How girls are defining their style based on VSCO filters
If you don’t have an aesthetic in this world, who are you?
Any girl who is up-to-date on all the social media trends has an Instagram aesthetic they hold close to them. It draws people into their profiles and gives lurkers an idea of who the girl is and what kind of life she lives. The aesthetic isn’t just a phase. It’s a lifestyle. Supposedly.
She has her favorite VSCO filters, posts pictures that match her ~true~ self, and sticks to her aesthetic like a true ride or die.
You know these girls. They’re all over your Instagram feed and Explore page, and they range from girls smiling with flowers in their hair to girls posted up with grills in their teeth. It all depends on what kind of aesthetic she has, but trust me, you’ve seen them all.
The Beach Babe
Everyone knows the beach babe who has a killer body and travels all over the world, posting bikini pics next to the bluest water imaginable. She usually rides penny boards and eats acai bowls for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Goals, am I right?
Mikaylee Dierking, a San Diego State University student and certified beach babe, has been near the ocean since birth. Born in Guam and raised in Southern California, Mikaylee keeps her roots close on Instagram by keeping her page tropical and beachy.
She fits her colorful VSCO aesthetic by keeping it cool in bikinis next to the ocean, using oversized flannels as beach coverups, and wearing floral rompers to Coachella. Her clothes are definitely casual and cute, which is exactly what is expected of a girl who spends her days at the beach. Her vibe is very California cool, and it’s amplified through her favorite filter.
“I like to be presentable of course, but I also love focusing on things that I do like being by the beach and radiating a carefree vibe,” Mikaylee says, “I want to show off the life I live and love by wearing bikinis and beachy clothes.”
“I always wear bright and colorful colors,” she continues, “They match my feed best because the filters I use turn up the color saturation. And I also love anything with floral on it because that’s another thing that reminds me of the beach.”
When asked about her favorite VSCO filter, Mikaylee tells all.
“I use C1 a lot! I focus on deep vibrant blue or green colors,” she says, “Or at least I try to. I want my Instagram to look beachy since it’s my favorite place in the world.”
And her Instagram certainly does look beachy as she posts pictures of her paddle boarding through Guam’s secret ocean canals, shredding the sidewalks of Newport Beach with palm trees behind her, and kissing her boyfriend in the blue San Diego waters.
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The Modern Day Goth Girl
You know that one girl with cherry earrings and checkered pants? Yeah, that’s the modern day vintage goth girl. Her shoes might be from the men’s section of Goodwill, and she probably painted all over the back of her denim jacket, and her nails are most definitely chipped black or red.
Jenny Liu, an art student at Parsons and Beijing native, is obsessed with the ‘90s and early 2000’s. Although her Instagram doesn’t fit an exact color scheme, it’s as vibrant and random as you would expect an art student’s to be, and red seems to be in very outfit she wears.
Her most used filters always bring out the pop of color that she chooses to wear that day. More often than not, it’s red, whether it be a small accessory of bows tied to her dress or very apparent in a bangin’ bodysuit. The rest of her outfit is kept black to make sure the statement color is the star of the show. And to keep her goth girl look alive, Jenny often posts pictures of herself in fishnets, nipple piercings, and lingerie because who gives a f*ck?
“I’m really into vintage clothing, so I’m always thrifting and finding clothes that look like they were from the 90’s or early 2000’s,” Jenny says, “Plus, they work with the look that I’m going for on my Instagram, which is edgy chic. The trend is in, too, to look like you were in a rap video and about to hit the club the same night.”
Her Instagram definitely shows off her baddie vibe.
“I feel like I’m really random and kinda just go with how I’m feeling that day,” Jenny spills, “I use A6 and C1 the most.”
“The filters make my pictures look grainy like they’re older even though they were shot digitally, so I love using them to match my throwback outfits,” she says.
Her edginess is even apparent in her bio, “all my friends are dead” and her profile picture of someone with custom designed braces. Catch Jenny at all the best concerts and private beach resorts on her Instagram serving goth chic looks.
