Is the resurgence of the ‘Tumblr girl’ trend cause for concern?

I

If you are not aware, the Tumblr girl trend has returned, and it is bigger than ever. It differs from 10 years ago when we saw an abundance of American Apparel tennis skirts and black wire chokers on our social media feeds. Now, these fashion and cultural trends from the early 2010s are being embraced by notable influencers and brands.

Reworded: Just two months ago, Kylie Jenner – a major influencer – sparked a resurgence of Tumblr by sharing a selfie of herself in a pastel pink wig, reminiscent of her “King Kylie” phase. Excited fans commented on her Instagram post, stating that it felt like a return to 2014. Another fan expressed joy at seeing the revival of 2014.

Addison Rae, a popular TikTok influencer and singer, recently posted a photo on Instagram that embraced a similar style to the one seen on Tumblr back in 2014. In the picture, Rae is using the “Valencia” filter and is wearing a furry coat, ripped jean shorts, and see-through black tights, which were a common fashion choice for Tumblr girls. Fans reacted positively to the post, with one commenting “This gives me major Tumblr vibes from 2014, love it” and another saying “2014 fashion is making a comeback.”

During the years 2012 to 2016, like many other young women, my Tumblr was a huge part of my identity. So when the internet announced the resurgence of Tumblr aesthetics, there was a collective disappointment felt. This wasn’t due to a lack of culture or creativity during the post-recession era, although opinions may vary. It’s simply surprising to see something from my own lifetime already making a comeback. However, it’s worth noting that it may not have been as spectacular as it is being portrayed by Generation Alpha on TikTok.

In 2007, Tumblr was introduced, shortly before Instagram’s arrival in 2010 transformed social media platforms into ones focused on sponsored advertisements and online shopping. Tumblr’s unique blog layout allowed its users, reaching over 100 million in 2014, to create their own online persona and connect with like-minded individuals.

For certain individuals, a particular and widespread community on Tumblr was impacted by the unconventional fashion styles of the early 2010s: imagine disco leggings, Peter Pan collars, denim shorts over tights, and Doc Martens combat boots. This gave rise to the “Tumblr girl” persona, whose social media feed showcased a minimalistic and edgy aesthetic, along with a vinyl copy of the Arctic Monkeys’ album AM.

Social media has undergone noteworthy changes since then. The resurgence of the popular “Tumblr girl” has taken place during an intriguing period, as clean and orderly trends like the “clean girl aesthetic” have been prevalent in culture for the past year. This, according to trend predictors, is not a coincidence.

Rebeca Oksana, a TikTok influencer in the fashion industry, has observed a change in people’s behavior towards social media. She mentioned to The Independent that there is a trend of returning to the earlier days of Instagram when users would share unfiltered selfies.

It appears that many individuals are no longer interested in highly stylized and curated social media profiles. Instead, they are embracing fashion trends that reject minimalism and subdued luxury. The “mob wife aesthetic,” inspired by and named after the wives of mobsters, has become the latest fashion trend on TikTok. This style includes leather pants, fur coats, and flashy gold accessories, reminiscent of characters like Adriana La Cerva from The Sopranos. One month ago, there were already 24,000 posts on TikTok with the hashtag #mobwife, and this trend is gaining an average of four per cent daily interest, according to Data but Make it Fashion. In contrast, the popularity of the “clean girl aesthetic” has declined by 16 per cent every day since January.

Maybe the current trend of dressing like a “mob wife” in 2024 is a means of bringing the popular Tumblr girl aesthetic from 2014 into the present. Fashion influencer and trend forecaster on TikTok, Anyanna Anako, has observed an increase in the popularity of certain clothing pieces that were once considered to be out of style.

She stated to The Independent that it’s amusing how a traditional or unattractive style is currently popular. She also noticed that even the younger generation, Gen Alpha, is embracing ballet flats and skinny jeans.

Do not be mistaken. Despite the recent popularity of comfortable, loose-fitting and high-waisted Y2K-inspired denim, there has been a significant increase in interest for the once-dreaded trend of skinny jeans – rising by a staggering 50 percent in just the past month. While convincing younger adults to abandon the relaxed fit of loose denim and endure the tightness of skinny jeans may prove challenging, Anako believes it is not the millennial or Gen Z demographic driving this rapid resurgence of 2010s fashion. Instead, it is those who never experienced the so-called “golden age” of social media first-hand.

“I highly anticipate that the fashion trends of the 2010s will become popular among the generation known as Gen Alpha,” she expressed. “They will view it as new and thrilling, without any negative association or reluctance due to past experiences.”

This is not the first instance of fashion trends from less than a decade ago making a comeback. The Tumblr aesthetic has reemerged in popular culture before. In 2021, trend analyst Mandy Lee (@oldloserinbrooklyn) observed the return of Indie Sleaze – a cooler version of the Tumblr girl who actually attended underground raves rather than just posting about them online. Lee, a trend forecaster, drew attention to this revival in a TikTok video, citing provocative ads, amateur flash photography, and lavish clubbing displays as key features of the trend.

Many have noticed that in the world of fashion, styles that were popular twenty years ago often come back into popularity once again. However, this “revival” cycle has recently become much shorter, with trends like the Tumblr girl aesthetic making a comeback only two years after it was declared “out of style.” Experts attribute this quick turnover to the prevalence of fast fashion and the work of trend forecasters.

Anako expressed that the popularity of fast fashion has made everything more affordable, contributing to a culture of excessive consumerism. The trend of commodifying identities, such as the “mob wife aesthetic,” “clean girl,” and “grandpa core,” is prevalent in society. It forces people to constantly adapt to new micro-trends and define themselves based on what they can buy and afford.

Shein, a Chinese-based online retailer, has risen to dominance in the fast fashion industry in recent years. Founded in 2012, the company generated a reported $23 billion in revenue in 2022, making it the top player in the market according to the Wall Street Journal. With an estimated worth of $100 billion, Shein has faced legal challenges claiming that its use of artificial intelligence allows it to accurately predict current fashion trends and release up to 10,000 new products on its website daily.

Oksana acknowledged that individuals are becoming fatigued with trying to keep up with ever-changing trend cycles. She explained, “If last year was all about the ‘clean girl’ look and you invested in all the related products and gym sets, you’ll have to spend a considerable amount of money again to switch to the ‘mob wife’ aesthetic.”

Is it really essential to reintroduce all fashion trends from a specific era? Let’s not overlook the appearance of Tumblr and the fashion world as a whole in the early 2010s. The risk of bringing back certain trends, even those from just 10 years ago, is that they existed in a time when diversity and body positivity were not as accepted. If elements of Tumblr’s style are to resurface, it shouldn’t be led by only white, cisgender, and thin women.

Maybe instead of trying to fit into the Lululemon-wearing “clean girl” image, a better rejection would be to embrace one’s own unique style. Developing a sense of fashion that isn’t influenced by popular trends is much more representative of the 2010s than the resurgence of the Tumblr girl persona.

“I have faith that individuals will begin to rebel against popular trends and instead cultivate their own unique personal styles,” remarked Oksana. “While it’s still possible to incorporate some of the current trends, it’s unrealistic to try and keep up with everything. I’ve noticed a lot of people on social media encouraging others to stop obsessing over trends and instead embrace their own individual style, and I think that’s a positive message.”

The Independent is

The Independent can be found at independent.co.uk.