Can a Sustainable Baddie Have an Aesthetic?
By: Guest Contributor Roberta Fabbrocino
This article was contributed by a member of our beloved Sustainable Baddie community. Sustainable Baddie exists in part to share perspectives outside of our own and to present a rich array of diverse voices. The opinions presented are those of the guest contributor and do not necessarily reflect or represent Sustainable Baddie’s voice, tone, and point of view.
Dopamine dressing, Coquette, Clowncore, Mermaidcore, Dark Academia, Y2K; the list of aesthetics that have floated around the internet in the past few years is endless— just like the number of their devotees and detractors. But can something born and bred in the land of Shein mega-hauls and SponCon that is the Internet have a place in the life of a sustainable baddie?
Materialism is actually… good
First thing first: what even is an aesthetic? Finding a comprehensive, universally agreed-upon definition for such a widespread phenomenon can be tricky. Just a few years ago, you would have had to skim an art history syllabus to see this word. Now, it's all over TikTok, but with brand-new meaning and appeal. It's just the kind of thing you recognize when you see it.
The visual aspect is perhaps the most distinctive part of an aesthetic’. While some aesthetics may also have a lifestyle component, their look is what makes them recognizable. You might not know what your average Clowncore person does in their free time, but you can tell they’re into the aesthetic just by looking at their IG feed.
So, if aesthetics require surrounding yourself with material objects (clothes, accessories, interior décor, etc.) that have a specific look, does it mean that aesthetics must then go hand-in-hand with overconsumption and throwaway culture?
Internet aesthetics have been heavily associated with microtrends and, consequently, the acceleration of the trend cycle and overconsumption. While it's good to see and recognize which phenomena can feed into consumerism, by the same token, we should perhaps question why we sometimes lean toward labeling something primarily women and femmes engage with and enjoy as inevitably destructive, with no nuance in sight. After all, fashion trends associated with women have been the butt of the joke for the longest time, as all the satirical 19th-century fashion prints can testify.
People have been similarly enjoying fashion trends for almost two hundred years. Trends and aesthetics reflect the norms of a time period, offering us a distinct view of the circumstances, economic conditions, and even beauty standards of a given era. In addition to self-expression, aesthetics can provide a sense of community and closeness that many of us have been left craving by two years of doom-scrolling, social distancing, and Zoom calls.
So maybe aesthetics can be a medium to learn to be a bit materialistic again, not in the retail therapy coping mechanism kind of way, but in an "I love and cherish the things I own because they bring me a ton of joy" kind of way.
Enjoying aesthetics, the susty way
While some might go the fast fashion route to achieve the aesthetic look they like, there are other ways to go about it. As with many things in life, susty living included, having an aesthetic isn't a one-size-fits-all kind of thing, as counterintuitive as it might sound. On the contrary, it can be an occasion to explore your individual style sustainably and fall in love once again with clothes you already own. Use the clothes and accessories already in your closet or even pieces borrowed or handed down by your friends and relatives to create outfits that match an aesthetic you like. After all, nothing says “dark academia” like your grandma's vintage turtleneck!
Even when shopping for brand-new pieces, you can find clothes and accessories that match a specific aesthetic from sustainable and ethical brands. Contrary to popular belief, these companies don't make just unflattering, plain garments; each has its signature style, and you can find plenty of unique, contemporary designs.
On this topic, having an aesthetic can even make you a more careful shopper, as it can help you better understand what matches your personal style and what doesn't and even prompt you to get more creative with styling your pieces or picking up sewing, upcycling, or knitting to personalize your clothes further and make your wardrobe feel more like you. And once you have created the perfect outfits for your aesthetic or aesthetics of choice, wouldn't you want to sport them all the time?
What do you think? Can sustainable baddies have an aesthetic?
Roberta Fabbrocino is a journalist who covers culture and the environment. Her work has been published by several international publications such as Lampoon Magazine, LifeGate, SUSTAIN, and Luxiders Magazine. Find her on Instagram @naturallybree.