Aranyaa Chowdhury

Coquettecore And The Female Gaze- A New Era Of Feminism And Fashion

As ribbons flutter down the runway and Naomi Osaka’s Nike X Ambush look for the US Open captivates the fashion world, it’s clear that coquettecore has evolved far beyond its TikTok roots. If not a movement, it’s certainly a community—a collective embracing of hyper-femininity that’s challenging the status quo of fashion and feminism alike.

In the past few years, we’ve seen a surge in hyper-feminine aesthetics like coquettecore and barbiecore, movements that defy patriarchal norms and reclaim the “girly” traits that were often dismissed or disparaged. Unlike the “power-dressing” optics that urged women to toughen up to be taken seriously, coquettecore leans unapologetically into its lace, bows, pastels, and all things pink. It’s a softer, yet powerful, form of hyper-femininity that many women once felt compelled to suppress in order to be heard and respected.

Mean Girls Poster | Paramount / Kobal / Shutterstock

Historically, the coquettecore aesthetic might have been criticised for its perceived fragility, or worse, dismissed as superficial. The assumption was clear: to embrace your looks, to revel in your femininity, was to be seen as less intelligent, less serious. Think of any classic teen movie where the “good girl” ditched her makeup and dresses in favour of tomboyish attire, ultimately winning the boy’s heart by not being “like the other girls.” It’s a narrative that subtly, yet effectively, taught us that to be strong was to reject hyper-femininity, but not so much that you ceased to be desirable.

But in 2024, this narrative is being thoroughly upended. Today’s embrace of hyper-femininity through coquettecore is nothing short of a long-overdue reclamation, a love letter to all women who were ever made to feel lesser for loving what they love. Prada’s recent Milan Fashion Week collection brilliantly encapsulates this shift. Bows, once symbols of youthful innocence, are now wielded as instruments of subversive femininity—whether fluttering on silk sheath dresses or adorning structured, ‘60s-style shifts trimmed in faux fur. Simone Rocha’s Fall/Winter 2024 collection, with its lace-up dresses in pastel hues and floral corsets, adds yet another layer of depth to coquettecore, showing the world that femininity can be both delicate and defiant.

But let’s not forget the playful side of coquettecore. Dressing up in this aesthetic is undeniably fun. Picture the innocence of Alice in Wonderland mingling with the playful charm of Bridgerton, all tied together with the subtle sophistication of a well-placed frill or bow. It’s a joyous take on femininity that refuses to be diminished by its softness. Instead, it uses that very softness to defy expectations and, indeed, to command a unique kind of authority—a strength that doesn’t come from mimicking masculinity, but from fully embracing the rich, vibrant spectrum of womanhood. Can femininity, in all its facets, be as formidable as it is delicate? The coquettecore girls say yes. Imagine lacing up ballet flats, donning a bow in your hair, and adding some layers with lace while Sabrina Carpenter croons in the background. It’s a sartorial farewell to the idea that femininity and feminism are mutually exclusive.

As we watch the evolution of coquettecore from TikTok trend to runway staple, we’re witnessing more than just a fashion statement. We’re seeing the rise of a new era in feminism, one that celebrates the full spectrum of femininity—from the sweet and soft to the bold and subversive. This is not just a trend; it’s a movement.