THE CLEAN GIRL AESTHETIC’S NOT-SO-CLEAN UNDERTONES
By Antonia Brooks
In the past year, the viral “clean girl aesthetic” has become the symbol for a girl who has all facets of her life together. The “clean girl” is implied to be fit and healthy, mentally stable and exudes an air of wealth. This aesthetic combines minimalist styles with a seemingly effortless class and elegance.
The clean girl aesthetic, though, actually requires a lot of effort to achieve, especially for women who don’t naturally fit the problematic societal standard of “clean.” The clean girl aesthetic has stirred controversy with some critics calling the trend exclusionary to people of color, pointing out its racist roots.
Some of the most famous faces of the clean girl aesthetic include Hailey Bieber and Sofia Richie. While Sofia Richie is biracial, she phenotypically looks white and fits the “white aesthetic”. On top of this, social media has applauded her for her recent luxurious transformation and her “minimalist” yet expensive lifestyle. It is vital to recognize which women of color get popular from the clean girl aesthetic, and how most are white presenting. Jordyn Woods, for example, is an extremely successful black woman who isn’t known for her “clean aesthetic” and hasn’t had the same surge in popularity.
The issue with these top influencers branding the clean girl aesthetic is that they are predominantly white. There is rarely a popular “clean girl” who is a person of color. Why is this? Well, the infamous “clean girl” style is rooted in racist and discriminatory ideals such as cultural appropriation and economic exclusivity.
The clean girl aesthetic often involves a slick back bun or ponytail, flawless glowing skin, minimalistic makeup, gold or silver jewelry, and a simple – but most definitely expensive – outfit. For example, the clean girl could wear an outfit like a pair of white ‘70s high rise jeans with a slim fitting gray Skims top. For shoes, a clean girl has a range of options from white tennis shoes to black ballet flats. There is a wide range of stores for clean girls to shop at including Aritzia, Zara, Dior, Levi’s and Princess Polly, based on what popular influencers present through their clean girl videos.
These brands happen to be extremely economically exclusive while also perpetuating the “quiet luxury” trend, making them unattainable to the average person. The quiet luxury look symbolizes wealth without flashiness, a look that comes off as simple and minimalistic but is usually unaffordable for many.
Let’s start with the hair: we can see the slick back hairstyle as a form of appropriation of Black and Latino culture. This hairstyle has been popular among Black and Latino communities for decades, especially gelling back edges, which has been strongly associated with these communities since the ‘90s, popularized by R&B artists and their style. For example, artists like Aaliyah and Brandy rocked the slick back ponytail and bun, being trendsetters for the minimalist yet edgy look. Now, social media only displays the Kendall Jenner’s and Bella Hadid’s of the world wearing the hairstyle.
The classic gold or silver hoop earrings, popularized by Black and Latina women decades ago, are now an integral part of the white-dominated trend, adding to the conversation about appropriation.
On top of this, much of the high-end jewelry necessary for this aesthetic is unattainably expensive for the average middle-class American. This idea of the “expensive” look is just generally unattainable for most Americans, so creating a trend based on it is bound to be exclusionary. In fact, much of the reason the trend is so popular is because only certain people can participate in it, making it high demand but low accessibility.
When thinking about trends that became extremely popular and haven’t seemed to die down, many people would point to the Y2K culture that has re-emerged in recent years. This style similarly glorifies white influencers over people of color, even though most of what we now consider Y2K fashion was originated by both Black and Latino communities. Groups like Destiny’s Child or Blaque, brought vibrant neon colors, mesh, waist chains and low rise jeans into the spotlight. Missy Elliott is another example of a Black woman rocking athletic wear before white singers like Britney Spears appeared on the scene.
The clean girl aesthetic and Y2K style could not be more different. “Clean girls” emphasize a look of composure and class, while Y2K fashion highlights a more comfortable style that is both futuristic and nostalgic. However, both trends intersect when white people are the only ones becoming popular, and thus taking credit. Racism is embedded in our society structurally and systemically. Because of this, more specific aspects of our culture like fashion also seem to follow the trend of robbing black people of their original ideas and practices and disguising it as that of the white population.
