Victoria’s Secret Swim 2012 by Cyril Attias
THE CROQUETTE AESTHETIC: INFANTILIZATION OR THE RECLAMATION OF HYPERFEMININITY?
October 29, 2024
Solar Lu
Baby pink bows, ballet flats, lace, and delicate accessories—these are the hallmarks of the coquette aesthetic that took over social media in 2024. Rooted in hyperfemininity, this trend is characterized by a dainty, innocent appearance reminiscent of youth and girlhood. However, the question arises: does creating a beauty trend based on elements of girlhood risk infantilization, or is the coquette aesthetic a means for women to reclaim feminine power?
To understand the complexities of coquette, we need to start from its origins. The term “coquette” dates back to the 1700s, originally describing a middle-class woman who trifled with men’s affections. A coquette was flirtatious and would use her beauty and social skills to tease and tempt men while refusing sexual advances. This prompted fear of disillusion and threatened the existing social hierarchy by undermining traditional gender roles, where women were supposed to submit to male authority. In an era where women were expected to remain modest and submissive, the coquette embodied a challenge to patriarchal authority.
Not only was coquetry an act of rebellion against social norms, it also provided an avenue for social mobility. In the Victorian era, working-class women like shop girls and barmaids joined the aristocratic coquettes in flirting with their middle-class male customers to climb the social ladder discreetly. This exercise of sexual autonomy, while often criticized, was a form of soft power that allowed women to navigate a male-dominated society.
Fast forward to today, “coquette” has taken on a new meaning. This aesthetic finds its roots in the 2010s Tumblr “nymphet” trend and Lolita fashion. These influences are tangled with the controversial legacy of Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita—a novel about a middle-aged man’s obsession with a 12-year-old girl. While the novel Lolita is a critique of the man’s obsession, its cultural impact has led to the sexualization of young girls in fashion and media. This leaves the modern coquette aesthetic with a difficult question: does it reinforce harmful ideals of youth and purity?
With its emphasis on innocence, soft makeup, and youthful clothing, the coquette aesthetic is accused of playing into the male gaze. These aesthetics, whether intended or not, highlight traits that align uncomfortably with the fetishization of girlhood. The result is a potential reinforcement of the notion that women should aspire to remain youthful and submissive to be desirable.
Moreover, the coquette aesthetic encourages characteristics that can be seen as infantilizing. The hobbies and interests associated with the trend—like baking, reading, or listening to Lana Del Rey—are presented in a way that romanticizes a passive, domestic femininity. When coupled with hyper-feminine clothing, this can be seen as an attempt to embody a certain male fantasy of the “ideal” woman: beautiful, soft-spoken, and innocent. By aligning themselves with this trend, women unintentionally play into societal expectations of femininity, which have long been dictated by patriarchal standards.
However, there is another side to this argument. Many proponents of the coquette aesthetic see it as a reclamation of hyperfemininity. In a society that often teaches women to reject or downplay their femininity to be taken seriously, this trend offers a space to embrace traditional “girly” traits without shame. In this light, the coquette aesthetic becomes a form of empowerment. Women who adopt this look are not necessarily submitting to the male gaze but rather reclaiming their right to dress and act in ways that make them feel powerful.
Furthermore, dressing in a way that evokes youthfulness is not inherently infantilizing. What infantilizes women is the patriarchal lens on girlhood—as something that must be sexualized or suppressed. In embracing hyperfemininity, coquette wearers subvert these expectations, reject the idea that femininity equals powerlessness, and reclaim their right to enjoy traditionally feminine aesthetics.
However, there are limits to how inclusive this reclamation is. The coquette aesthetic, as it appears on social media, tends to center White, skinny, femme-identifying women. This narrow representation excludes BIPOC people, individuals with larger body types, and those who do not fit Eurocentric beauty standards. This exclusionary nature raises concerns about how empowering the aesthetic truly is if it continues to uphold the same unrealistic ideals that have long dominated Western standards of femininity.
Ultimately, the coquette aesthetic is a multifaceted phenomenon. While it offers a way for some women to reclaim and embrace hyperfemininity, it also risks reinforcing patriarchal ideals about beauty, youth, and innocence. Whether the coquette aesthetic is an act of rebellion or a capitulation to the male gaze depends largely on how it is worn and by whom. In the end, the coquette aesthetic offers a window into larger conversations about femininity in a postmodern world—posing questions that linger far beyond the trend’s fleeting moment in the spotlight.
Image source: https://boogzelclothing.com/blogs/aesthetic-clothes-and-aesthetic-outfits/unveiling-the-charm-of-coquette-aesthetic-clothing
Sources:
https://cherwell.org/2022/01/20/the-dark-side-of-coquette/
https://baremagazine.org/The-Origins-of-Coquette
Beaujot, Ariel. "'The Language of the Fan': Pushing the Boundaries of Middle-class Womanhood." Victorian Fashion Accessories, 2012, 63-104. https://doi.org/10.5040/9781472504517