The “clean girl aesthetic” has been running rampant on social media for far too long. But it’s time is coming to an end, and that’s all thanks to its rival – recession pop.
This trend has been making waves. People are rediscovering over-the-top makeup, loud pop music, and clubbing without shame. It serves as the perfect antithesis to the beige, image obsessed culture of ‘clean girl’ influencers, and I’m so excited about it.
I don’t want to hear another ‘come with me to my 6 am yoga class’, ‘come with me to try the new oat matcha latte’, ‘get ready with me while I tie a high pony and walk around my soul-less apartment.’ I’m sick of it.
The beauty of recession pop is that it’s not aesthetically pleasing. It’s not profitable either, as cheap makeup, off brand vodka and dance music are all widely available. Those airbrushed tiktoks don’t work with recession pop; instead of a relaxing GRWM it’s a chaotic, drunken process with a poorly lit mirror and Pitbull in the background, possibly friends bursting into the room with a ‘cocktail’ that tastes like petrol.
On the other hand, being a “clean girl” is something you can buy, and that’s what bothers me the most. Every aspect consists of paid promotions and partnerships, all in the influencer’s bio, be it a sleep mask, a new viral bottle (special offer – link in our bio), the same yoga pants that everyone else has, and so on. But times change and thank god for that.
Recession pop doesn’t indulge in this kind of rampant consumerism, because it’s all about making do with very little. Repeating the same clubbing outfits and finding ways to be a bit cheap is what it’s all about, understandably, as the trend was born out of financial hardship.
People are rediscovering over-the-top makeup, loud pop music, and clubbing without shame.
Its background is also why I have faith in recession pop to restore some authenticity. That era of pop culture, we’re talking 2008 to 2013, didn’t have social media on the same scale as we do today. ‘Influencers’ didn’t exist. Nobody was posting photos from the club on their story because stories weren’t even a thing.
Our obsession with showing off on social media has taken away our ability to just enjoy something for the sake of it. We don’t see influencers getting sh*t faced at the club. Do you know who we DID see getting sh*t faced at the club? Paris Hilton. Lady Gaga. Kim K. Recession pop is telling us that just because we don’t see it anymore on social media, doesn’t mean we can’t be authentic in enjoying ourselves, even when it doesn’t look aesthetic.
‘Come with me for my morning cardio routine.’ No need. I ran from the club to my house at 4 am. ‘Guys you have to try this new snack.’ No thanks. I got a kebab on the way. ‘Check out my business casual haul.’ Again, no thanks. I’ve got some random second hand top on. And guess what, I’m having an absolute blast at a fraction of the price, while being myself.
We’re only in our 20’s, and to be honest, that’s how life should be at that age. Thank you, recession pop.
