Dear Coquette, I love you
The Oxford Dictionary defines coquette as "a woman who flirts." However, to become a part of the coquette aesthetic, you don’t have to pull out your best pick up lines. The aesthetic relies on typically girly styles, such as pearls and pinks, to romanticize femininity. If you’ve been seeing a rise of hyper-femininity, lace, frills, and Lana Del Rey quotes while scrolling on social media, congratulations, you have discovered the Coquette aesthetic.
Image Courtesy: Instagram
It is important to realize that the coquette aesthetic draws its inspiration from the Lolita fashion trend. Gen Z has taken the Lolita aesthetic and reshaped it into something that is more inclusive. The Lotilta fashion trend takes inspiration from Vladimir Nabokov’s acclaimed novel Lolita. Although the novel is loosely themed around concepts like pedophilia, it is still regarded as one of the most influential pieces of literature. Since the novel has been heavily criticized for its controversial characters and plot, the Lolita style has also faced its own scrutiny for fetishizing the youth, whiteness, and skinniness. But has the coquette style been able to escape the negative stereotypes and problematic culture that has clung to the Lolita aesthetic? Or has the coquette aesthetic created another unrealistic and unattainable beauty standard?
I argue that it hasn’t. The aesthetic is all about embracing romanticism and femininity, and the best part is that it is not exclusive to women. Where the Lolita aesthetic values womanhood and conventional attractiveness, the coquette aesthetic values a mindset and a material elegance. To be coquette is to indulge in beauty, from lace to flushed blush and flowers. Coquette embraces the notion of romanticizing life and emphasizes the idea of glamor. It is about being unapologetic in the power of femininity and embodying grace, which anyone can do, regardless of race, gender, or weight. You don’t have to be a woman to explore femininity or find solace in pastels.
An artist partly responsible for defining and popularizing the aesthetic is indie singer Lana Del Rey, formerly known as Lizzie Grant. Her rise to popularity began to grow in 2012, following the release of her album Born to Die, which aestheticized Americana and glamor. She found grace in mundane, and often ungraceful things, like gas stations, old men, motorcycles, depression, and drugs. Through melancholic songs and ballads, the singer romanticized day-to-day life, and popularized the coquette aesthetic.
Image Courtesy: Instagram
Although music isn’t inherently tied to physical objects, the singer's influence has gone all the way to material items, with many people referring to floral bedsheets and heart shaped sunglasses as “so Lana Del Rey.” The singer has been criticized for aestheticization of serious topics, like abusive relationships and alcoholism. But why?
A lot of people, including myself, can find comfort in being able to relate to her music, and the beauty she ties to otherwise beautiful things. Art and music are forms of expression, and her blunt honesty in her lyricism is inspiring and relatable to many people. Although it can be argued that she is romanticizing pain, I would say that she is merely describing it and expressing herself. Pain can be felt in a variety of ways, and shouldn’t be limited to being expressed bitterly. The criticism that comes along with her glamorized coquette aesthetic can be rooted in misogyny, if people are being critiqued for liking typically feminine things.
Finding empowerment in femininity, which is stereotypically seen as weak, inspires confidence. Try out a red lipstick or a string of pearls, listen to Born to Die, and walk around with the pride of femininity. The coquette aesthetic continues to grow as more people realize how powerful it can feel to tap into the divine feminine.
Strike Out,
Writer: Indigo Carter
Editors: Madison Sloan and Ainsley McCullen
Saint Augustine
