Alyssa Chalmers
This rising trend is probably one of my favourites to see gain internet popularity as of late. Blokette is defined as a feminine twist on the popular ‘bloke core’ aesthetic that has been all over social media for the last couple months, or at least on my side of the internet. However, I believe the new blokette trend could hold importance for the future of fashion and the force behind trends.
The bloke aesthetic, put simply, is just the style of your average British teen boy or your average ‘bloke’. To capture this, throw on a pair of baggy or straight legged jeans, a windbreaker, and a soccer jersey, branded tee or zip up, until you look like circa 2012 me. Pair this outfit with some Adidas or Nike sneakers and you’re golden. Revival of fashion trends from previous decades is a staple pattern of fashion in the 21st century, and bloke core isn’t any exception. This aesthetic borrows from Britain in the 1990’s. Many aspects of British 90s pop culture are making a resurgence, specifically the music, so of course the fashion comes with!
Earlier definitions of blokette encapsulate what I stated before; that it’s the slight feminization of bloke core. Both these aesthetics, bloke and blokette, have been circulating online for years. However recently they have been given more online recognition, promoted by celebrities like Bella Hadid, and recycled through countless tiktok videos.
Blokette swaps jeans for skirts, and maybe a pair of high socks, emulating an athletic yet stylish look that doesn’t stray too far from the male counterpart. However, why does there need to be a distinction between bloke and blokette if they are so similar?
Recently I’ve seen creators online taking blokette to another, more unique level. Not that blokette isn’t something interesting on its own, but I just resonate more with this new take on the trend. I’ve seen many videos and images of an aesthetic that resembles something closer to a mix of bloke and ‘coquette’. The coquette (I’m sorry I know how much of a buzz word this is, please bear with me) aesthetic emphasizes bows, ribbons and lace in shades of white and pink. As well as skirts and tiny intricate florals, mixed with leg warmers and tights. Coquette idealizes being dainty and fragile, and has turned into an arguably toxic definition of femininity. However the blokette I know and love, borrows the hyper feminine and soft style from coquette and combines it with the more masculine bloke aesthetic. The dichotomy between these two looks, both masculine and feminine, look so good when combined in a single outfit. Who doesn’t want to see hair bows paired with a soccer jersey? Like hello?? I’m being completely serious by the way. The feminine, contrasted with more masculine clothing like athletic wear, make for a very interesting outfit in my opinion. If you’re not a huge fan of the soccer jersey look (like me), I’ve seen shirts being swapped for branded tees or other jackets as well. I’m predicting that this trend will stick to some extent, but the jerseys will be the first thing to go.
As old trends become new again, we see that fashion is constantly reinventing itself. With the rise of blokette and bloke fashion, as well as everything in between, the importance of establishing your own style and knowing what you like comes to pass. I do like bloke core. However, it is so simple that the characterization of it as an ‘aesthetic’ seems so strange to me. What do you mean you’re ‘bloke core’? You’re wearing a t-shirt and jeans. Coining clothing as a ‘core’ is seen all over the internet, and to such an extent that I don’t think any piece of clothing can not fall in a ‘core’ category (ie. Tumblr core, gorp core, etc). Turning everything into a ‘core’ is cringe, but I guess this is the hell the internet has created for us to live in.
Though blokette perpetuates a similar narrative of mind numbing trend following, I think something within it helps to promote individualism as well. The overall criteria that bloke and blokette both hold is to promote a somewhat sporty, athletic look, that can (maybe) also be stylish. Blokette’s combination of traditional ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’ style, it’s not necessarily something new or ground breaking. However it sort of points out the extremes between the two sides, and I think their combination is something very different from what is the norm today.
Mainly this trend allows room to make it your own. As I type this I know I sound ridiculous and contradictory. Like yess a trend that lets you express your own style?? Omg! What I mean is that blokette allows for many different pieces to be experimented with and is easy to accessorize how you would like. It is kind of spelt out for you, but the range of feminine and masculine clothing being paired together, allows a lot of room for personal self expression. The mixing of trends such as this one, can just be seen as your own personal style. Wear what you want of course, don’t succumb to every trend you see please. Taking pieces from trends you admire and combining them on your own is how you build your own style.
I do really love that this trend has a more unique take on what fashion is, and what it can be. I feel like I’ve been searching for a word for this style for years. Even though I hate the idea of trends coming and going so quickly, and being recycled over and over again, I do love this British 90s revival. Long live the Brits!
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