Decoding The Style: The Cottagecore Aesthetic

As The Curvy Fashionista editors, we write about stuff we love and we think you’ll like too. We often have affiliate partnerships, so we may get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

The Cottagecore trend has been taking the social media world by storm. Floral patterns, smocked tops, pastels, and earth tones are signature aspects of the style. Named after the idea of dressing as if you had moved to a cottage in the woods, it emulates nature and a sense of calm. 

It’s the perfect look for this record hot summer. Light colors, flowy and thin fabrics make for the ideal summer fit and it is no wonder that #cottagecore has 6.8 billion views on TikTok.

Cottagecore in the plus-size fashion space has been a rocky road. Lirika Matoshi’s strawberry dress went viral in August of 2020 and was praised as being a defining part of the birth of the cottagecore style.

Back in January of 2020, Tess Holiday wore it to the Grammys, where she was placed on multiple ‘worst dressed’ lists. Its rise in popularity months later led many to call out the fatphobia of the fashion industry. Check out this Allure article if you want to read more about it.

Want to know how to style the look for yourself?

Here’s How You Can Try Out The Cottagecore Aesthetic

The keys to getting the look right are soft colors and flowy lines. Pair a maxi skirt with a cropped sweater or loose tank top and some chunky heels like on the left. Or take a floral dress and add a wicker handbag as shown on the right. 

Over the past year, the amount of plus-size cottage core style options has grown considerably. Brands like Forever21, Selkie, and A Beautiful Soul have embraced the style in their recent collections.

Take this two piece set from Forever 21, patchwork dress from A Beautiful Soul, or the Selkie Collection’s trademark puff dress in the print citrus trip. The emphasis on dresses and skirts makes it easy to pull together full outfits with little effort.

If your life dream is to run away to the woods, picking berries and fresh flowers, this is the most definitely the style for you.