Soft Girl Outfits: How to Get the Soft Girl Aesthetic

I’ll be honest, the first time I saw a “soft girl” video on TikTok I assumed it was a joke. A girl in a lilac cardigan drawing a tiny heart under her eye with a brown pencil, then dusting about half a pot of pink blush across her nose. I watched it twice. By the end of the week I had bought butterfly clips.

That’s the thing about this look. It seems a bit silly until you try it, and then you kind of get it. It’s sweet and comfy, and you’d be surprised how much a pink cardigan can cheer you up on a gray Tuesday.

So if you’ve been curious, here’s how to actually wear it without looking like you’re on your way to a costume party.

What Is the Soft Girl Aesthetic?

Soft girl style is pastel, cozy and a little bit nostalgic. It grew out of TikTok and Instagram around 2019, and you can see where it borrowed from: Japanese kawaii culture, Korean street style, and a lot of stuff that was in our bedrooms in the ’90s and 2000s. Scrunchies. Hello Kitty. Those plastic butterfly clips everyone had in a jar.

People usually describe it as the opposite of the e-girl, and that’s about right. Same apps, same generation, but where e-girls do black eyeliner and chains, soft girls do blush and bows. If you’re trying to work out where you land on the whole spectrum, our guide to the types of aesthetics is a fun rabbit hole.

The Colors and the Clothes

Start with color, because that does most of the work. Baby pink and lilac are the big two. Mint, baby blue, butter yellow and cream all slot in nicely, and white goes with everything. Black isn’t banned exactly, but you’ll notice it kind of kills the mood.

As for actual pieces, the cropped cardigan is the hero. The fluffier the better, and if it has little pearl buttons, even better. I wear mine buttoned up as a top more often than I wear it over anything.

After that, you want something short and swishy on the bottom. A pleated mini or a tennis skirt is the obvious choice (if you want to branch out, our guide to the types of skirts has plenty more). On lazier days, light-wash mom jeans or a pair of denim overalls do the job and look just as cute.

Baby tees are great for layering, especially ones with a little cherry, a strawberry or a cartoon character on the front. An oversized sweater or hoodie is handy too, mostly for wearing over a skirt so it looks like you forgot your pants. In a cute way.

For summer, floral or gingham dresses with puff sleeves are perfect. And on your feet, chunky white sneakers if you’re walking anywhere, or Mary Janes with frilly socks if you’re feeling extra.

A Few Outfits to Steal

My go-to on a normal day is a pastel baby tee, mom jeans and white sneakers, with a scrunchie on my wrist. It takes about two minutes and still feels like a look.

When I want to go full soft girl, I’ll button a pink cropped cardigan all the way up, add a white pleated mini and Mary Janes, and clip a few butterflies into my hair. That’s pretty much the uniform.

Once it gets colder, a big cream sweater over a tennis skirt with knee socks and loafers is really cozy. You can add tights underneath without it looking weird, which is honestly why I like this one so much in November.

On hot days, a gingham sundress and sneakers, with a little cardigan in your bag for when the sun goes down.

And for a night out, try a pastel satin slip skirt with a fitted baby tee or a lacy cami and strappy sandals. It still reads as soft, just a bit more grown-up.

If the floaty, romantic side of all this is what pulls you in, you’d probably love the fairycore aesthetic too. It’s like soft girl wandered into an enchanted forest.

Makeup, Hair and the Little Extras

The blush is non-negotiable. Way more than you think, high on your cheekbones and right across your nose so you look a bit flushed, like you just came in from the cold. Pink or peach both work.

Everything else stays light. Dewy skin, a bit of shimmer on the lids, mascara and a glossy pink lip. The eyeliner hearts and fake freckles are optional, but they’re fun, and nobody has to know you practiced them three times.

Hair-wise, pigtails, space buns and half-up styles all suit the look. Then go a bit wild with clips. Butterflies, pearls, bows, little star barrettes. You really can’t overdo it here.

Jewelry should be small and sweet. Tiny hearts, pearls, a charm necklace, a stack of beaded bracelets you may or may not have made yourself. Add a mini backpack and you’re set.

Celebrities Who Do It Well

Ariana Grande was doing soft girl before it even had a name. The oversized pastel sweaters, the thigh-high boots, the high ponytail with a big bow. She’s basically the blueprint.

Sabrina Carpenter does a glossier, more grown-up version, with babydoll dresses, frills, bows and pastel corsets. It’s sweet but flirty, and it works.

Olivia Rodrigo is a good one to look at if pure pastel feels like too much. She’ll throw a lilac cardigan and butterfly clips on with a plaid mini and chunky boots, and suddenly the whole thing feels a lot cooler.

Final Thoughts

You don’t have to overhaul your whole wardrobe for this. Grab one pastel cardigan and a pleated skirt, be generous with the blush, and see how you feel.

Worst case, you’ve got a cute cardigan. Best case, you’re buying butterfly clips by the end of the week. Ask me how I know.