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The 21 Year Old Wine Mom
It seems like more and more millennials are becoming wine moms at a rapidly increasing rate. And the thing is, most of us aren’t even moms. Yet we shop at Anthropologie and choose getting tipsy off of wine instead of chugging Four Lokos (no shade to you if you still do that, though) and look like we just married our old husbands for the money. Whatever.
Haley Jones, a Southern California native and student at Cal State University Channel Islands, just turned 21 and spent her birthday celebration wine-tasting at a vineyard in her floppy sunhat rather than getting turnt in Vegas. Her Instagram is warm and full of pictures of her sipping on wine, some fancy plants, and dreamy looking views. (It’s also private, so see photo of newly-minted actual wine mom Lauren Conrad above for an idea.)
The hazy, sunny theme throughout her pictures perfectly fits her outfit choices. Her favorite jeans seem to be either white or mom-ish, or both. Paired with a flowy blouse, floppy sunhat, and wine glass in hand, Haley embraces the ultimate bohemian, wine mom culture without actually being forty five and a mother of two.
“Lately I’ve been loving Italian and French styles for my clothes. This naturally fits with what environment I’m in, which is Orange County. I’m usually in Laguna, and you know it’s artsy and just beautiful there,” Haley says, “I think I try not to follow the aesthetic, but more try to work around it so it fits my style better.”
“I use the filter M5, but I only put it about half way,” Haley tells Galore. Good trick, Haley. Using the full effect would’ve been too harsh for your happy and warm vibes.
“I noticed before I used this filter, I wanted to wear bright clothes that stood out. Now I want to go for the very charming vibe with neutral colored outfits. And the scenery around me in my pictures has to flow well so the colors don’t clash with my outfit,” she adds.
Along with other people who use the same filter as Haley, you can expect pictures of coffee with insane latte art, the string lights at the cutest brunch spots, and of course the weekly #OOTW. It’s very Lauren Conrad-esque.
The Hype Bae
Those girls who hang out with rappers and go backstage are honestly my goal in life, but I’m not cool enough to be one of them. Their Instagram’s are full of pictures of them blowing O’s, looking fly as hell in designer sweatpants, and showing off their Life of Pablo hoodies. Expect their Instagram to have a lot of photos with fade on them, and the color scheme is almost always different hues of blue.
Savannah Nakasone, a Southern California based photographer, is dating an up-and-coming rapper, Wiim, and is always behind the scenes at his shows, taking pictures and hyping him up. Her Instagram is super urban and the pictures range from people smoking to girls lying on the beach.
How does Savannah’s personal style keep up with her favorite filter? She got herself tatted up against her parents’ wishes, got a matching grill fitted with her boyfriend, and is always rocking the tomboy look with oversized t-shirts. Her look tells the world that she’s one of the boys and a true badass.
“I think comfort is key in life, especially when you’re a photographer running around shooting people. How I look in my pictures is how I dress usually, and a lot of comfort is in big t-shirts and sweatpants. I’m just lucky those pieces are popping right now,” Savannah says.
“The people in my shots are very urban, so they all have that look to them. They’re the ones with cool hair and grills and fancy streetwear clothes. It’s all very good for the aesthetic I’m trying to reach,” she continues, “It’s a little gritty and out there, but I love it.”
“If I don’t like someone’s outfit for the picture, I’ll literally Photoshop the color of their shirt. It pisses me off so bad when their clothes don’t look right,” Savannah says.
“I most recently use 08 from the Legacy collection and F1 from Mellow Fade,” Savannah shares, “My feed is unique and relates to everyone. People will hopefully look at it and see themselves in it as well.”
Although a majority of her pictures aren’t of herself, they’re of equally as dope looking people, and that says a lot about what Savannah is interested in. Spending her time with musicians and models gives us an idea of who Savannah is- the cool girl who doesn’t need to be in the spotlight to make people aware of her chill hype bae status.
