Types of Aesthetics: 16 Fashion Styles Celebrities Love

Scroll TikTok for five minutes and you'll hear about at least three new "cores". It's a lot. Some of them stick around for years, and some vanish before you've even bought the outfit.

So we've rounded up the types of aesthetics that actually matter right now. Some go back decades, some were born online, and all of them have at least one celebrity who wears it better than anyone.

Think of this as your cheat sheet. Find the one that feels like you, or steal a little from a few. Honestly, most people do.

1. Y2K

Low-rise jeans, baby tees, tiny sunglasses and a lot of pink. Y2K is the early 2000s, played back with a wink. Paris Hilton basically wrote the rulebook, and Bella Hadid and Dua Lipa have been reading from it for years.

It's loud and a bit silly, which is exactly why people love it. We've broken down how the Y2K fashion revival took over if you want the full story.

2. Grunge

Flannel shirts, ripped jeans, combat boots and hair that hasn't seen a brush in a while. Grunge started in 90s Seattle, and Kate Moss and Courtney Love made it fashion.

Today it's Olivia Rodrigo pairing slip dresses with chunky boots. Same attitude, slightly better lighting. Here's how celebrities are wearing the grunge aesthetic now.

3. Indie

Indie is the girl at the gig who found the band first. Vintage band tees, mini skirts, tights, ballet flats, maybe a bit of eyeliner. Alexa Chung has been the poster girl since the late 2000s.

It sits somewhere between grunge and preppy, and it's a lot easier to wear than either. Our guide to the indie aesthetic has more outfit ideas.

4. Preppy

Blazers, pleated skirts, cable-knit sweaters, loafers. Preppy is the private-school wardrobe, and it never really goes out of style. Leighton Meester's Blair Waldorf in Gossip Girl is still everyone's favorite reference, headband and all.

The 2026 version is a little more relaxed, with oversized shirts and fewer matching sets. We've got a whole modern preppy style guide on it.

5. Fairycore

Floaty dresses, flower crowns, lace, soft pastels and a lot of nature. Fairycore looks like something straight out of a storybook forest. Florence Welch has kind of been living in it since before it had a name.

It blew up on TikTok during lockdown and hasn't left. If you like the dreamy stuff, check out our deep dive into the fairycore aesthetic.

6. Boho

Boho is the free-spirited one. Peasant tops, suede, fringe, maxi skirts and a lot of layered jewelry. Sienna Miller made it the look of the mid-2000s, and it's very much back.

Chloé's recent collections under Chemena Kamali helped bring it back to the runway, and now you can't go to a festival without spotting it.

7. Tomboy

Baggy jeans, oversized blazers, boxy tees and high-tops. Tomboy style borrows straight from the boys' side of the wardrobe and makes it look cooler. Kristen Stewart has been doing it on and off the red carpet for years, sneakers under couture included.

It's comfy, it's easy and it works pretty much anywhere. Here's how celebrities style tomboy outfits right now.

8. Skater Girl

Think Avril Lavigne in 2002. Baggy cargo pants, tank tops, ties worn loose, Vans and a skateboard you may or may not actually ride. It's a little bit punk and a lot of fun.

Gen Z picked it up again, and now skate shoes are everywhere. We've rounded up some easy skater girl outfits if you want to try it.

9. Gothic

All black, all the time. Lace, velvet, corsets, platform boots and dark lipstick. Goth has been around since the 80s, but Jenna Ortega gave it a huge new audience with Wednesday.

She leaned into it on press tours too, with black gowns and sharp tailoring that felt very Addams without being costume-y. That's the trick with goth now. Keep it dark, keep it chic.

10. Western

Cowboy boots, denim, fringe, big belt buckles and the odd Stetson. Western has been creeping into fashion for a while, but Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter era in 2024 sent it into overdrive.

Bella Hadid has been living the real ranch life too, and her off-duty denim and boots made the look feel less like a costume and more like a lifestyle.

11. French Girl

The French girl aesthetic is all about looking like you didn't try. A Breton stripe top, straight jeans, ballet flats, red lipstick and messy hair. Jane Birkin is the original, and Jeanne Damas is the modern version everyone follows.

The whole idea is fewer pieces that are really good. It's probably the most grown-up look on this list, and the easiest to keep wearing for years.

12. E-Girl

E-girl was born on TikTok around 2019, and you'd know it anywhere. Winged liner, a little heart drawn on the cheek, two-tone hair, chains, and a striped long-sleeve under a band tee.

It's part skater, part goth, part anime. Billie Eilish's neon-green-roots era sat right next door to it, and plenty of fans copied both.

13. Soft Girl

Soft girl is the sweet one. Pastel cardigans, pleated skirts, hair clips, and blush swept right across the nose. Everything looks a bit like a strawberry milkshake.

Sabrina Carpenter's pastel baby-doll stage looks are basically soft girl turned all the way up, and her fans show up to concerts dressed to match.

14. Coquette

Bows. So many bows. Coquette is lace, ribbons, Mary Janes, frilly socks and pale pink everything. It's very feminine and very romantic, with a slightly vintage feel.

Lana Del Rey is basically the patron saint of coquette, and the look has spread far beyond her fans. Even big fashion houses have been putting bows on everything lately.

15. Old Money

Also called quiet luxury. Cashmere, crisp shirts, tailored trousers, loafers and no logos at all. The point is that it looks expensive without shouting about it.

Sofia Richie Grainge's 2023 wedding wardrobe sent the whole internet into an old money spiral, and Gwyneth Paltrow's courtroom outfits that same year didn't help. Simple, neutral, very rich.

16. Clean Girl

Slicked-back bun, gold hoops, glowy skin, brushed-up brows and a simple neutral outfit. The clean girl aesthetic is all about looking polished with minimal effort.

Hailey Bieber is the face of it, from her "glazed donut" skin to her off-duty leather jackets and baggy jeans. It's simple, but it takes more work than it looks.

How to Find Your Aesthetic

Start with what you already wear. Open your wardrobe and look at the pieces you reach for every week. That's your real style, whatever TikTok says.

Then make a little mood board. Save outfits you like on Pinterest or Instagram for a couple of weeks, and look for a pattern. Lots of black? Lots of bows? Lots of blazers? There's your answer.

And don't stress about picking just one. Most celebrities mix them up. Bella Hadid can go Y2K on Monday and western on Friday, and nobody's complaining.

Final Thoughts

Aesthetics come and go, but the good ones keep coming back with a fresh twist. Grunge, preppy and boho have all had multiple lives already, and they'll probably have a few more.

The best part is you get to play. Try a coquette bow one day and a grunge flannel the next. If you want to go back in time a bit, our look at 90s hairstyles is a great place to steal ideas for the hair to match.