Before I can address if “that girl” is still a trend – who even is “that girl”? To every individual, she is different. To me, “that girl” is a successful, dedicated, secure, confident, and girlboss student. She is who I want to be. However, that is coming solely from me – a girl in college.
“That girl” for me is not “that girl” for everyone else. For most – “that girl” is a girl who journals, drinks green juice, wears gold jewelry, sports the “no-makeup” makeup look, does Pilates, eats salads everyday, and wears Hokas with a slicked-back ponytail. Yet, for a new mom, “that girl” might be a new mom influencer who shows the reality of motherhood along with the joys that it brings. She might recommend strollers, clothing brands, or books for kids. Or “that girl” could be a budding star in Hollywood who got her start on Tiktok with makeup tutorials. My point is that everyone has their own opinion of who “that girl” is to them.
The “that girl” trend began in June of 2021 on Tiktok and it quickly spread to Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube. The majority of content on these platforms were vlog-style videos showcasing their productivity, tidy spaces, and self-improvement. Most of this content was produced by women ranging from college-age to women in their 30s. These content creators are women who promote the aesthetic of healthy habits, self-help tips, and productivity inspiration. The goal of the clean aesthetic of content was to be aspirational and to inspire people to become their best selves in terms of mind, body, and spirit.
Visually, the aesthetic has a large resemblance of a spa. They both share the same images of face masks, spa water, meditation, etc. Most posts are in daily mundane locations like the gym, grocery stores, or parks. The posts are also “clean” and “minimalistic” with bright lights and mainly white backgrounds with little pops of color.
With all that being said, is “that girl” still a trend? Some might still follow the regimens from the “that girl” era – because the majority of them are beneficial habits for self-care. Regimens like journaling, drinking cucumber/lemon water, and daily walks. The initial goal of the trend was to inspire people to be the best, healthiest, and happiest versions of themselves. The “that girl” trend transitioned into the “vanilla girl aesthetic” with warmer scents and colors. Some still refer to the clean aesthetic as a “that girl” aesthetic but “that girl” aesthetic branched into “vanilla girl aesthetic”, “baddie aesthetic”, the “night luxe aesthetic”, etc.
Recently, this trend has gotten a lot of heat for being a part of the larger trend of toxic productivity and “hustle culture” (where people are expected to spend every moment of their lives bettering themselves to a manufactured and unrealistic standard instead of living an authentic life). Everyone has different productivity habits. The “that girl” trend tends to display waking up at five to seven a.m. in the morning, not checking their phone, journaling straight away, drinking a green juice, and listening to a podcast. In theory, that sounds amazing. But that is not feasible for everyone. A criticism against “that girl” content is that it promotes an unrealistic standard of productivity – framed in a way that makes it seem like it is the only productive routine. Therefore, many individuals who don’t fit into the aesthetic perfectly believe that they are failing at life. It doesn’t take into account that some people are night owls and are more productive at night, some people don’t like to journal, or even that some individuals have different schedules.
“You become “that girl” in your own way; how someone portrays becoming “that girl” will differ greatly from how anyone else portrays it.”
Even if you don’t fit the clean “that girl” aesthetic exactly – you are just as worthy and productive as everyone else. Everyone has their own regimens, routines, habits, and schedules. So, while I think that the “that girl” trend is encouraging and motivational – I think it could also create a false reality for what being productive really looks like. I say go at your own pace and live your life in the way that suits your lifestyle best.