Balletcore, coastal grandmother, and coquettecore, meet “vanilla girl,” the winter-weather, Hailey Bieber–esque, soft-life, romantic look that’s been making the rounds on TikTok lately as 2023’s inaugural aesthetic. Necessary components include white bows, cream cardigans, luxurious candles and a 10-step self-indulgent skincare routine that would make any celebrity aesthetician jealous. In a nutshell, the trend is just cozy, warm, winter whites.
Following in the footsteps of the “clean girl” aesthetic trend, the newer, softer version dubbed vanilla girl promises a quiet life in the country, high-thread-count duvets, and cozy Ugg boots. After a year of cycling through TikTok aesthetics for my job, vanilla girl has to be the easiest-to-replicate of the 30+ trends I’ve seen over the last year.
Vanilla girl is a complicated thought to me: On one hand, the trending aesthetic seems simple and fun—just throw on a cream-colored cardigan and put bows in your hair. On the other hand, though, it’s important to acknowledge how the TikTok algorithm promotes certain vanilla-girl videos over others—ones often centering thinner, white women rather than plus-size creators or creators of color. Thankfully, there’s a large and dedicated audience of cool, authentic people owning the trend and making it their own, a necessary step toward radical inclusivity that’s just now taking stride across social media. It’s about time!
Below, shop all the cozy and cute vanilla-girl essentials you need to take you through the rest of winter.
Next, 30 Fashion, Beauty, and Wellness Items One Editor Deems Worthy of Purchasing
