We are living through a time defined by new subcultures trending every week. The newest one gaining traction is Shōjo. This subculture has existed in North America since the late 90s, but it has had a recent resurgence on Tiktok where girls post Shōjo outfits, recommendations, and images.
But what exactly is Shōjo? Urban Dictionary defines “shoujo” as “Anime or Manga meant to break your heart, filled with love triangles, betrayals, and darkness”. Shōjos are primarily aimed at a young female audience and this form of media first made its mark in the early 1950s. The book said to have started it all was “Ribon no Kishi”, or Princess Knight, which focused on a girl named Sapphire accidentally raised as prince. Early Mangas often featured lively female protagonists. In the following decades, themes such as romance, ballet, and fashion emerged as well. In the 50s and 60s, the theme of romance was not synonymous with Shōjo because it was a taboo topic. But, it eventually became a more mainstream subject and become more integrated into Shōjo media as well.
Fashion would also become an integral part of these Mangas. There were even promotional campaigns that offered clothes worn by the main characters as prizes. Many Shōjo Mangas also featured characters working in the fashion industry or studying fashion.
The currently trending Shōjo core, or Shōjo fashion, draws inspiration from both anime and manga. The characteristic aspects of this style typically include long flowy tops that can be layered under a sweater or cardigan with pink and white as the primary colors, bottoms are often jeans with a boot cut or wide leg or skirts of varying length. We often see these elements worn with platform shoes or knee-high boots and many accessories, including leg warmers, hats, and more.
Outside of fashion, there is also an aspect of this aesthetic that romanticizes everyday life. Now, what do I mean by romanticizing life? This refers to the act of appreciating aspects of life, including things that may feel mundane, like waking up for an 8AM class or studying for a midterm. If this style or form of media sounds appealing to you, it could be worth your while to explore Shōjo or Shōjo core!