Social media and modern slang and ponytails and braids and pretty much everything now has all been taken over by a small accessory—the bow.
Specifically, these bows are a major symbol of the new trend of the coquette style. For something to be “coquette,” it must take on a soft, cute look. This is marked by the use of pastel pinks and off-whites. Much of this aesthetic also includes a more youthful look, with the acceptance of the color pink and the proliferation of bows.
Coquette fashion includes lace pieces, cozy sweaters, skirts, and dresses. Mainly, the focus is on hyper-feminization, which is why the bow accessory has become one of the most prominent focal points of coquette wear.
The coquette trend originated from the rise in popularity of Lana Del Rey, especially the revival of her 2012 album Born To Die. Del Rey’s music reflects an adoption of hyper-feminine romanticization of being in love. This ties directly to the original meaning of “coquette”—a French noun used to describe a woman who flirts. With Lana Del Rey’s songs having this focus on having a lover, coquette became a fitting word to describe the related trend.
However, it is important to note that the coquette aesthetic of a light-colored palette is different from the Lana Del Rey aesthetic of a dark-colored palette. This is because the coquette we know is much more light-hearted. While Del Rey employed darker themes of obsessive love, the new version of the coquette culture is more focused on beauty and love in a way that revolves around the idea rather than hard attachment. Thus, the romantic theme of girly hearts and flowers have turned out to appear more youthful.
And more than that, many variations of the coquette aesthetic have sprouted. They tape into different color palettes, but one thing remains the same—the distinct feminine style that makes up a key aspect of coquette.
But more than that, it is the comments and compliments that follow, pointing out the appreciation and prevalence of the coquette style.
Another aspect of the coquette trend that has deviated from its origins is its creative usage. Now, not only are bows used to decorate bags and folders they are used to romanticize anything as adding bows to difficult tasks, physics homework for example, to divert the focus from its difficulty to the transition to it now being coquette. This also reveals a new attitude that has been marked by the young generation: overlooking the bad for the silly and humorous instead.
But one unintended effect of the rise of coquette fashion has been the rise of a shared commonality among femmes. Girls are wearing bows in their hair left and right. But more than that, it is the comments and compliments that follow, pointing out the appreciation and prevalence of the coquette style.
Coquette may be another come-and-go trend with its own unique fashion and mindset influences it brings to popularity, but it has shown that it has become more than that with the way it has continued to evolve and its continued presence as a subtle addition to one’s style.
