The Rise of Cottagecore Fashion, And How You Can Get The Look

The up-and-coming “cottagecore” is becoming all the rage on social media, and we are here for it! This is an aesthetic that idealizes a simple, pastoral lifestyle: living in a cottage, raising animals, growing plants, baking bread, drying flowers, making gam, embroidery, reading books, and most importantly, dressing sustainably and beautifully. 

Cottagecore has made its way on the scene for a few reasons, COVID-19 being one of the major ones. (The rise of Animal Crossing could be another.) Living in a cottage alone in the woods would allow for "social distancing" whilst allowing us to take control of our environment and breathe in the fresh air. The cottagecore vibe is both grounded in reality and also escaping into a more fantastical world, which focuses on calming and creative hobbies. In the same vein, cottagecore is a sustainable and environmentally-friendly lifestyle that encourages a happier and healthier version of our planet.

For more info, check out this interesting article about the calming ethos of cottagecore. 

The Cottagecore Look

At Current Boutique, we’ve been excited to see this new movement towards eco-friendly ways of living and dressing. And at the same time encouraging a new fashion aesthetic that we cannot get enough of. Cottagecore has that “running through the woods in a ballgown” sort of feel, which is both fun and elegant. We’re seeing a lot of cottagecore fans are moving away from more casual dress (likely in an effort to escape the sweats from our early WFH coronavirus days) and instead focusing on more formed and feminine silhouettes. Cottagecore fashion is a reminder that even when we’re isolated at home, we can still look and feel our best. 

Some of the fashion elements of cottagecore include:

• Floral or fruity patterns
• Long, flowy dresses
• Milkmaid necklines
• Puff sleeves
• Ruffles
• Midi dresses
• ‘70s inspired dresses
• Lace trim 
• Denim (in unexpected ways)
• Feminine silhouettes

Here are some easy ways you can incorporate this aesthetic into your wardrobe.  

1. Dress for happiness

Cottagecore is first and foremost about enjoying life’s most mundane tasks, which includes getting dressed in the morning. What you wear has a direct impact on how you feel and how you act – so dress the part for a good day! If you dress in a flowy skirt, chances are you’ll be twirling and dancing in it all day long. Get on those overalls and your plants will be calling your name. Throw on a floral top and you're ready for a picnic in the park.

Dress in a way that makes you happy and excited to wear clothing. Whether you like the cottagecore idea about slow living and rustic simplicity or you’re more about the urban lifestyle, dress for the life you want to live! Putting on clothes is the simplest, fastest, and most effective way to become whoever it is you want to be - whether it’s a princess in the woods, a boss lady in the city, or a farmer in the countryside. 

2. Choose sustainable

My favorite part about cottagecore is that it encourages a “slow” lifestyle, including “slow fashion”. Ironically, this trend is kind of an anti-trend. It focuses more on the timeless and natural elements of life that make our souls sing. It’s about selecting pieces that are going to be good for mother earth - and for your happiness -- in the long term.

One of our primary goals at Current Boutique is to offer sustainable fashion to consumers. We believe in purchasing and reusing quality clothing and accessories that will serve us for years to come. I created Current Boutique as a community for fashion lovers to bring in their pre-loved designer gems to be recycled into new-to-her designer outfits. When you shop at Current Boutique, you can feel confident that every purchase is just as sustainable as it is fun, exciting, and beautiful!

3. Try out floral patterns

Connect with nature through the clothing you wear. Floral patterns are both super trendy as well as timelessly everlasting because they are feminine and flattering. Everyone loves flowers, so putting flowers on your clothing is a way to embody the beauty and elegance of the flower yourself! For cottagecore fans, wearing florals and fruity patterns help connect to nature with wholesome and earthy symbols that are reminiscent of a more sustainable paradise. 

Check out our Fresh Florals collection to find new pieces that will fit this trend while also adding a lasting and timeless item to your wardrobe. 

4. Throw on your favorite lace piece

Lace is timeless, but it’s also become a trending part of cottagecore. We love lace here at Current Boutique because it instantly elevates the look and feel of any outfit. You can be in ripped jeans and slippers, but throw on a top with lace elements and you instantly have an outfit that looks purposeful and put-together. Cottagecore is bringing back a lot of delicate lace pieces, like lace sleeves and full-length overlay lace skirts. You can even put a lace scrunchie in your hair for a gorgeously feminine touch! The best part about lace is that it’s really hard to go wrong with how you wear it. As long as you feel good, lace will flatter you!

Want to introduce more lace into your wardrobe? Check out all of our trending lace pieces in our Lace Affair collection!

5. Wear more "cottagecore" sundresses

At the core of cottagecore are women running through flowered fields in flowing dresses as the sun peers down and the flowers smile up at them. No matter where in the world you live, you can introduce this fantastical element into your life by just throwing on your favorite sundress. Whenever I put on a sundress, I instantly feel happier and more energized, as though the sun has given me life through my outfit and I can take on the world!

Want a new sundress in your life? Check out our latest drop of stunning, sustainable sundresses here!

6. Be mindful of purchases 

Cottagecore is about bringing simplicity back into our lives. It's about buying things that make us happy while appreciating what we already have. The world is quickly moving away from disposable items and fast fashion, instead pushing us towards more long-lasting items. Being more mindful about what you buy and where you buy it from is the first step in moving towards the eco-friendly cottagecore ideal. This includes purchasing secondhand clothing that you can give renewed life as well as buying from small businesses that will have a direct impact on the income of employees and business owners. 

There can be a lot of highs and lows of owning a small business, but nothing makes me happier than when I hear beautiful women raving about the items they found in my stores or on our site. From women finding vintage pieces that remind them of their teenage years to cottagecore teens who have found their perfect lace sundress, nothing brings a greater smile to my face than our community of conscious consumers. We're here to offer the best designer pieces at the best prices, while making it easy for you to make sustainable clothing choices.

“You have to start romanticizing your life.” – Ashley Ward