Soft girl

Soft girl or softie describes a youth subculture that emerged among Gen Z young women around mid-to late-2019. Soft girl is a fashion style and a lifestyle, popular among Gen Z young women on social media, based on a deliberately cutesy, feminine look with a "girly girl" attitude. Being a soft girl also may involve a tender, sweet, and sensitive personality.^[1]

The soft girl aesthetic is a subculture that found predominant popularity through the social media app TikTok. Singer-songwriter Ariana Grande has been credited with popularizing the soft girl aesthetic.^[2]

Aesthetics

The trend consists mainly of soft pastel colors, Y2K, anime, K-pop, and 1990s-inspired clothing, as well as cute and nostalgic prints with flowers and hearts, stuffed animals, fluffy pillows, and other soft and cuddly items. It parallels some of the Kawaii-centric aesthetics in Japan but with a more subdued look.^[3]

See also

• Balletcore
• Barbiecore
• Coquette aesthetic
• E-girls and e-boys
• Fairy Kei
• Girly girl
• Girly Kei
• Gyaru
• Kawaii fashion
• Scene (subculture)
• Shushu/Tong
• VSCO girl