She is the sweetest girl in town. She is effortlessly pretty and organically chic. She loves The Smiths, Mazzy Star, Nirvana, and The Pixies. Her idol is Rory Gilmore and she wishes she lived in the 90s. She is the Downtown Girl.
The Downtown aesthetic can be described as the romanticisation of downtown New York and city life. The term ‘downtown girl’ first appeared in lifestyle articles in 2008, but since gaining popularity on social media, it has quickly become an aesthetic people want to embody. But, how can we incorporate this style into our own lives?
She loves to spend her time reading, painting, baking, and writing. She loves coffee and her favourite season is autumn. She has often been deemed an introvert and prefers to express her inner thoughts and feelings in a journal that she takes with her wherever she goes.
The style of the aesthetic is based on a neutral colour palette that includes beige, brown, off-white, sage green, and the occasional touch of dark red. Closet staples include a pair of analogue headphones, tote bags, Doc Martens, or Converse. Oversized sweaters, sweatshirts, and cardigans. And of course, the white chunky knit sweater (dubbed as 'The Rory Gilmore Sweater' across the internet).
But there are some downsides to the aesthetic. With rising popularity, people are looking to find these staples quickly — and for cheap. This has led to the overconsumption of fast fashion among the aesthetic's followers, with a mass of TikTok videos in particular covering ‘Downtown Girl essentials from H&M’ to users’ personal Downtown Girl hauls, both encouraging mass consumerism, and for viewers of the video to change their entire style for the current trending aesthetic.
This can be easily combated by buying basics that can be used in multiple ways, like a simple leather jacket, or thrifting, the overall better option for the environment.
The core reason for the aesthetic's swift rise in popularity is the sense of nostalgia it creates. Listening to physical music, like cassettes or vinyl records, or playing an instrument are all activities that are encouraged, amplifying the nostalgic element of the aesthetic. With social media as an essential feature in today's time, sometimes embodying such a humble aesthetic can provide a momentary escape from our current world to a simpler time.
Words by Aadya Paswan
Edited by Lucy Eaton