If you’re looking to indulge in the cottagecore aesthetic, chances are you’ve already dipped your toes into that pond. Especially if your TikTok and Instagram accounts feel like you’re part of a Downton Abbey-Animal Crossing hybrid.
If you’ve ever baked homemade bread, picked flowers for your hair, and worn a floral nap dress, you’re likely pretty deep into the cottagecore vibes. If you’ve done all that and have talked to animals, you might also be Snow White.
When it comes to this trend, people aren’t just baking bread; they’re baking focaccia bread with herbs and edible flowers. They’re not just trying to keep a windowsill herb garden alive they’ve pulled out the graph paper to plot a backyard garden. And don’t even have a backyard.
The cottagecore vibe has similar aesthetics to regencycore, but swap the pearls for garden tools and the castle for a cottage. And the butler for singing bluebirds.
What Is the Cottagecore Aesthetic?
You may think the cottagecore community arose from a hot new trend. But cottagecore embraces the simpler times and revisiting your roots. Seriously, the trees are expecting you at the reunion this year.
Cottagecore encompasses everything from fashion and home decor, to foraging and finding harmony with nature. It’s the antidote to everything you’ve started to hate – consumerism, capitalism, social media, and even the indoors.
As this subreddit says, it’s “your grandma, but like, hip.” Excuse me, but our grandma is the hippest. She has a titanium one.
Like everything else, social media skyrocketed this trend. If only we could have been doing this in 1998 instead of watching Celebrity Deathmatch.
The Queer and Black communities have been instrumental in popularizing the aesthetic, reclaiming the peace and quiet of rural life – areas that have historically been unsafe and unwelcoming to both communities.
Some our our favorite cottagecore influencers:
- CottagecoreBlackFolks
- FlorenceMayVintage
- AClothesHorse
- Little.Reveries
- MarnieHawson
- Nadiiife
- TwiggStudios
- TheHouseOfCottagecore
- JonnaJinton
- GingerLillyTea
- PlantedInTheWoods
6 Ways to Embrace the Cottagecore Aesthetic
Whether you’re focusing on design or fashion, opt for a color palette with green, yellow, and brown tones.
Honestly, our biggest cottagecore inspiration is Mr. Pokee. For photos, natural light is key, but you can also snag some cottagecore lightroom mobile presets if you want your Instagram feed to be “perfect.” Mr. Pokee agrees.
Here are some other easy ways to achieve the cottagecore aesthetic. That is, without purchasing a cottage or finding magical standing stones to transport you to 18th century Scotland.
1. Go outside.
Go hiking, foraging, press flowers, or simply just go lay out in the backyard. That patch of grass next to your apartment counts, too.
You can also try gardening, even if you’re not a master gardener. Having an oregano plant for one day then killing it still counts. Maybe your rosemary plant will make it to day two.
2. Get your library card.
Cottagecore is an escape from the modern world, and so are books. So slow down and pick up a book! For some classic reads, pick up The Secret Garden, Practical Magic, or Anne of Green Gables.
For some more recently published options, check out The Rural Diaries by Hilarie Burton and Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Bonus points if you read an actual book with paper, not just an e-reader.
3. Head to the thrift shop.
Or raid your grandma’s closet. Poshmark and Depop apps are also great for finding pre-loved vintage items. And remember there’s a difference between your Instagram cottagecore look and your I’m actually going to spend time in nature look. That chunky sweater is cute, but it’ll make you melt faster than the Wicked Witch in the sun.
What to look for when thrifting:
- Flowery and flowy dresses and skirts
- Overalls
- Knitwear
- Anything with mushrooms on it
- Pastels
- Earthy tones
- Wide-brimmed hats
For non-thrifted wardrobe items, here are some of our favorites stores for cottagecore fashion:
4. Try to keep a plant alive.
One day you’ll be wall to wall plants, but until then, get yourself an easy-to-please friend. Pothos and ivy are both easy plants that grow long beautiful vines.
5. Act the part, not just look it.
A natural co-trend of cottagecore is sustainability. Start recycling, reduce your carbon footprint, make local and eco-friendly purchases, and hug some trees. If you’re lucky, they’ll hug back.
6. Take up a new hobby.
It’s the perfect time to take up cross-stitching, making pottery, or baking pies. If you don’t have the time or you’d just rather not, support your local artisans or online independent makers on Etsy.
Ashley is a Nashville unicorn (born, raised, and based), queer, vegan, and dedicated to leaving a positive impact through her life, work, and her website, Wild Hearted.
When she's not writing, she's traveling, reading a book, trying not to kill her houseplants, worshiping her dog, or having an existential crisis. Follow her on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and Twitter, and LinkedIn
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