The Coquette Aesthetic, Explained

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The coquette aesthetic = girlhood in the form of clothes.

With trends, cores, and aesthetics seemingly developing out of thin air on the daily and taking over our feeds in what feels like the blink of an eye, it's almost impossible to keep track of what's what. So, what exactly is the coquette aesthetic and how does it fit into the world of fashion today? And how do you know when you've achieved the look? Coquette aesthetic is, to me, the ultimate embrace of femininity. Coquette is lace, embroidery, whites, pinks, ruffles, and puffy sleeves. It’s everything cutesy and dainty. It’s girlhood in the form of clothing. It's a reclamation of femininity, womanhood, and girlhood despite those things being seen as weak—the ultimate power move.

The coquette aesthetic pulls ultra feminine details from a number of historical periods: the Rococo era, Victorian era, and arguably the ‘60s. With the help of stylists Liz Teich and Kara Erwin, we’re here to provide you a cut and dry definition of the coquette aesthetic, details on how to achieve the look, and celebrity references to inspire your next dainty and demure look.

Meet The Experts

Liz Teich, also known as @thenewyorkstylist, has been a commercial and editorial stylist for over 15 years. She has worked with Marie Claire, The Dapifer, Eileen Fisher, Clinique, and many more. She also offers virtual shopping and closet refresh services.
Kara Erwin is a New York City-based stylist who specializes in creative, editorial, and commercial work. Her work appears in Elle Slovenia, Grazia, DSCENE Magazine, and more.

What Is The Coquette Aesthetic?

"The Virgin Suicides"

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According to Liz Teich, "this trend embodies an ultra-feminine aesthetic. Think bows, ribbons, pearls, lacy details, and soft colors like pastels. Baby pink, sky blue, and other pastel colors were trending quite a bit from the runways for Fall/Winter and are trickling into mainstream fashion now."

Kara Erwin describes the coquette aesthetic as a form of self-expression and reclamation. "The coquette aesthetic is a visual language of softness, self-awareness, and power. On the surface, it’s romantic and ultra-feminine- bows, lace, pastels but beneath that is a quiet rebellion," she said. "It’s a reclaiming of femininity as strength rather than a fragility. In a world that often rewards hardness and productivity, the coquette aesthetic becomes almost spiritual, a devotion to beauty, softness, and self-expression as forms of resistance and self-love."

What Is The History Of The Coquette Aesthetic?

"Marie Antoinette"

IMDB

"Gen Z has popularized trend recently but the term Coquette dates back to the 1600s in the Rococo era, the Victorian era popularized it once again, then again in the 1950s-60s, and in recent history, from 2006 bringing us Sofia Coppola’s eye candy film, Marie Antoinette and into the 2010s, especially with the Japanese Lolita craze," Teich said. "This re-emerged in 2023 with beauty trends coming from Simone Rocha putting bows under the eyes of their models on the runway almost like they were crying out for this quiet maximalist trend. Then again on the 2024 runways with Prada’s bows and Mary Janes."

"Think Marie Antoinette — powdered wigs, delicate detailing of clothing, use of lace, florals," Erwin shared. "This also inspired many artists and writers around this time as these women were educated, powerful, and influential. A woman who is both an admiration but a creator of who she wants to embody.The modern coquette draws from the inspiration of this era and because of all of the culture of making Tumblr/Pinterest boards, there is an easier access to this aesthetic that sparks artistic reference and shapes style."

How Does The Aesthetic Show Up In Modern Style?

"In today’s culture, coquette style feels like a merging of inner world and outer expression. It’s the embodiment of softness as strength," Erwin said. "Tulle and lace worn with confidence, pearls layered over tattoos, baby pink paired with black leather. Marrying that along with social media, the look has grown into a movement where women show that they dress with intention, mixing beauty, softness and a little rebellion as a form of self expression."

What Are The Key Aspects Of The Look?

According to Erwin, these are the key aspects of the coquette aesthetic:

Feminine detailing: bows, lace, ribbons, pearls, and romantic textures.
Intentional softness: Fabrics that move, colors that soothe—symbols of emotional freedom.
Contrast and duality: The delicate and the daring; innocence and power side by side.
The feminine archetype reborn: Channeling Venus, Aphrodite, and the divine muse energy.
Mood as message: Dressing becomes a ritual, and energetic statement of who you are and what you embody.

How Would You Advise People To Wear The Trend?

"Emma"

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"You don’t have to go hyper feminine like we’ve seen in the past. This season we are seeing more of the girlish details in richer colors like dark cherry and even black (like the viral Zara satin lace trim slip layered over jeans was that was everywhere over fashion week street style in September for instance)," Teich said. "This almost costume-like style has evolved to “messy coquette” style this season. We are moving away from clean girl aesthetic and gender norm perfection, and incorporating more 90s and Y2K nostalgic styles into this look."

What Pieces/Accessories Should People Add To Their Wardrobe To Achieve The Style?

"But I'm A Cheerleader"

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Teich suggests silk, lace, chiffon, and pearls as great places to start if you're trying to achieve the coquette aesthetic. "I’m personally not into the coquette style as we had seen in the last couple of years, but I’m very much for adding the feminine details into one’s wardrobe this season and have been advising clients to look for materials and trim to add some of this personality."

For Erwin, these are the coquette essentials: pastel colors, mini or midi skirts with soft movement, sheer or ruffled blouses, corsets or bustier tops, ballet flats or mary janes, hair bows or ribbons, and dainty jewelry (pearls, lockets, etc.). "Especially finding a mix of vintage and new pieces could really add the energy of bringing this past cultural moment into the current," Erwin concluded.