Fashion trends are constantly transforming, and with social media serving as an outlet for creators to express their stylistic innovations, there have been several new trends surfacing the media.
One of the most recent additions to modern slang is “coquette” and “balletcore,” where people accessorize themselves with dainty ribbon bows and ballet flats to uphold this delicate aesthetic.
Before “coquette” was painted as an aesthetic, people would use the term to describe a young woman who flirts and seduces men. However, with the rise of the eloquent trend throughout the early 2010s, the term has changed its interpretation to glamorize and romanticize the dainty and pretty pink things in life.
While scrolling through TikTok and Instagram, I have come across several different videos of users placing pink “coquette” ribbon bows to romanticize different objects, like their favorite foods, makeup products and even their pets. These bow-themed videos are created with the song, “Let The Light In” by Lana Del Rey featuring Father John Misty in the background.
Social media has also allowed users to create moodboards, as well as outfit ideas, to exhibit their personal takes on the “coquette” and “balletcore” styles. Many creators have also used this bow trend to decorate their accessories, like their headphones, shoes and handbags.
Embracing this aesthetic, Chanel released their Spring/Summer 2024 Haute Couture collection, “The Button,” where Chanel creative director Virginie Viard paid tribute to the House of Chanel by showcasing elegant and dainty pieces, appealing to many fans of the “balletcore” aeshetic.
Chanel is one of the illustrious brands that has been consistently ushering the “coquette” aesthetic into a more editorial eye, most notably by accentuating their iconic logo-embossed buttons with shiny jewels seen on many of the tweed jackets and dresses. These pieces were displayed throughout their Spring/Summer 2024 last January at the Grand Palais Éphémère in Paris.
Along with its button modifications, the collection featured pink, purple and green toned floral prints parallel to the “coquette” style, but added to the “ballet-core” style with each model wearing white tights under their looks.
Like the viral TikToks known to many, most of the models within the show were accessorized with large black satin bows that accompanied their half-up, half-down hairstyles, coinciding with the recent fashion trends.
When you envision ballet, the visual of chiffon skirts and baby pink leotards may come to mind, but the designer, Viard, was able to exquisitely bring her own touches of luxury and couture to that image.
I feel as though all of the pieces aligned and complemented each other very nicely, successfully upholding the simplicity of Chanel’s image and the dainty “coquette” style we have come to know today.
However, Chanel is not the only brand that has expressed this aesthetic. As the “coquette” bows began to circulate social media, several other brands, like McDonald’s and Jollibee, have hopped on the bandwagon, placing these bows on their menu items to market themselves.
In light of this trend, brands like Lisa Says Gah have also started to sell bow-themed products, like knit cardigans, bow earrings and ballet flats.
I truly love the overall daintiness of this trend, and I feel as though it depicts the “girly girl” style nicely. Although it has already become less popular on social media, I still anticipate seeing how the aesthetic unfolds as more brands participate.
