What Is My Aesthetic?

Take this quiz to find out!

By now you’ve probably heard someone say “My aesthetic is definitely cottagecore!” or “You look like an e-girl!”, but what does it mean? And how do you determine your aesthetic? It can be hard to figure out, but we’ve made this quiz to help you better understand!

See if, at your core, your aesthetic is e-girl, Y2k, cottagecore, or dark academia.

Four women with different fashionable looks stand in a row in front of a brick wall, smiling at the camera.

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Questions Overview

1. How would people describe you?
  1. Kind.
  2. An old soul.
  3. Edgy.
  4. Bubbly.
2. What song has to be on your playlist?
  1. Cardigan by Taylor Swift.
  2. Baby One More Time by Britney Spears.
  3. Take Me to Church by Hozier.
  4. Brutal by Olivia Rodrigo.
3. If you were to make a TV show, what would it be about?
  1. A time travel piece about friendship.
  2. A rom-com about finding love in the city.
  3. A mystery-thriller set in an English boarding school.
  4. A fast paced, action show with a revenge plot.
4. It’s midnight and your friends want you to come out. Do you?
  1. I wouldn’t even see the text until the morning – I passed out at 9pm!
  2. I’ve been waiting all night for this text. Of course!
  3. I’m lost in a great book, maybe another night.
  4. Give me 5 seconds to wing my eyeliner and I’m there.
5. What would you do if you knew nobody would judge you?
  1. Run away to a rural cabin and spend my days harvesting vegetables.
  2. Wear my lowest low-rise jeans and my shortest crop top together.
  3. Buy every beautiful journal I see.
  4. Dye my hair a different color every other week.
6. What’s most important to you?
  1. My family is my top priority.
  2. Standing out and being unique.
  3. Getting the most out of my education.
  4. Being my authentic self no matter what.
7. Who is your favorite superhero?
  1. Captain America.
  2. Iron Man.
  3. Batman.
  4. Black Widow.
8. If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
  1. The coast of Italy.
  2. New York City, baby!
  3. London, of course.
  4. Tokyo is the dream!
9. What is your most vivid childhood memory?
  1. Playing house in the backyard with my siblings.
  2. Dressing up in my mom’s clothes and heels.
  3. Going to piano lessons.
  4. Having my first crush.
10. What type of routine do you follow on a daily basis?
  1. No routine! I let the day come, and I go with the flow.
  2. I like to start my day with a nice morning workout and end it hanging out with friends.
  3. A strict routine makes sure I’m able to finish the day’s to-do list.
  4. I like to play some video games during the day before heading to my date in the evening.
11. What’s your go-to party attire?
  1. Give me anything with frills and I’m ready to go!
  2. A good square-toed heel can make the night.
  3. You can’t go wrong with an oversized blazer!
  4. My graphic tee never lets me down.
12. What drink would you order at a cafe?
  1. An Arnold Palmer always hits the spot.
  2. A matcha latte with vanilla syrup please!
  3. Anything to keep me awake.
  4. I always get a cappuccino for the latte art.
13. It’s movie night! What film are you watching with your pals?
  1. Tuck Everlasting.
  2. Spirited Away.
  3. Bring It On.
  4. Anything from the Harry Potter saga.
14. What poster are you hanging up in your room?
  1. A poster featuring an array of herbs.
  2. A poster of Hatsune Miku.
  3. A poster of the Powerpuff Girls.
  4. A poster of an old book page with a skull drawn overtop.
15. Pick a film character:
  1. Totoro from “My Neighbor Totoro.”
  2. Ramona Flowers from “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.”
  3. Elle Woods from “Legally Blonde.”
  4. Will from “Good Will Hunting.”

