During 2020, Cottagecore, which is an aesthetic that many find is comforting and beautiful, rose in popularity.

There is not one solid definition of cottagecore. According to thevou, “Cottagecore is an aesthetic and fashion style inspired by romanticized rural and farm lifestyles interpretations,” and according to Wikipedia, “Cottagecore is a fashion aesthetic popularized by teenagers and young adults celebrating an idealized rural life. It was developed throughout the 2010s and was first named cottagecore on Tumblr in 2018. The aesthetic centres on traditional rural clothing, interior design, and crafts such as foraging, baking, and pottery.”

In short, cottagecore is an aesthetic that centers around the “cottage” lifestyle. 

Variants of cottagecore have arisen throughout history, like 19th century people romanticizing the shepherd lifestyle. 

When one searches up “Cottagecore,” they are met with images of greenery with lots of flowers and pictures of women in flowy dresses. The dresses are often white or have pictures of flowers on them. Cottagecore aesthetics are like one of a romantic daydream, and are a form of escapism.

Cottagecore also romanticizes old times, specifically the parts of it that seem “simpler.” It isn’t uncommon to see a cottagecore dress that was inspired by historical styles of dress. Cottagecore is intertwined with vintage, and people who like to dress vintage usually like to dress cottagecore as well.

A clothing store called “cottagecorethings” features dresses that often have the vintage inspiration right in the name, for example “Bianca Edwardian Dress” and “Jo Dress” (referring to Jo March of the 1869 novel, Little Women). These dresses are bright, colorful and flowy. They are also very classy, and it is easy for one to imagine themselves in a meadow when wearing one of them.  

A popular cottagecore garment is the “strawberry dress.” According to PSYKE Fashion, “On the fashion front, cottagecore might’ve entered your radar ever since Lirika Matoshi’s Strawberry Dress (the most coveted dress of Summer 2020) began cropping up on TikTok or when the Hill House Home’s popular Nap Dress took over our Instagram feeds.” 

The article also explains why cottagecore took rise in 2020, “In many ways, cottagecore’s rise during 2020 and early 2021 was a counter-response to the increased time spent cooped up at home, staring at screens. People were able to escape into the nostalgic landscape of the aesthetic, which made for a great emotional payout during that time.” 

Cottagecore is still going strong, and many people are finding comfort in the style.