Picture A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Imagine it as a fairy aesthetic, and you’ve struck the jackpot. It is, in my opinion (very rose-tinted), the best fairy aesthetic. Effie, from the Hunger Games, is the shrine that we all bow to. It may seem terrifying at times but don’t be discouraged. This is just the extreme. The fairy aesthetic could also be called “elf-core”: angelic and ethereal, dreamy, and even near-superhuman. It is magical and mysterious indeed.
In my guide to cottage core, I argued that cottage-core was the modern Romanticism. It is also mundanity glamorised. If this is true, fairy-core transcends the human condition. It’s more like the magical creatures of fantasy. Cottage-core is a peaceful, calm, overcast, maybe even drizzly, day. The fairy core is the celebration, rainbow, and sunshine afterward. The golden honeypot of treasure is at the other end. This is a common phrase that cosplay uses to describe the feeling of being in DENVER POP CULTURE CON Wonderland or “away with the fairies” or “lost the forest”. It’s a dreamscape, but that’s an exaggeration.
Fairy Aesthetic Clothing
The essence of fairy-core is embodied in ‘eccentric experimentation’, or ‘eccentric expression’. This is the main difference between cottage-core’s beloved mother-fairy aesthetic. Its main features include lace, butterflies and ribbons, glitters, pastel shades, magical creatures as well as flowers and plants.
Cottage-core style has an elegance that is reflected in the fairy-core style. Prints are welcome: florals, butterflies, bows, sheer angel tops from Urban Outfitters, and many other styles. Anything that is angelic, ethereal, and eye-catching will work with this fairy aesthetic. It is the bright, colourful companion to the minimalist cottage-core. This is its main feature. This style is well suited for ruffles blouses and all the types of dresses and textures that I have described in my cottagecore guide.
The color palette is more bold and broad than cottage-core. You have more options for personal taste, including pastels, pinks and lilacs as well as yellows. It’s all about being bold and brave. There are many textures that can be angelic: sheer, cotton mesh, silk, lace and satin, or chiffon. It’s not Mother Gothel, thankfully.
Hair
If you don’t know this, you’ll be happy to know that the hairstyles are almost identical to cottage-core. Add a few curls and waves, maybe ditch the straw buckets or felt buckets, and you’re good to go. You’re done. You have more room for experimentation. It’s a great time to be nuance.