesthetic?
Feminine and romantic, the coquette aesthetic is similar to some of the other ultra-girly fashion aesthetics that have gone viral in the past few years — including balletcore, regencycore, and cottagecore.
Similar to classic ballet outfits, most coquette fashion features soft details like pastel pink hues, sheer tights, and, of course, ballet flats. It combines this style with the vintage elegance of a regency-era look (floral prints, sultry corsets, pearl embellishments…we could go on!). Complete with the soft and whimsical vibes of the cottagecore aesthetic, coquette core style is the pinnacle of all things sweet and girly.
P.S. There’s also a sultry (or “dark”) side of coquette core that overlaps with aesthetics like dark academia and vampy styles. This dark coquette aesthetic swaps pretty pastel colors for black and red and is best paired with your favorite Lana Del Rey playlist!
What is the coquette aesthetic controversy, and does it really matter?
While coquette fashion has officially taken over our social media and style mood boards, there are a few issues that people have pointed out with the hyper-feminine aesthetic. Since it takes inspiration from classic girlhood styles, coquette core has been associated with the “Lolita” aesthetic (from the book Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov), which glorifies the sexualization of innocence and youth.
Other people have noted that the aesthetic seems geared toward skinny white women, leaving more diverse bodies and skin tones out of the conversation.
Ultimately, we believe that every fashion aesthetic only has as much power as we give it. The modern coquette aesthetic is more about reclaiming your girlhood than dressing for the male gaze, and it looks good on ALL types of people. And if you ask us, there’s nothing more empowering than embracing an aesthetic that makes you feel like your best authentic self — whether it’s marketed toward you or not.
Wardrobe Essentials You Need To Put Together a Coquette Aesthetic Outfit
Ready to embrace your coquette core era? The coquette aesthetic is all about soft pastel hues, dainty florals, and romantic details — and here are the wardrobe essentials you need to bring it to life!
- Bow details: When it comes to coquette outfits, there’s no such thing as too many bows — they add the cutest feminine fashion touch to anything, from your hair to your shoes to even your headphones! And since bows are one of the top fashion trends of the year (including in the bridal world!), they’re a great way to dip your toes into the coquette aesthetic before jumping all the way in.
- Pearl accessories: Another major fashion trend that doubles as coquette core? Pearls! We’ve been huge fans of pearlcore for years now — from pearl accessories to pearl wedding gowns. They’re a little bit vintage, a little bit whimsical, and the perfect finishing touch to all your coquette outfits.
- Cute tights: No, we’re not talking about the basic black tights you’ve had in your wardrobe for years now. To achieve the ultimate coquette style outfit, opt for cute tights with sheer lace fabrics, pastel hues, or flirty embellishments. This also applies to socks — the frillier the better!
- Floral patterns: There’s nothing more feminine and romantic than floral patterns, so obviously they’re a must-have style for the coquette aesthetic! Channel a secret garden with whimsical floral dresses, flower-patterned tops, and cute rosette details.
- Ballet flats: Ballet flats are in their comeback era, and we are HERE for it. They’re the perfect look for all your coquette outfits, with a nostalgic vibe and flirty style that we love. Plus they go with everything, from jeans to dresses!
Another must-have accessory for the coquette aesthetic? Cute nails! Get some inspo with our chic nail guides — perfect for pairing with all your coquette style outfits.
The Best Places to Shop For Coquette Aesthetic Outfit Pieces
If you’re ready to fill your wardrobe with coquette style outfits, here are the best places to start shopping!
16 Cute Coquette Outfits for an Iconic Fashion Look
Now that you’ve officially fallen in love with coquette core, let’s get into the outfits and fashion inspo! Below, we’ve rounded up the most dreamy and romantic outfits to help you incorporate the coquette aesthetic into your 2024 wardrobe. They feature everything you know and love about coquette core fashion: Bows! Lace! Pearls! Florals! All of the above!
So whether you’re looking for a full style refresh or just want to add a few coquette pieces to your collection, these outfits are the ultimate fashion inspo. Keep scrolling for our faves, and prepare for a complete coquette aesthetic makeover!
The coquette aesthetic is all about a cute and comfortable look — and we’ve rounded up the best comfy heels to complete all your coquette style outfits!
14: Cute Crochet Coquette Aesthetic Outfit
Introducing: another coquette two-piece outfit, but this time with a more casual vibe. We LOVE matching sets, especially for the coquette aesthetic — they’re cute, they’re easy to throw on, and they remind us of the outfits we wore as little girls. And this one is the perfect example!
With pink bow details and pretty scalloped trim, this top + skirt combo is the epitome of coquette core fashion. Plus, we love the homemade look of the crochet fabric….perfect for incorporating sweet cottagecore vibes into your coquette aesthetic.
P.S. If two-piece sets aren’t your style, this coquette outfit also comes in a gorgeous dress version!
Our Fave Fashion Guides, For Your Next Iconic Look
Calling all fashion girlies! Now that you’ve fallen in love with the coquette aesthetic, let’s dive into our other fashion and style guides to help you complete your 2024 wardrobe refresh.
Have a concert on your calendar? Bring the party with these cute concert outfits — including Insta-worthy outfits for every genre! And for more trendy outfit inspo, also check out our complete fall fashion guide, with a breakdown of all the top trends for the year.
Heading into summer instead? Dress to impress with these cute summer dresses in every style. Or, for the winter months, don’t miss these Christmas and NYE outfit guides.
And finally, complete any of these outfits with our top nail ideas — we’ve created guides for every style and season!
Are you planning on incorporating the coquette aesthetic into your style this year? What other aesthetics do you have on your fashion mood board? Let us know in the comments below!