Unlike the “clean girl” which, with its perfect skin, its carefully tackled hair and its matching look on its impeccably tidy interior, has dominated in recent years, the “Messy Girl”, or “Deposite girl”, embodies a more rock and disorderly aesthetic, way return of the evening.
A look adopted by the British singer Charli XCX, at the origin of the cousin trend “Brat”, or by her American counterpart Billie Eilish, and who seduces more and more.
On social networks, the hashtag #messygirl has thousands of views, partly popularized by the song “i’m too messy” by the British Lola Young.
On Tiktok, the “Clean Girl or Messy Girl” quiz, to determine which clan we belong, made the buzz.
Between the torn tights of Courtney Love in the 1990s, the Eye-Lord Digging of Amy Winehouse and the rain boots in the Kate Moss festival in the 2000-2010s, this “sublimated lever” is however nothing new, notes Sophie Abiat, French author specializing in fashion and luxury, with AFP.
“”The trend is a bit halfway between the+ soft grunge+ of the 2010 years and the+ Indie Sleaze+ (style that is both rock and bohemian, editor’s note) of the 2000s. Except that today, any trend goes to the algorithm filter and becomes a hashtag“She says.
Stylized burn-out
But more than just aesthetic, the “Messy Girl” personifies a lifestyle advocating letting go and self-acceptance.
“”It is aesthetics that celebrates imperfection, nonchalance, disorder, emotional vulnerability. (…) It presents itself as a criticism of hyper productivity but also injunctions and standards of beauty“Clean Girl,” analyzes Sophie Abiat.
“”It opposes the control an aesthetic of the flaw, chaos. A kind of stylized burn-out …“, She continues.
A carefully calibrated burnout. Indeed, behind the apparent spontaneity of the trend often hides a millimeter construction. Thus, the tutorials to make a makeup or create an “Messy Girl” outfit are multiplying.
The staging of absolute control by the “clean girl” succeeds “a sort of staging of the authentic”, notes Claire Roussel, a French journalist specializing in the impact of fashion. “Apparent chaos is often built,” says Sophie Abiat.
This orchestrated disorder supposed to be liberating does not seem to be accessible to all. “”We do not see a great feminist emancipation, because this trend is represented by white women, very thin, hyper heteronormated, celebrities like Kate Moss …“, Pointe Claire Roussel.
“”It is not a trend that thinks of diversity. In this sense, it is not particularly very feminist“, She believes.
Recovery
In addition, if the “Messy Girl” wants to extricate from dominant social norms, it does not escape the risk of recovery by the fashion and beauty industry.
“”It is the paradox: even the imperfection can be stylized, sold, editorialized, and that fashion brands have understood this“, observes Sophie Abiat.
The style “Indie Sleaze” was notably very present during the last Fashion Week women in Paris, with a lot of leather, the return of Slim pants or that of the message t-shirt, with the top “Je love Dior”, reinterpretation of the creation of former artistic director John Galliano.
However, the “Messy Girl” offers a significant breath of fresh air in a period that sees “very reactionary trends” emerge, like that of “tradwives”, these “traditional wives” at the home, or the return of pro-Anorexia content, says Claire Roussel.
“”If people find a trend that allows them to counter these hyper conservative injunctions and in a deeply misogynist subtext, it’s great“, She concludes.