fairycore

Fairycore is a fantasy aesthetic inspired by fairy and elf folklore: flowers, butterflies, soft pastels, gauzy fabrics and, for the committed, actual wings. The goal is to look like you just wandered out of an enchanted forest.

What fairycore looks like

• Flowy dresses in tulle, silk, lace and crochet
• Hazy pastels mixed with earthy greens and browns
• Butterflies, flowers, mushrooms and moss as motifs
• Flower crowns, glitter, elf ears and wings for the full effect

There’s also a darker cousin, fairy grunge (or grunge fairycore), which swaps the pastels for jewel tones and adds leg warmers and platform boots.

Examples

• “Flower crown, lace dress, glitter on the cheekbones. Fairycore, obviously.”
• “Her whole Pinterest board is fairycore and mushroom cottages.”
• “I wanted fairy grunge but ended up looking like I lost a fight with a hedge.”

Where it came from

Nobody is credited with the name. FASHION magazine says it first took off on TikTok in 2020, and by May 2022 the beauty site BEAUTYcrew reported that the trend’s TikTok hashtag had passed a billion views. It sits in the same family as cottagecore and goblincore; Dictionary.com describes it as a blend of the two.

It has reached the red carpet too. Teen Vogue pointed to several 2024 Met Gala looks as fairycore, including Karol G’s fairy ears and Ariana Grande’s wing-like cheekbone details.

Fairycore vs. cottagecore vs. goblincore

• Cottagecore: rustic, domestic country life, no magic involved.
• Fairycore: the same countryside, but enchanted.
• Goblincore: the muddy, grubby forest floor.

Related terms

• cottagecore: idealized country living
• goblincore: moss, mushrooms and shiny trinkets
• coquette: bows, lace and pastels
• soft girl: cute, pastel style
• balletcore: ballet-inspired fashion

See more terms like this in our internet aesthetics guide.