Imitated on nearly every platform—from Instagram and Twitter to TikTok and, of course, YouTube—the wildly popular VSCO girl fad has been compared to “Instagram baddies” by BuzzFeed, defined as “the tumblr girls of 2019” on Urban Dictionary, and even described as a “highly aestheticized personal brand” by the New York Times.
What Exactly Is a VSCO Girl?
For starters, VSCO (most commonly pronounced “visco”) is a photo-editing app that adds whimsical, film-like effects to your smartphone pics. Simply named filters like A6 and C1 include hazy, grainy effects, rainbow light leaks, and dreamy baby blue and millennial pink washes. Created in 2011, VSCO is adjacent to Instagram in that users add tags to organize their photo posts, however likes and comments aren’t displayed. With 20 million weekly users, its popularity has soared in recent years. The self-proclaimed VSCO girls we interviewed attribute this to the app’s low-key user experience. No one is competing for influence here. “VSCO is such a great platform to post whatever you’d like and not worry about likes, dislikes, comments, or how many followers they have,” Instagram user @vsco_therapy, who prefers to remain anonymous, wrote in an email interview. “It’s a great platform for girls in that way, and I think [that] is the reason it became so popular.” The result is a purely artistic, personal, or colorful feed that hones in on the imagery. Or, in the case of most VSCO girls, the items within frame. They have, perhaps inadvertently, built a full-blown lifestyle around the app’s aesthetic—with particular brands in the spotlight and many VSCO girl memes across many social media platforms.
How Do You Create The VSCO Girl Aesthetic?
Mirroring their favorite filters, most VSCO girl posts feature teens dressed or holding items in the same muted colors: a gradient of soft cotton candy hues, a collection of warm earth tones, or even a full spectrum, albeit pale, rainbow. However, there is a very specific set of accessories deemed fashionable enough for the look—most of which you can, unsurprisingly, find in one stop to Urban Outfitters. In one spoof video (with over 989,000 views and counting) by 16-year-old YouTuber Mai Pham, she only half-jokingly fires off a lengthy VSCO girl checklist: “Puka shell necklaces, anklets, Hydroflask, scrunchies, Lululemon, oversize tees, Jeeps, sunsets, bonfires, Birkenstocks, wave rings, iced coffee, Carmex, acrylic nails, Glossier, Brandy Melville, Airpods, Polaroids, a trendy Bohemian bedroom, Mario Bedescu, Apple watch, Fjällräven backpacks, Lush, friendship bracelets.” But Mai missed a few key signifiers: reusable straws, Crocs, Sunbum sunscreen, faux tans, Vans slipons, and the occasional inspirational quote. From an outsider’s perspective, this is a cherry-picked mix of ’90s nostalgia, early aughts accessories, breezy beach style, and pricey Instagram influencer favorites, with a slight bend towards environmentalism. But it’s also a status symbol, a display of wealth and sometimes even excess. Many popular posts include a lineup of multiples: various college sweatshirts (no doubt also oversize, à la Ariana Grande), Burt’s Bees lip balms in every flavor, and stacks of Pura Vida bracelets. Instagrammer @vsco_therapy (39.7k followers) cosigns, and even echoes, that commentary. “It’s more physical appearance than anything,” she wrote. “I consider myself a VSCO girl on certain days. I make friendship bracelets, and have stickers on my water bottle, even though it’s not a Hydroflask. There are other days where no part of my outfit is ‘VSCO.’" VSCO itself stakes no claim to this phenomenon. “It’s actually teenage girls starting it,” VSCO Vice President of Communications Julie Inouye told the Times. “They started to tie in these things that they own.” Like any “it girl” trend, it’s equally exclusionary as it is seemingly relatable. After all, not everyone can afford $80 backpacks and $160 headphones, or fit Brandy Melville’s single sizing (typically small or extra-small).
What Do VSCO Girls Do?
In an age where aesthetic and content are king, perhaps it should come as no surprise that an online archetype has achieved such a cult-following. Not only do VSCO girls fulfill a certain look, they’ve also co-opted their favorite bits of internet culture, repeating the same phrases, partaking in the same “ultimate sleepovers,” and sipping the same pastel drinks from Starbucks. You’ve most likely seen or heard the constant murmur “sksksk” that no one can really define. Gaggles of VSCO girls constantly use the quote “and I oop!” from 2015 RuPaul’s Drag Race contestant Jasmine Masters, whose video resurfaced on Twitter earlier this year. No doubt in the next few months there will be another inexplicable catchphrase. Like trend forecaster Romney Jacobs told CNBC, “the VSCO girl is largely driven by a uniform look, and wanting to look exactly like you fit into a crowd.” Ultimately, the entire trend is like watching Eighth Grade unfold all over your social feeds—this time, with a little more caché. Curious if you should or shouldn’t share your kids’ faces on social media? Experts weigh in on the safest strategy here.
