Coquette: Embracing Femininity or Adhering to the Male Gaze?

The coquette aesthetic is taking the world by storm, with 1.6M posts using #coquette on TikTok and over 18 billion views. The aesthetic embraces femininity at its core, inspired by romanticism, vintage fashion and focuses on girlhood and youth. But is it as innocent as it appears?

With light pink motifs, frills, lace and bows galore, the trend has been picked up on the runway and by popular clothing brands like Urban Outfitters and Motel Rocks. Not dissimilar to trends such as #balletcore, #cottagecore and #regencycore, it’s clear there has been a shift towards celebrating hyper-femininity in fashion.

So, where did this trend come from? In a literal sense, the term “coquette” comes from the French word for “flirt” originally aimed at men in the 1600s. Gradually the term developed in the 17th century to its definition in the Oxford English Dictionary as “a flirtatious woman” or “a woman who trifles with men’s affections”.  The trend has drawn influence from many different times in history, going all the way back to when the term was coined. The earliest influence on the trend dates back to the Rococo period (1730-1780). The style of this time heavily focused on extravagance, known for its use of bows, frills and lace. The robe à la française was introduced in this period, a gown with a low neckline and tight bodice, adorned with large ribbon bows, flowers and lace trim.

Trendsetter of her time, Queen Marie Antoinette, was and is to this day a huge influence of the coquette aesthetic, popularising the robe à la française and breaking the rules with her fashion choices. While her controversial style ruffled a few too many feathers in her time, her use of florals, pastels, lace and pearls as decoration, whether in her hairstyles or gowns, has undoubtedly made her a fashion icon.

https://www.thecollector.com/marie-antoinette-controversial-fashion-queen/

Fast forward to today and there are further influences on the trend. Sofia Coppola’s depictions of young girls in her films, from Marie Antoinette (2006) to The Virgin Suicides (2000) and the 2022 film Priscilla, are heavily inspired by the style of the Rococo era, with her soft, youthful style emulated in the clothes the characters wear. They have in turn become further inspiration themselves on the evolution of the coquette aesthetic.  

Designer, Simone Rocha, is a perfect example of incorporating the trend into her designs, as can be seen in her Spring/Summer ’24 collection. Inspired by the Victorian Era and romanticism, she uses fabrics like sheer tulle and soft pink satin, floral motifs and ribbon bows that evoke the coquette style.

With its historical meaning and implications, you can see then why the trend has found itself under fire. Many critics of the trend have voiced concerns over the idea that the trend is appealing to the male gaze and reintroducing sexist standards for women.

The child-like influence mixed with the seductiveness of the coquette trend has also been called into question, as the style has been accused of infantilising women and sexualising young girls. Some argue coquette is a rebrand of the Lolita aesthetic or “nymphette”, popular on Tumblr in 2010 for encouraging eating disorders. This refers to the Japanese style that takes inspiration from the novel by Vladamir Nabokov of the same name, in which an older man becomes obsessed and grooms an 11-year-old girl. It is hard to differentiate whether embracing girlhood and femininity is really an empowering movement for women or pandering to male conceived stereotypes.

Despite the controversial background and influence on the aesthetic, Gen Z have put a whole new twist on coquette. The term has been reinvented to be more inclusive and empowering, unlike its historical meaning, breaking down the stereotype that girly, feminine women need to present themselves as more masculine to be taken seriously or appear strong. Just look at Elle Woods!

Let’s be honest, women will never be able to escape the male gaze and the societal beauty standards imposed on them. It is important, however, to encourage women and people of all genders to express themselves in a way that they find empowering, whether that is dressing girly or subverting gender roles with more masculine looks.