You may have heard the lockdown buzzword, but what is cottagecore exactly? To put it simply (because it is about just that), it’s going back to our roots and doing life, in all aspects, traditionally. 

If you’ve mastered the art of baking banana bread, tried your hand at crochet, or started a veggie patch in your backyard over the past year, then you have become part of this global trend that’s turning the world into a charming 18th-century painting. 

Let’s explore what it means for decor and fashion and what you can do to bring a little more cottagecore romance into your life. 

What is cottagecore

Cottagecore is about taking back time to a quieter, simpler life filled with good, wholesome, home-cooked food, animals to care for (lockdown puppies ring a bell?), a garden to tend, clothes that are flowy and light, and above all else, a deep-rooted appreciation for nature and the natural world. 

But before you start thinking that the 60s wants its hippies back (because this trend sounds a lot like a peace parade), cottagecore is about taking a break from an overstimulated world, taking up embroidery instead of scrolling through social media and stepping back into your own time, baking, tending to plants and surrounding yourself with things you value. 

Cottagecore inspiring our homes 

As many people are grabbing their laptops and heading for greener pastures in a pandemic-panic move, there are also many that can’t afford to escape to the countryside. And this is exactly why cottagecore has become so successful.

Born out of the boredom and uncertainty by being locked indoors, cottagecore is a response to the desire to focus on the home, be it DIY or home-made jam. We’re decluttering our minds by bringing nature's harmony into our homes and thrifting pieces between friends to freshen up our space.

This could mean sowing seeds on kitchen windowsills from hanging pots, decorating walls with vintage-inspired painted trays and building vertical gardens on handcrafted shelves. It’s about decorating with sustainable, handcrafted art, serving as a distraction from the modern world.

Cottagecore dressing our wardrobes

If you think we’re going to tell you that the fashion direction is granny-chic, you’re wrong. Yes, cottagecore shares the same similarity as a vintage-inspired wardrobe, but it’s much more modern. 

What it doesn’t share is the quarantine-trend of Birkenstocks and socks or the loungewear life of lockdown. It’s taking cues from the prairie girl in all her glory. It’s a celebration of ruffles, tiers, and soft floaty fabrics exploring a notion of self-awareness as an easy-going feminine, just like a character in Little Women

And what this trend is highlighting the most (just like our stars in Little women) is that just because girls like to dress like girls doesn’t make them any less motivated to rise to the top as a fierce entrepreneur. 

Enter the movement of sustainable, slow-batch, eco-chic, I-made-it-myself fashion. 

As more and more corporations feel the pinch, young designers focus on easy-to-wear, simple fashion with sustainable outlooks. Move over fast fashion from factories, thrifted, handmade, ethically sourced items are on the rise.

Is cottagecore here to stay?

Cottagecore has been a trend that’s changed lifestyles. It’s helped people stay positive in an uncertain world and given meaning outside of the social status (and we mean the one online). People have realised that what makes them feel good is their definition of wholesome living. Whether they’re planting a veggie garden, wearing clothes that make them feel good, or connecting with mother nature daily, if you’re doing all this, then you’re already living a cottagecore life. 

Cottagecore is more than just an interiors trend or fashion adoption; it's a lifestyle. So as long as people keep doing what makes them happy (with a sustainable focus), cottagecore is here to stay.

Written by Jemma Park