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You should look into taking yourself on an afternoon picnic<\/a>, baking delicious focaccia bread<\/a>, or pressing the flowers<\/a> from your morning walks.","edit_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Plan-a-Picnic"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Make-Bread-from-Scratch"}],"link_data":[{"title":"How to Plan the Perfect Picnic","id":372696,"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Plan-a-Picnic","image":"\/images\/thumb\/f\/f4\/Plan-a-Picnic-Step-17.jpg\/-crop-200-200-200px-Plan-a-Picnic-Step-17.jpg","alt":"How to Plan the Perfect Picnic"},{"title":"How to Make Bread from Scratch","id":5265,"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Make-Bread-from-Scratch","image":"\/images\/thumb\/4\/4c\/Make-Bread-from-Scratch-Step-11-Version-3.jpg\/-crop-200-200-200px-Make-Bread-from-Scratch-Step-11-Version-3.jpg","alt":"How to Make Bread from Scratch"}],"minimum":0},{"text":"Your aesthetic is E-girl!","meaning":"You are not afraid to subvert expectations! You\u2019re daring and unique. You love the feeling of all eyes on you, and inspire others to feel just as comfortable in their own skin. You enjoy the thrill of competition and the romance of a midnight city stroll. You like getting to know new people and will always fight for what you believe in. You should look into dyeing your hair at home<\/a>, learning Japanese<\/a>, and wearing jean chains<\/a>.","edit_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Dye-Your-Hair-at-Home"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Learn-Japanese"}],"link_data":[{"title":"How to Dye Your Hair at Home","id":2697996,"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Dye-Your-Hair-at-Home","image":"\/images\/thumb\/4\/40\/Dye-Your-Hair-at-Home-Step-23.jpeg\/-crop-200-200-200px-Dye-Your-Hair-at-Home-Step-23.jpeg","alt":"How to Dye Your Hair at Home"},{"title":"How to Learn Japanese","id":20806,"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Learn-Japanese","image":"\/images\/thumb\/c\/ca\/Learn-Japanese-Step-10-Version-2.jpg\/-crop-200-200-200px-Learn-Japanese-Step-10-Version-2.jpg","alt":"How to Learn Japanese"}],"minimum":0},{"text":"Your aesthetic is Y2K!","meaning":"You\u2019re the main character. A confident gem! You\u2019re not afraid to stand out, and you love a good challenge. You\u2019re innovative and not afraid to try new things. You encourage those around you to get out of their comfort zones, and you bring out the best in them. You\u2019re a creative at heart, and you have a vast imagination that sometimes gets you lost in your own head.You should look into making your own unique beaded bracelets<\/a>, treating yourself to an at-home manicure<\/a>, or tailoring vintage clothes<\/a> to fit you perfectly.","edit_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Make-a-Beaded-Bracelet"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Give-Yourself-a-Manicure"}],"link_data":[{"title":"DIY Bracelets with Beads for Beginners & Beyond","id":67226,"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Make-a-Beaded-Bracelet","image":"\/images\/thumb\/a\/a4\/Make-a-Beaded-Bracelet-Step-21-Version-2.jpg\/-crop-200-200-200px-Make-a-Beaded-Bracelet-Step-21-Version-2.jpg","alt":"DIY Bracelets with Beads for Beginners & Beyond"},{"title":"How to Give Yourself a Manicure","id":39121,"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Give-Yourself-a-Manicure","image":"\/images\/thumb\/d\/d2\/Give-Yourself-a-Manicure-Step-20-Version-7.jpg\/-crop-200-200-200px-Give-Yourself-a-Manicure-Step-20-Version-7.jpg","alt":"How to Give Yourself a Manicure"}],"minimum":0},{"text":"Your aesthetic is Dark Academia!","meaning":"You're a calm and wistful person. You enjoy a hot tea on a rainy morning, and winding down with a bit of Shakespeare before bed. You\u2019re thoughtful, and you often find clarity by the seaside. Those around you seek you out for your empathy and sincere advice. Your maturity and seriousness is often labeled as mysterious, but, once people get to know you, they see your warm excitement for your niche academic interests.You should look into bullet journaling<\/a>, calligraphy, and experimenting with wax seals<\/a>.","edit_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Bullet-Journal"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Dark-Academia"}],"link_data":[{"title":"A Beginner's Guide to Bullet Journaling","id":7703033,"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Bullet-Journal","image":"\/images\/thumb\/6\/66\/Bullet-Journal-Step-16-Version-6.jpg\/-crop-200-200-200px-Bullet-Journal-Step-16-Version-6.jpg","alt":"A Beginner's Guide to Bullet Journaling"},{"title":"An Introduction to Dark Academia","id":14176464,"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Dark-Academia","image":"\/images\/thumb\/8\/8e\/Dark-Academia-Step-2.jpeg\/-crop-200-200-200px-Dark-Academia-Step-2.jpeg","alt":"An Introduction to Dark Academia"}],"minimum":0}]" class="quiz_results_data"/>\"What<\/picture>","alt":"What Is My Color Aura Quiz"},{"title":"What Zodiac Sign Am I Quiz","id":13284573,"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/What-Zodiac-Sign-Am-I-Quiz","image":"\"What<\/picture>","alt":"What Zodiac Sign Am I Quiz"},{"title":"What Vibe Do I Give Off Quiz","id":13381647,"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/What-Vibe-Do-I-Give-Off","image":"\"What<\/picture>","alt":"What Vibe Do I Give Off Quiz"}],"number":1},{"text":"I'm interested in learning more about my relationships with other people.","result":"Great! 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Get to Know the Aesthetics

