From Clean Girl to Cool Girl

Influencer and model-in-training, Ashtin Earle, is what the internet calls a cool girl. You know what I mean – the girl who goes slightly against the grain, wearing leather boots, with jet-black hair, winged eyeliner, and the perfect shade of cranberry-colored lipstick. She is the girl you would run into at a music festival dressed in an over-sized Arctic Monkeys tee, lacy bloomers, and Dr. Martens, while still looking stunning. She gives off an unbothered energy that is equally captivating and perplexing.

But, Ashtin Earle is not so unique anymore. It is finally cool to be different, and other celebrities are leaning into this aesthetic as well. Edgy, grungy, and Bohemian looks are all making a comeback in 2024, and we are so here for it. This year, on the red carpets of awards shows, we have seen how celebrities are adding their own unique spins on classic looks. Even Jeremy Allen White who is usually, without fail, in an incredibly sleek, classy, and traditional suit, dressed up his Calvin Klein suit at the Emmy Awards with some satin embellishments.

During the pandemic, we were all infected with the “clean girl” aesthetic, sporting our most trendy athleisure, flaunting our matching sets, and practically living in loungewear like it was our uniform. While athletic apparel brands like Lululemon and Alo Yoga loved the athleisure craze, SMU senior, Amanda Jaksick, had a different experience. 

“It made it easy. But, I feel like I forgot how to try with my outfits during Covid. I would just log onto my online class wearing a cute top and sweatpants underneath.”

Jaksick is not alone. We all experienced this. We all witnessed the loungewear epidemic. While it is certainly comfortable, it also hindered us from expressing ourselves with maximalist or customized looks. This season, it seems like we are ready to express ourselves again. There is a rise in individualism and the era of the clean girl is so out. We can all be cool girls now.

We are not just seeing this shift in fashion. It is a cultural shift that is becoming evident through all the ways we express ourselves, like art, literature, design, decor, and music. People are going to music festivals again, hence the countless festival edits coming out from so many of the online wholesalers. We are going to concerts again. We are going on dates again. This means we need new, cool, and cutting-edge outfits for our outings. Albeit the Bohemian trend is more retro than cutting-edge, we sure are bringing the “edge” back into mainstream fashion. 

Chico State junior, Emma Whitfield, gave me some interesting insight on how several girls at her school are staying on trend while still expressing their individuality through their looks.

“My favorite thrift store is right across the street from my apartment and it mainly sells antique jewelry. I like to buy pendants and match them to chains of different lengths based on my top. If I change my jewelry, it can make my entire outfit look different, which means infinite possibilities for styles.”

Some college students are thrifting to find unique pieces that add unique flair to their outfits. A great tip for leaning into this cool girl aesthetic, is to wear some basics that are on trend and then add at least one unique aspect to your outfit. This will help your outfit go from basic to IT Girl like Ashtin Earle, in seconds.

Robin Garvey is a frequent Free People shopper, and she is thrilled that her, as well as her daughters’ style is on trend. “It’s my favorite store because it reminds me of my favorite time, the ‘70s. And, the ‘70s are back!”

Now that the 70s are officially back, I can’t wait to buy even more leather belts and baggy jeans. I’ve already been stalking up on boots, platform shoes, and chunky jewelry. And, don’t even get me started on my leather jacket collection… because it’s huge, and would require an article all to itself for a proper haul.