Ok so what does it mean to be ‘cottagecore’ and why do I relate to it so hard?

If you own a lot of cardigans, you’re probably a bit cottagecore


You may or may not have seen the term “cottagecore” around in the past few months. Since Taylor Swift released her new album Folklore, the online aesthetic trend has been having a bit of a moment.

In short, it romanticises the idea of living your best life out in a cabin in the woods. But what exactly is cottagecore? Here’s a full explainer and how you know if you’re living out your true cottagecore fantasy.

What is cottagecore and am I it?

Basically, cottagecore is an online aesthetic which idolises the idea of living a simple life, hidden away in the woods in a cute cottage. It’s the idea of wanting an escapism and nothing more than a remote life in front of the fire, without a care in the world.

A typical cottagecore lover’s dream day might include a walk through the fields, stopping to smell the flowers and a picnic which has to be a tartan blanket. If the weather isn’t permitting for that, a cosy day baking a pie in your Grade II listed cottage is ideal. It’s all very relaxing and wholesome.

If that sounds like the dream to you, you’re probably very cottagecore.

Typical cottagecore clothing is things like pretty dresses, milkmaid-style blouses, baggy jumpers and florals – and you definitely own a cardigan for each day of the week.

Your favourite movies are probably things like The Secret Garden (but you’ve also read the book), Little Women, Mathilda, Pride and Prejudice and Call Me By Your Name. When Christmas comes around you love nothing more than to snuggle up on the sofa with a hot chocolate and swoon over Jude Law in The Holiday.

You really care for the environment, so have at least considered voting for the Green Party multiple times. But when it comes down to it, you could happily live a life ignoring politics and stigmas surrounding it. You accept everyone for who they are because in the grand scheme of things, how other people decide to live their lives has nothing to do with your quiet life and you much prefer the harmony that comes with everyone getting along and being happy.

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Extreme cottagecore aesthetic includes things like fairies, flower crowns, herbs and plants, vintage tea sets, loving embroidery, baking, poetry and just being generally quite outdoorsy.

Where did the cottagecore aesthetic come from?

Women’s magazines have been talking about this trend for a long time. But it’s more recently that it’s hit the mainstream and people have been catching on to it.

The trend has been spreading on Twitter, TikTok and Instagram. It’s a huge part of aesthetic TikTok where people put together mood boards of feelings and vibes. But of course the trend was originally on Tumblr and kicked off a lot when we were put in lockdown and people were dreaming of their idillic isolation locations.

Taylor Swift has more recently brought a whole new bunch of people into the world of cottagecore. When she shared her woodsy album cover for Folklore, people went wild for it.

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Featured image background (before edits) via Unsplash.