The Grand Unified Theory of Aesthetic Vlogging
The Rise of Aesthetic Vlogging: A New Digital Landscape
At the onset of the pandemic, Rian Phin found herself recently furloughed from a demanding job and facing challenges with content creation. Living in a dimly lit Brooklyn townhome with multiple roommates, her circumstances contrasted sharply with the lifestyle she aspired to portray. A move to a spacious artist loft, bathed in natural light and boasting high ceilings, finally provided the ideal setting for crafting aesthetically driven lifestyle content.
Aesthetic Vlogging and the Infoglut
Phin, previously a well-known fashion blogger on Tumblr and currently maintaining a YouTube following exceeding 70,000, identifies as an aesthete. For her, and others in the field, aesthetic vlogging demonstrates a remarkable ability to process vast amounts of information and distill it into a cohesive “aesthetic.” Popular vlog formats include “Get Ready With Me,” “What I Eat in a Day,” “Room Tour,” “Morning Routine,” and variations like “My Quarantine Morning Routine.”
These vlogs, encompassing themes like van life, book reviews, studying, wellness, and fashion, center around aestheticization. This approach diverges from the overtly aspirational presentations favored by mainstream influencers, despite sharing similar strategies and objectives.
Personal Style and Marketability
Phin’s personal style, characterized by Ssense-sourced clothing and a preference for black, significantly differs from that of many aesthetic vloggers. She explained via email that while her sensibilities overlap with others in the space, she consciously avoids anything perceived as overly cute or girly, deeming it inherently “marketable” and “saleable.” She notes that such trends often inspire brands to develop products and advertising campaigns based on these video styles.
Prioritizing Aesthetics
While most individuals prioritize functionality when encountering information and images, aesthetic vloggers place primary importance on aesthetic value. They view and evaluate the internet primarily as an aesthetic object – assessing how pleasing, beautiful, or charming something appears.
Filling the Content Void
The era of extensive online customization, prevalent on platforms like Myspace and Tumblr, has passed. Aesthetes are now tasked with creatively addressing the content gap left by early 2000s fashion bloggers (Lookbook.nu, The Sartorialist, Style Bubble) and 2010s beauty gurus.
A Mutant Form of Content Creation
Accelerated trend cycles driven by fast fashion and online shopping have shifted the demands on fashion bloggers. No longer is it sufficient to simply document daily outfits or discuss makeup. Aesthetic vlogging has emerged as a hybrid form, incorporating elements from various online communities, including High Fashion Twitter, Etsy, and Depop.
Collaging New Aesthetics
The core concept involves assembling new aesthetics from existing sources, unified by distinct visual elements. These include colorful thumbnail fonts resembling mechanical pencil script, vibrant color palettes, and visually appealing garments and interiors.
Underlying Beliefs and Trends
Many aesthetic vloggers implicitly embrace the “French Girl coolness” myth and the self-optimization ideals of the “girlboss” movement, exemplified by trends like “That Girl” and tutorials for the Notion app.
The Paradox of Hustle and Self-Care
Despite this, there’s a dissatisfaction with the relentless pursuit of productivity. Self-care often blurs into work, encompassing the daily labor of feminine presentation and relatable “influencing” – documenting activities like eating, socializing, and exercising. Aesthetic vloggers distinguish themselves from more overt “hustlers” through a perceived sense of ease and a disavowal of labor, even though it ultimately yields income.
Key Figures in the Aesthetic Vlogging Space
Elena Taber, Jenny Welbourn, and Orion Carloto, among others, represent the diverse landscape of aesthetic vlogging. They present themselves as a compilation of their possessions and interests, blending sprezzatura (“studied carelessness”) with a touch of cuteness.
The Illusion of Effortlessness
The presentation of intentional design and curation, appearing effortless, is central to this aesthetic. The goal is to convey an air of nonchalance – as if the carefully crafted environment simply materialized without conscious effort.
Visual Cues and Design Elements
This aesthetic is achieved through specific visual cues: minimalist white walls contrasted with dark wood, exposed brick, textured surfaces, a downtown-cool vibe, laminated glass tables, lacquered wood floors, casually stacked books, elements of 1960s-1980s design, midcentury-modern furniture, asymmetry, organized “photo dumps,” handmade items, film photography, art and record collecting, woven textures, curated clutter, unfiltered selfies, natural lighting, and a preference for earthy tones.
