What’s your aesthetic?

Aryaki Joon recently got her friends to throw her a Cottagecore party for her 19th birthday

In the '90s, teenagers were either indie (kurta-clad, jhola-carrying), nerds (science streamers), rockers (only black allowed) or jocks (basketball players). These days, with many spending their time online, the vocabulary to describe their "identities" and "fashion choices" has evolved. It's is now called "aesthetic", which a YouTube blog post titled, The Rise of Aesthetics, defines as a "thematic expression of visual and musical tastes as a representation of self".

Today's youngsters, especially the ones on Instagram and YouTube, are following aesthetics like Cottagecore (popularised by Taylor Swift), Dark Academia (2021 version of book lovers and nerds), and Y2k (inspired by the colours and style of 1995 to 2004).

Neshka Savera, 15, says aesthetics makes her regular life more interesting, for her YouTube followers

Aryaki Joon, who is studying at the Srishti Manipal Institute of Art, Design and Technology in Bengaluru, had her friends throw her a Cottagecore party for her 19th birthday. "We had it in a garden, like the Europeans, and I dressed in a flowy dress," says Joon, who has around 17k followers on YouTube and 100k followers on Instagram. "Everyone wants to belong," adds Joon, of what drew her to Cottagecore. The aesthetic became popular after Taylor Swift released her album Folklore last year. Cottagecore is all about yearning for a pastoral life, which is comfortable, and closer-to-nature.

Amanda Brennan, a social media strategist, who is known as the "librarian of the Internet," saw "the antecedents of the Cottagecore aesthetic as early as 2014". "But it wasn't until 2020 that Cottagecore really took off, with 50 million views on YouTube," Brennan was reported as saying.

Singer-songwriter Natania Lalwani, who lives in LA and is a Taylor fan, explains the lure of Cottagecore: "Folklore was released at a time when we were all at home, and in quarantine. Everyone was looking for that cozy, cottage sweater vibe that feels fuzzy, comfortable and warm inside. I think it reminds us of things like baking, being one with nature and just the simplicity of life, but at the same time escaping into your fantasy world."

Sanjana Cherukupalli, 19, found that the aesthetic Dark Academia made her more comfortable about her fashion choices

For Joon, trying different aesthetics every day is what gives her the thrills. "I hate labels. So, I want to be everything, and everyone, at once. The different aesthetics let me do different things according to my mood. Some days I feel happy, so I wear bright colours like Y2K. On other days, I may be feeling studious, so Dark Academia is the way to go."

Pune-based Neshka Savera, who follows Joon, and has her own YouTube channel, says that for her, aesthetics is a way to show her life to people in a way that they will enjoy it. "I do everything like a normal 15-year-old, but aesthetics like Y2K and Dark Academia, make me more interesting."

Savera also offers YouTube tutorials to help her followers ace the look. Even her room changes according to her aesthetic - sometimes there are more books around, like in Dark Academia, especially when she is preparing for her exams. According to a New York Times report, Dark Academia is a sub-culture with "heavy emphasis on writing, learning and reading". Some of the articles of clothing most associated with the aesthetic are cardigans, blazers, dress shirts, plaid skirts, Oxford shoes, and clothing made of tweed.

If Joon and Savera are seeing aesthetics as a way of expressing their moods and style, Hyderabad-based architecture student Sanjana Cherukupalli sees it as a "respectful" way of describing a teenager. "Instead of saying ‘she is a nerd', we can say ‘she is into Dark Academia'," suggests the 19-year-old. For Chrukupalli, it means she likes to read classics, loves visiting museums, and enjoys drinking tea. "I can relate to this aesthetic more than others, as most are very American. Dark academia is more diverse - you have Indian Dark Academia, Pakistani Dark Academia, and Turkish as well."

Natania Lalwani and Rahul Da Cunha

Sunday mid-day columnist Rahul da Cunha, the man behind the legendary Amul ads, says that during his college days in the '80s, identity was mostly about being anti-establishment. "We were inspired by the Beatles - kurtas, jeans, beads. It was pre-fashion and pre-MTV, so we carved our own niche," he says. Da Cunha feels that since the onset of social media, and trolling, teens prefer following existing trends, in order fit in. "Carving your identity has become harder now. We went against the herd - we stood out by being different. Teens today merge in. All these social media platforms which promote ‘trends' are hurting identity," he feels.

As Cherukupalli says, "Before I found aesthetics, I used to think twice about the way I dressed. I didn't know if I looked good. Now, I know, if it's the Dark Academia, it must be good. I am not unsure anymore. I have accepted myself."