What is an aesthetic? The word aesthetic refers to the nature of physical beauty and the expressions of judgment through taste. The term was popularized by platforms such as Tumblr, Instagram, and Pinterest, and described anything that was “pleasing to look at”.

Think beach sunsets, pale pantone colors, and cityscapes. Now aesthetic has come to mean a collection of images, colors, objects, or music that evoke a certain emotion or create community. You’ve probably heard the expression “aesthetic core”. This refers to personal aesthetic categories like angelcore, softcore, light academia, grunge, fairycore, grandmacore, VSCO girl, and twee. While there are many aesthetic categories, the most popular are cottagecore, dark academia, Y2K, and e-girl. Let’s dig into them!

Cottagecore - Cottagecore is inspired by a romanticization of western agricultural life. It’s a nature-based aesthetic, and it is rooted in visuals of domestic life. Popular activities are hanging up laundry, foraging, baking, and sewing. Colors representative of cottagecore are brown, olive, baby pink, light yellow, and sky blue. The clothing one wears is loose, long and flowy. The style is dominated by linen, denim overalls, puffy sleeves, gingham, and stripes.

Dark Academia - Dark academia revolves around academics, classical literature, and self-discovery. It represents a high class and vintage style full of sweater vests, blazers, trousers, pleated skirts, and loafers. Letter writing, reading, making tea, dreary weather, and indulging in classical or instrumental music is popular within this aesthetic. Dark academia images are rich with gold, burgundy, forest green, dark orange, cream, and black.

Y2K - This aesthetic category is nostalgic of the early 2000s. Complete with low rise jeans, bright colors, and matching coordinating sets, Y2K encapsulates the futuristic and innovative feeling of its callback year. Images of Y2K contain chrome, icy blue, glossy white, and black linework. The fashion has chunky, colorful rings, skinny sunglasses, mini-skirts, and platform heels. Fun activities within this aesthetic are playing with Tamagotchis, creating graphic flyers, and going to the mall.

E-Girl - E-girl, or “electronic girl”, is an aesthetic category used to describe young women who participate heavily in online culture such as anime, gaming, Kpop, or Discord. The fashion style is alternative, and heavily influenced by the grunge, goth, or emo look. For example, it includes heavy eyeliner and dyed streaks of hair. Visuals within this category are checkered patterns, neon lights, and desaturated images. Activities within this category include streaming on Twitch or Youtube, making TikToks, and experimenting with makeup.

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