None of this is to say people shouldn’t wear a certain style of clothing because of its negative implications. At the end of the day, fashion is an expressive choice and nobody should be robbed of that. The bottom line is, when watching your favorite white influencer rocking a slick back or some low rise jeans, don’t deem her as revolutionary, as there is a long line of women of color who originated the trend in the first place.
The clean girl aesthetic, though, actually requires a lot of effort to achieve, especially for women who don’t naturally fit the problematic societal standard of “clean.” The clean girl aesthetic has stirred controversy with some critics calling the trend exclusionary to people of color, pointing out its racist roots.
Some of the most famous faces of the clean girl aesthetic include Hailey Bieber and Sofia Richie. While Sofia Richie is biracial, she phenotypically looks white and fits the “white aesthetic”. On top of this, social media has applauded her for her recent luxurious transformation and her “minimalist” yet expensive lifestyle. It is vital to recognize which women of color get popular from the clean girl aesthetic, and how most are white presenting. Jordyn Woods, for example, is an extremely successful black woman who isn’t known for her “clean aesthetic” and hasn’t had the same surge in popularity.
The issue with these top influencers branding the clean girl aesthetic is that they are predominantly white. There is rarely a popular “clean girl” who is a person of color. Why is this? Well, the infamous “clean girl” style is rooted in racist and discriminatory ideals such as cultural appropriation and economic exclusivity.
The clean girl aesthetic often involves a slick back bun or ponytail, flawless glowing skin, minimalistic makeup, gold or silver jewelry, and a simple – but most definitely expensive – outfit. For example, the clean girl could wear an outfit like a pair of white ‘70s high rise jeans with a slim fitting gray Skims top. For shoes, a clean girl has a range of options from white tennis shoes to black ballet flats. There is a wide range of stores for clean girls to shop at including Aritzia, Zara, Dior, Levi’s and Princess Polly, based on what popular influencers present through their clean girl videos.
These brands happen to be extremely economically exclusive while also perpetuating the “quiet luxury” trend, making them unattainable to the average person. The quiet luxury look symbolizes wealth without flashiness, a look that comes off as simple and minimalistic but is usually unaffordable for many.
Let’s start with the hair: we can see the slick back hairstyle as a form of appropriation of Black and Latino culture. This hairstyle has been popular among Black and Latino communities for decades, especially gelling back edges, which has been strongly associated with these communities since the ‘90s, popularized by R&B artists and their style. For example, artists like Aaliyah and Brandy rocked the slick back ponytail and bun, being trendsetters for the minimalist yet edgy look. Now, social media only displays the Kendall Jenner’s and Bella Hadid’s of the world wearing the hairstyle.
The classic gold or silver hoop earrings, popularized by Black and Latina women decades ago, are now an integral part of the white-dominated trend, adding to the conversation about appropriation.
On top of this, much of the high-end jewelry necessary for this aesthetic is unattainably expensive for the average middle-class American. This idea of the “expensive” look is just generally unattainable for most Americans, so creating a trend based on it is bound to be exclusionary. In fact, much of the reason the trend is so popular is because only certain people can participate in it, making it high demand but low accessibility.
When thinking about trends that became extremely popular and haven’t seemed to die down, many people would point to the Y2K culture that has re-emerged in recent years. This style similarly glorifies white influencers over people of color, even though most of what we now consider Y2K fashion was originated by both Black and Latino communities. Groups like Destiny’s Child or Blaque, brought vibrant neon colors, mesh, waist chains and low rise jeans into the spotlight. Missy Elliott is another example of a Black woman rocking athletic wear before white singers like Britney Spears appeared on the scene.
The clean girl aesthetic and Y2K style could not be more different. “Clean girls” emphasize a look of composure and class, while Y2K fashion highlights a more comfortable style that is both futuristic and nostalgic. However, both trends intersect when white people are the only ones becoming popular, and thus taking credit. Racism is embedded in our society structurally and systemically. Because of this, more specific aspects of our culture like fashion also seem to follow the trend of robbing black people of their original ideas and practices and disguising it as that of the white population.
None of this is to say people shouldn’t wear a certain style of clothing because of its negative implications. At the end of the day, fashion is an expressive choice and nobody should be robbed of that. The bottom line is, when watching your favorite white influencer rocking a slick back or some low rise jeans, don’t deem her as revolutionary, as there is a long line of women of color who originated the trend in the first place.