6 Types of Fashion Aesthetics: Ditch Trends, Own Your Style

The charm of the academic world? Beach-inspired looks? A retro twist? 

Your perfect-match fashion aesthetic is out there waiting for you!

We're here to help you find it and, most importantly, show you the difference it’ll make.

Why embrace a specific type of fashion aesthetic?

Embracing a fashion aesthetic comes with so many fun and inspiring benefits. You will:

• Break free from impersonal and ever-changing fast fashion trends (boooo!)
• Stop feeling the need to buy new, random clothes just because they’re cheap
• Have a more sustainable wardrobe (and save money in the long run!) by falling in love with fewer garments that match your favourite fashion aesthetic
• Use it as a starting point to create your own signature look
• Meet a like-minded community (for example, through the hashtags related to a type of fashion aesthetic)
• Feel happier whenever you rewear clothes that match your preferences and aesthetic 

6 different fashion aesthetics to fall in love with

There are many more types of fashion aesthetics, but here’s a varied selection to start feeling inspired.

At the same time, we can’t ignore that some of them are primarily white or started out from privileged or problematic ideas.

So, I’d like to encourage you to make your chosen aesthetic fashion style more inclusive and connect with relevant content creators from all kinds of backgrounds.

1. Light and dark academia style

These fashion aesthetics celebrate the intellectual and academic world in a dramatic, escapist way. Think The Secret History and the look of British university students in the 30s and 40s!

Both light and dark academia aesthetics are inspired by preppy fashion (so, consider embracing its classic, neat, and timeless feel but ditching its elitism). Look for white shirts poking out from underneath a jumper or dress, sweater vests, plaid skirts, knee-high socks, and Oxford loafers.

Light academia prioritises pale neutral colours, whereas its more somber sister complements them with darker hues like browns, blacks, burgundy, and forest green.

Perfect sustainable brands for light and dark academia aesthetic:

• GAÂLA 
• C by Stories
• JUNGL

2. Vintage fashion aesthetics

Whether you opt for authentic pieces or retro-inspired garments, pick and choose the trends you like the most from a specific decade, and leave the rest behind (together with problematic values from that time, yuk!).

Some ideas:

• Mod fashion from the early 60s, with its tailored silhouettes and geometric patterns
• Bell-bottom trousers, maxi dresses, and peasant blouses from the 70s
• High-waisted mum jeans, tucked-in t-shirts, lace tops, and puff shoulders for 80s aesthetic outfits
• Bandanas, dungarees, bomber shorts, and slip dresses for a 90s fashion aesthetic. Or how about plaid shirts, graphic t-shirts, ripped jeans, and loose garments for this decade’s grunge aesthetic?
• For a 2000s fashion aesthetic (apparently, that’s considered vintage, nowadays?! I feel old): bright colours, print t-shirts, low-rise jeans, statement necklaces, and dresses over jeans

Perfect sustainable brands for vintage fashion aesthetics:

• Blondegonerogue
• Yahmo
• Plant Faced Clothing

3. Cottagecore aesthetic

Inspired by a romantic and whimsical vision of the rural world, this fashion aesthetic thrives on earthy and neutral tones, monochrome garments or simple patterns (like floral prints), flowy skirts, prairie dresses, and charming details like ruffles, lace, or puff sleeves.

Perfect sustainable brands for the cottagecore aesthetic:

• Lafaani
• Chillax
• GAÂLA

4. Coastal grandmother style

This fashion aesthetic adds a sophisticated vibe to simple looks that’d be perfect for comfortable seaside living.

So, cosy up in loose garments in minimalist designs, natural fabrics, and a beachy palette (like white linen shirts, long summer dresses, woollen jumpers and cardigans, and roomy trousers).

Perfect sustainable brands for the coastal grandmother aesthetic:

• Amourlinen
• Alohas
• Reistor

6. Twee fashion aesthetic 

I could describe this type of fashion aesthetic in two ways.

Quirky and dainty outfits in saturated pastels and with 60s silhouettes (and especially short dresses, mini skirts, layers, Peter Pan collars, flat shoes, and bright tights), or simply...  Zooey Deschanel's looks!

Perfect sustainable brands for the twee aesthetic: 

• Bibico
• Masha Maria
• Matona

6. Normcore fashion aesthetic

Instead of trying to look distinctive, normcore clothing is about going back to basics… but with a conscious approach!

So, opt for simple designs, monochrome garments, and staples like plain t-shirts, jeans, button-down shirts, and trainers.

Perfect sustainable brands for the normcore aesthetic:

• Honest Basics
• Mud Jeans
• Kuyichi

How to embrace your favourite fashion aesthetic sustainably 

Embracing a fashion aesthetic is already a more sustainable choice: it helps you break free from always needing to buy new throwaway garments and following trends that change every other week.

However, here’s how you can maximise your positive impact:

• Get inspired – Find images of your favourite style, especially on visual platforms like Instagram and Pinterest. Why not make a fashion mood board, too?
• Don’t go all in! – I hope you’ve already fallen in love with one of those fashion aesthetics. But if your plan was to do a massive clothing haul, stop. That’d be the opposite of sustainable (overconsumption is NEVER good for the planet), and you could end up dropping hundreds on a new style that doesn’t actually feel “you” when you start wearing those clothes 
• Start from what you have – The chances are, you already have a few items that can match your chosen fashion aesthetic, especially when styled in a certain way. So, start from those and see how they make you feel. If you still love them after a few wears, then it makes sense to donate or sell some of your clothes and replace them with a handful of selected garments that embody your new style
• Embrace repeat outfits – Instead of chasing dopamine by buying new clothes regularly, get creative by remixing your existing ones into different outfits. Plus, when you actually click with a specific fashion aesthetic, you’ll start to feel comfortable rewearing the same outfits, too
• Support sustainable brands when buying clothes for your new fashion aesthetic – At Project Cece, we brought hundreds of fair trade brands in one place and included filters to narrow down your choices

The best part?

Ditching trends will feel oh-so-liberating, and finding the right fashion aesthetic—while making it your own—is both rewarding and fun. So, enjoy!