Spring Break is in the air this week. All around campus, Buckeyes are scrambling to pack for trips, mentally checking out of classes, and gearing up to get out of Columbus as soon as humanly possible.
This time last year, students still followed mask restrictions and other Covid-19-related protocols. So in a lot of ways, this is our first restriction-less Spring Break since the pandemic. As the anticipation builds, let’s take a minute to think about what this means for Spring Breakers and what we can expect from trends as a result.
For the last year or so, we’ve seen the Clean Girl Aesthetic take over college women’s style. The light makeup, slicked hair, and minimalistic outfits have made women feel more put together and, well, clean. However, this aesthetic has received backlash for being exclusive and unattainable. So, where do we go from here as this widespread trend makes its exit?
Well, in the world of influencers, we’re seeing a new group of it-girls like Alix Earle and Xandra Pohl bring back a messy party-girl aesthetic. As we watch our favorite creators come home from the club at 5 am to make it to class at 9 am, we’re shifting into a more colorful and relatable way to approach the early-20s lifestyle.
This isn’t the first time the party-girl aesthetic has emerged. The last comparable surge was in the 2013-2015 era when our favorite stars were in their messiest phases. Miley Cyrus was loudly escaping from her Disney persona, Selena Gomez and Vanessa Hudgens shocked their young audience with the Spring Breakers movie, and countless other stars were showing us the messy side of early adulthood. It’s no secret that trends recycle over time, and our generation is now experiencing this era first-hand instead of watching our role models do it.
So, what’s so different about this new version of the messy era? I’d argue that there’s far more female empowerment here than there was last time around. While young adult stars were once torn down for not being good role models for young girls, today’s creators are praised for being honest with their viewers. Female friendship is also a key part of the new party-girl persona. Our beloved Alix Earle is known for prioritizing her girlfriends and has kept them close to her as her fame has skyrocketted. She is constantly referred to as a “girls’ girl” and other influencers are now being held to this same standard.
So as we all get ready for our first real Spring Break since Covid-19, let’s keep encouraging the women around us to (safely) enjoy this time with our friends. There’s no doubt this Spring Break will be one to remember, especially since it’s happening at a time when making memories with your friends is trending.
