Aesthetics and Their Subcultures: The Age of Self-Expression

Self-expression has always been a means through which people speak for themselves. In this case, however, the floodgates have broken down because of more mass media through Pinterest and Instagram, letting in aesthetics and their many subcultures. If you’re not familiar, ‘aesthetic’ refers to visual stylistic choices a person makes through fashion and accessories. Some examples of this would include Art Deco and Y2K. Subcultures are sub-communities within the aesthetics that share certain niche style preferences. Now, to the points.

 For most, the self-expression journey begins in its adolescent stage. Suad Abella, a current 11th-grade student at Blake, remembered, “I started noticing aesthetics in my freshman year,” since she had briefly explored her styles in middle school, never really having an “aesthetic” in her words. High school became a fraught time for her to try on different aesthetics, aligning them with her personality. As teens grow older, their choices often shift and evolve forward with their person.

One of the biggest reasons for this is, of course, the rise of social media. Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok have made some aesthetic or other trendy and sometimes borderline viral among teens. As Abdella herself said, “In 2020, Indie was such a huge aesthetic,” and styles like Indie or Alterntative once ruled the social scene. Media amplify these trends, and with this amplification comes a sense of compulsion toward the most popular looks. This can lead to exclusion or judgment for those who don’t “fit the mold.”

However, aesthetics are more than visual trends; they have a deeper meaning in how identities are formed.

Aesthetics have often been used by adolescents to explore their likes, values, and ways they want to be perceived. As the student mentioned, it “helps students find who they are at such an early age.” Aesthetics allow an openness in changing identities until that personal style can be nailed down. That openness allows teenagers to try on the aesthetic trends – whether soft, like Cottagecore, or intellectual, like Academia – and find out their tastes and personalities.

Ironically, this form of self-expression may reinforce stereotypes within society. In Academia aesthetics, the subculture for instance, often insinuates with their light and dark versions that a person is smarter or more studious because they dress in such a manner.

“People are going to treat you as smart if you dress in that style,” Abdella said. Pondering what subliminal expectations come with a certain look, the influential capability these aesthetics have not only affects the teens in their self-view but also in the way they are perceived.

Ultimately, it is a natural development stage of self-expression that occurs at puberty. It enables the youth to express themselves in a more creative way: trying on identities, rebelling against harmony, and even finding out about themselves. While external trends change, the core of aesthetics is always the same: a form of expression that helps teens get their way through a complex journey called figuring out who they are.