Just as the 1960s had hippies, the 1970s had punks, the 2010s has VSCO girls - a fashion subculture popular with Gen Z-ers.
Characterised by a comfy, easy breezy California aesthetic, the distinctive style is something of a reaction to the more excessive glam popularised by Instagram.
Dubbed everything from the “new girl next door” look to a (less flattering) "basic" aesthetic, VSCO girl culture can be viewed as a successor to the early Noughties “tumblr girl” aesthetic.
As with Tiktok’s new Gen Z “egirl” trend, VSCO girls are a social media phenomenon with major influencers adopting and championing the style: including unofficial VSCO girl empress and YouTuber Emma Chamberlain and postar Ariana Grande (when she's not glammed up for the red carpet.)
In fact, the movement is so popular that it’s even birthed a number of TikTok parodies and quizzes to discover how much of a VSCO girl you are - for reference, this writer scored a solid 63%.
For more on how to spot a VSCO girl in the wild (or even how to become one), here’s more on the trend.
What is VSCO?
To understand VSCO girls, you need to know what VSCO actually means. VSCO is actually the name of a photo editing app popular with social media users, which provides a number of filters to help give Instagram posts that dreamy golden tone that VSCO girls are so fond of.
YouTube Liza Koshy, who has a carefully curated and edited Instagram feed, revealed that she is a VSCO girl in a recent interview. When asked how she edits her pictures, she said, "Um on VSCO, I am a VSCO girl, I’m sorry."
"I don’t have many scrunchies but I do edit all my photos on VSCO," she finished.
VSCO, which stands for Visual Supply Company, also has its own social media platform which has become increasingly popular with American teenagers.
According to VSCO co-founder Joel Florey, its user base is “almost entirely 13 to 24-year-old females” and unlike other platforms has no public like or follower counters, diminishing pressure to 'clout chase' for likes and followers.
For those who don’t want to be called out by the kids, VSCO is pronounced 'vis-co.'
How to be a VSCO girl
VSCO girls have a very distinctive look - with very specific accessories, make-up products, styling choices and brands that they turn to for their #OOTDs.
If socks and sandals have never been your thing, you’ll want to look away as wearing Birkenstocks or Crocs with high socks is a go-to staple.
While many like Emma Chamberlain favour the Nike swoosh on their socks, Grande put her own spin on the style with a recent selfie which divided the Internet (but spoke to VSCO girls' souls).
Trainers including Converse and Vans are also classic footwear choices.
Oversized shirts and denim shorts are also popular choices for VSCO girls, preferably from brands such as Urban Outfitters and Brandy Melville.
One major investment a VSCO girl is likely to make is a Fjallraven Kanken bag, a mid-range backpack slightly out of the price range for most teenagers.
Other must-have accessories include conch shell chokers (reminiscent of the early Noughties puka shell necklaces beloved by Prince Harry), colourful friendship bracelets, round sunglasses and multiple rainbow hair scrunchies - ideal for putting your hair up into a messy bun.
VSCO girls wield colourful hydroflasks like influencers carry Dior saddle bags at fashion week, generally covered in vibrant stickers. Just as the world has become more eco-conscious, they also pair their refillable water bottles with reusable metal straws.
On the tech side, a VSCO girl purchases things like pop sockets for their smartphones and Apple airpod headphones.
The aesthetic lifestyle also branches into skincare and make-up brands, as products from Mario Badescu (purchased at Urban Outfitters) and Glossier are big favourites.
Glossier's Cloud Paint blush and lip gloss are generally picked for a minimal and dewy style for a natural look.
Lip balms from the likes of Carmex and Burt's Bees are often in a VSCO girl's beauty bag. VSCO girls take time for self-care with a face masks from Asian beauty brands, particularly TonyMoly.
Beyond material objects, VSCO girl lingo includes “sksksk” as well as the popular meme catchphrase “and I oop” in real life.
“And I oop” is a phrase that was coined by drag queen Jasmine Masters in a viral video, uttered when Masters accidentally injured herself on camera.
Taking pictures of sunsets is a classic VSCO girl move. So is owning a skateboard.
As with the more positivity-driven ethos behind the VSCO photo sharing platform, the VSCO girl ethos is to promote a more welcoming and positive social media presence online - with accounts full of inspirational quotes and the quintessential "good vibes only" declaration.
VSCO girl checklist
Ready to go out and live your best VSCO girl life? Here’s what you’ll need in your arsenal...
Nike Every Essential Crew Socks
£12.99 | Office | Buy it now
Levi's 501 High-Rise Denim Shorts
Complete with VSCO girl styling
£35 | Urban Outfitters | Buy it now
Brandy Melville Penelope Electric Motor 72' Top
£18 | Brandy Melville | Buy it now
Topshop Conch Shell Necklace
£10 | Topshop | Buy it now
Fjallraven Classic Kanken Backpack
£63 | ASOS | Buy it now
Glossier Lip Gloss
£11 | Glossier | Buy it now
Hydro Flask Water Bottle
£30.93 | Amazon | Buy it now
Topshop Pack of 3 Bright Hair Scrunchies
£9 | Topshop | Buy it now
Arizona Birko-Flor Sandals
£55 | Birkenstock | Buy it now
