soft girl

Soft girl is a cute, gentle aesthetic built on pastel colours, playful prints, rosy blush and sweet accessories. The vibe is innocent, cheerful and a little nostalgic.

What is the soft girl aesthetic?

A soft girl dresses and decorates in a way that feels sweet and dreamy: baby-pink and lilac outfits, heart and cloud patterns, oversized sweaters and plenty of hair clips. Makeup is light but noticeably rosy, with heavy blush across the cheeks and nose and glossy lips. Wikipedia credits singer Ariana Grande with helping to popularise it.

The soft girl look

• Colours: pastel pink, baby blue, lavender, mustard yellow.
• Prints: hearts, flowers, clouds, strawberries.
• Clothes: baggy sweaters, tennis skirts, overalls, cropped cardigans.
• Accessories: hair clips, scrunchies, small backpacks, plush toys in photos.

How to use soft girl

• “Her room is so soft girl, everything is pink and fluffy.”
• “I’m wearing my soft girl outfit for the picnic.”
• “Pastel nails and heart clips, very soft girl.”

Soft girl vs. e-girl

Both took off on TikTok in 2019 and both use heavy blush, but the moods are opposite. Soft girl is sweet and pastel; e-girl is edgier, with black clothes, chains and emo influences.

Where soft girl comes from

According to Dictionary.com, the soft girl style took off in 2019, and its first Urban Dictionary entry appeared that April. Wikipedia describes it as a Gen Z subculture that emerged that year, mainly on TikTok.

Related terms

• E-girl: the edgier 2019 counterpart.
• Coquette: bows, lace and pastels.
• VSCO girl: another 2019 internet style.
• Decora: colourful, accessory-heavy Harajuku style.

See more terms like this in our internet aesthetics guide.