The Role of Cuteness
Cuteness is expressed through personality-driven details, intimate moments, and a playful use of color – pinks, greens, and yellows – avoiding camp or kitsch, but flirting with maximalism.
Juxtaposition and Eclecticism
Cute objects, like plush dolls and mushroom lamps, are juxtaposed with bohemian design elements. This documentation of life amidst beautiful possessions, the collaging of aesthetics, represents a “make Instagram casual again” movement and a mature evolution of alterna-girl aesthetics.
Madelynn De La Rosa: A Case Study
Madelynn De La Rosa, 29, a popular aesthetic vlogger, grew up moving frequently due to her father’s military career. This fostered a geographically and culturally adaptable interest in makeup, film, fashion, and art.
Her YouTube channel showcases highly stylized vlogs that romanticize her daily life, featuring her decorated Spanish-style apartment, outings with friends, and thoughtful discussions on topics like sustainable fashion and veganism.
From Documentation to Artful Presentation
De La Rosa initially began vlogging as a way to document and aestheticize the mundane and exciting aspects of womanhood, but this evolved into an artful presentation of her life.
Navigating the Pandemic and Content Creation
During the pandemic lockdown, De La Rosa questioned the relevance of focusing on beauty, echoing Phin’s concerns. She ultimately embraced the opportunity for growth, emphasizing self-care and a lifestyle that was both beautiful and socially responsible.
The Rise of TikTok and “Main Character Energy”
In 2019, aesthetic vlogging expanded to TikTok and Instagram, gaining momentum during the pandemic, particularly with the “main character energy” trend, which encouraged the romanticization of everyday life.
A Departure from Traditional Lifestyle Vlogging
Aesthetic vlogging, largely driven by Gen Z, differs from the less curated lifestyle vlogging popularized by Emma Chamberlain. Tiffany Ferg, a media expert, suggests that Chamberlain’s success felt more accidental, while aesthetic vlogging is a more deliberate pursuit.
New Slang and Cultural Shifts
Gen Z has introduced new slang that shapes the aesthetic landscape. “Cringe” replaces “cringeworthy,” “aesthetic” denotes beauty, and “cheugy” signifies trying too hard. These terms define aesthetics and attitudes, similar to how “starter packs” categorize cultural trends.
Adapting to a New Cultural Reality
Understanding this new slang requires adapting to Gen Z’s worldview, reconfiguring one’s subjectivity to align with their tastes and anxieties, and bridging the generational divide.
Millennials and the Pursuit of Youthfulness
Millennials, observing trends dictated by Gen Z, can now culturally present as much younger, leading to a mimesis that prioritizes femininity under late capitalism.
The Complexities of Femininity and Beauty
The focus on youth culture exacerbates the already fraught relationship between femininity, beauty, and age. Cute-sprezzatura offers a counterpoint, prioritizing an affectedness not typically associated with traditional feminine ideals, potentially mitigating the fatigue and discomfort of encountering outdated online personas.
Beyond Consumption: The Search for “Interestingness”
While easy consumption remains central, the demand for “interestingness” has emerged. This reflects a desire for individuation and a thoughtful approach to navigating the overwhelming abundance of information online.
The Legacy of Tavi Gevinson
Tavi Gevinson, a fashion blogger and former editor-in-chief of Rookie Magazine, serves as a model for this new generation of influencers, combining appearance with intellectual depth and cultural awareness.
Tastefishing and the Performance of Self
The pursuit of “interestingness” has led to “tastefishing” – a performance of sophistication through imitation, masking a lack of genuine taste.
The Case of Kendall Jenner
Kendall Jenner’s recent attempts to cultivate a persona as a tastemaker, posing with intellectual books and curating her home with art, exemplify this trend.
The Generative Power of Aesthetics
The need to perform an interesting self, to cut through the noise of the internet, transforms information overload into a generative force. The small details – pixels, colors, images – shape our perception of aesthetic beauty.
Aesthetic Vlogging and the Female Gaze
Aesthetic vlogging is particularly empowering for women and girls, who have a unique ability to curate and interpret aesthetics online, and to observe themselves and others with a discerning gaze.
