The Coquette trend has taken over the start of 2024 fashion. All over social media there’s people wearing bows and using the word “coquette” to describe the new style. But, what does coquette mean? Coquette has its origins in the French language, derived from the word coq meaning “rooster,” plus the feminine ending -ette.
Oxford’s dictionary defines it as a person, usually a woman, who behaves in a way that is intended to be sexually attractive but is not very serious. Basically it’s used to describe a flirtatious woman that wants to capture the attention of someone else (usually a man).
This recent wave of hyperfemininity expressed with bows and pastel colors is not the first of its kind. This trend was also seen in the 2010s, particularly inspired by the aesthetic of the 2006 film Marie Antoinette and Lana del Rey’s 2012 album Born to Die.
Marie Antoinette gave a modern spin to the outfits they used in the movie. The wardrobe and overall look of the film was historically inaccurate, but it was these changes that made it an alluring watch.The ruffles and the pastel colors, especially the pinks like fuchsia, portrayed a more hyper feminine aesthetic that the audience loved.
Likewise, Lana del Rey’s Born to Die is heavily influenced by Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita, which narrates the pedophilic interactions between Humbert and 12-year-old Lolita (Dolores). In songs like “Lolita,” “Gods and Monsters,” and “This is What Makes Us Girls,” to mention a few, the inspiration she takes from Nabokov’s work is evident. There’s a recurring theme in her songs that revolves around being a young woman involved with an older man, a main topic that clearly refers to Lolita. Similarly, in another Del Rey song, “Off to the races,” the hook of the song is the opening line of the book:”Light of my life. Fire of my loins.” Some might even say that Lana del Rey glamorizes this in her song, “Every Man Gets His Wish,” with lyrics like “He loves my heart shaped sunglasses…”
Lana’s impact on the internet was felt immensely, particularly in sites like Tumblr during 2012 to 2014. Her allusion to the 20th century classic book in her work resonated with many people and it was then that this Lolita aesthetic, especially the one derived from the 1997 film adaptation, gained popularity. In the film, Lolita wears bows, and in certain scenes she’s seen using red lipstick and red heart shaped glasses. This look was named the “nymphet aesthetic,” as that’s how Humbert described Lolita in the novel.
Lana del Rey’s modern take of the aesthetic took over Tumblr. People reposting photos with bows, hyper feminine clothes, red lipstick, red heart shaped sunglasses, and Coca Cola bottles to resemble the “Americana” look could be seen everywhere.
Evidently, the Lolita inspired aesthetic has been a topic of controversy, just like the book, but for different reasons. The book clearly condemns pedophilia, but the style inspired by the different mediums can be interpreted differently.
The origins of the coquette aesthetic can be seen by some as sexualising and glamorizing infantilization.
However, the coquette trend that’s been surging since the end of 2023 and start of 2024 has presented itself a bit differently. This aesthetic has mainly been used to express femininity in people of all ages. Everyone from kids, teens, and adults are partaking in it. The use of bows in every color, but especially pastel pink, has been the major trend setter. One can assume that, alongside films like Barbie, the resurgence of hyper feminine culture has helped people feel more encouraged to express their femininity.
Once again, Lana del Rey partakes in the trend, this time for the Skims campaign. A few pictures of her wearing lingerie and bows were posted in the Skims Instagram account.
Even though bows are just an accessory without a deeper meaning, they’re usually solely used to express femininity. Nonetheless, some people may interpret that the coquette style is sexualizing infantilization when the partakers are actively trying to look younger and child-like. Like posing with a baby doll face while wearing lingerie, for example.
Coquette has taken over and we don’t know how long it will stay for. However, mindlessly partaking in a trend could do more harm than good. Looking deep into them can help prevent a misunderstanding, because while some only want to express their femininity freely, it might be misconstrued.