What aesthetic movements from the internet can tell us about new beginnings in society?- Cottagecore analysis

PART 1: COTTAGE CORE AND THE HOPE OF RE-STARTING BASED ON THE PAST

By Maria Eduarda Ribeiro Cavalcanti

With the rising of social media and its popularity amongst young people, it's common to see cultural movements and aesthetics arising and becoming the trend of the moment. We had the "sad girls" movement in 2014/2016, based on Tumblr and heavily inspired by indie artists of that time such as Lana Del Rey, Arctic Monkeys, Melanie Martinez, Troye Silvan, and its style consisted of black skirts with knee socks for girls and shabby jackets for boys, besides the early use of cigarettes. Even older we had the emo movement, in the 2000s, with strange haircuts that covered the eyes, late conversations at MSN, and bands like Paramore and Bring Me The Horizon.

With TikTok and Pinterest, an even bigger diversity of trends came up, such as E-girls, soft boys, indie kids, and the list goes on. But with life in the pandemic times, 2 movements are highlighted: Cottagecore and Minimalist.

In case you are not aware, do not worry because I will bring you a little summary: Cottagecore it's a movement based on nature. If you search it up "#cottagecore" on TikTok or Instagram, you will find pictures of persons in cottages in the middle of nature, with flowy white dresses, making picnics, picking fruit, and baking.

The photos and pictures convey a sensation of tranquillity and are almost perfect as if all of those people had gotten out directly from some kind of period book. And they even act as if they lived in the past, preparing food in an old-fashioned way, wearing clothes from the past, and walking away from social media( but not that much, considering that they are avid users of social media that document a lot of their personal lives as cottagecore people).

But, in a deeper analysis, Cottagecore is a movement that arises at the end of 2019 and that gained popularity at the beginning of 2020, as a form of escapism, where the necessity of getting away from society. the focus on rural spaces, and the need for spiritual connection with nature, fits in perfectly with life at the pandemic, where we find ourselves in the middle of the end of life as we know it, the end of social life, agglomerations, and the culture of hustle life, with its fast pace and urban life, the concept of living in cities that never sleep.

It's not the first time that movements such as this are seen. We have Marie Antoinette in the 18th century, wearing simple clothes( called chemise à la reine) and building her own cottage in the middle of her castle right before the Revolution, this ideal of living has profoundly inspired by Rousseau's principles that defended the natural state of the human being, was far away from civilization and technology, on nature. In the 19th century, we had the transcendentalist movement, that searched this reconnection with nature at a time that the industrial revolution was booming. We also have the hippies, running away from the ascending globalization, the big cities, and American consumerism.

But more than the feeling of belonging, the cottagecore comes as a form of catharsis, of new starts, in the life of young people in the 21st century. The pandemic made us slow down all of our plans and natural place, and offered us a chance to realize how fragile life is, how meaningless are our plans, and how hustle culture does nothing for us, only burns us out. 

It's easy to feel discouraged by these affirmations. As a way of cure and escapism, nature is the answer to some. In such uncertain times, in nature, we find a refuge, a comfort based on the past, a guarantee. Nature has always been there, survived all of this time, and saw the history of the planet. By finding comfort and connection to our origins, we feel secure.

And not only rest can be found on cottagecore, but we can also perceive the movement as an ode to the carefree life, as mentioned before. The fast-paced of our lives in the urban scenario, the pressure from school and work, and our own family, make young people feel a necessity to stop and remember what matters and what it's worth living for, a slower life based on the little pleasures. Cottagecore it's a species of detox from social life, and makes us question " Wouldn't all be a little happier if we had more free time?", cottagecore it's the young people's answer to a collapsing society.

A small aesthetic movement from TikTok offers a wide range of comfort and a sense of belonging, a chance to begin again in a society fragile by the pandemic. The question that remains it's: with the end of the pandemic( in some countries) will the importance of cottagecore and nature in our life, still, exist? Will the impact be the same? After all, our world it's an urbanized one, and it's unreal that a big part of the population may live permanently in the rural scenario. So, what will come next? 

The answer's in the minimalist movement.

Part 2 of the series available here