Aesthetics, Aesthetes, and other curses

by Julie Allan

Recently in a conversation I had with my mom she said “Julie I think you have infected me with your condition” and I was confused for a second; I didn’t know what she was talking about. She continued “I wanted to buy something for the kitchen, but they didn’t have it in a color that matched the ‘aesthetic’ we have for the decoration so I ended up not buying it.” At that moment I understood what she meant by ‘my condition.' 

Maybe this is something you can relate to, maybe it isn’t, but you will certainly know what I talk about when I say “aesthetics”. If you have been on the internet, even if for a short period of time you will have come across the many categories, or types of aesthetics. An article published by Cosmopolitan in May 2024, listed out “21 Types of Aesthetics if You Wanna Switch Up Your Wardrobe ~Vibes~”. I will be honest I did not know many of the listed in the article, but I have come across the majority of them on social media. 

The word “Aesthete” actually stems from the Greek, “Aisthetes” meaning “a person who perceives.” In Philosophy Aesthetics deals with the nature of beauty, art, and taste and with the creation and appreciation of beauty. But when used in common vernacular it usually refers simply to the visual qualities, overall style or characteristics attached to a certain theme. 

My mom’s comment made me think about the entire concept of these “aesthetics.” So let’s dive into the positives, the negatives, and the facts behind these movements. 

The facts 

With the rise of popularity of social media in the early 2010’s, rose also the popularity of aesthetics. From the tumblr girls in early social media platforms to the coquette girls currently creating content on instagram and tik-tok, there have been countless aesthetic movements and categorizations – cottagecore, clean girl, Y2K, grunge, dark academia, light academia, sad girl, messy girl etc. 

In these platforms people have created entire pages filled with catered images that encapsulate this desired theme. Social media gives the opportunity for this selectivity in presenting only that which fits within that theme. The goal is to make every aspect of your life align perfectly to reflect this desired image; whichever one fits your aesthetic. 

Just as I was writing this post, I opened Instagram only to find an advertisement with the headline “discover you were an old money baddie golf goblin core girly girl all along. Pinterest” 

The aesthetes 

I should probably start this with a disclaimer; I am the “people” I will be talking about. I have painted my walls green, have decided how the books are to be exposed in the shelves, and carefully catered the paintings, sculptures and other items attached to my wall. I walk the halls of thrift stores hoping to find something that will speak to me, and speak to who I am so I can integrate it to my environment. I too am an aesthete. I too am concerned with the beauty of the environment I live in.

What does that say about me? 

The curse 

“On occasion, I’ll take a look in my closet, my apartment, and my social media accounts and wonder, what does all this add up to? (...) What I’m asking in these moments is, in internet parlance, what is my aesthetic? I’m wondering if I have successfully arranged my life to adhere to some cohesive vision. If I look too long, anxiety sets in. Maybe the answer is no?”

Do I Have an Aesthetic? By Sarah Spellings May 25, 2021 on Vogue World 

The issue with aesthetics is the trap it sets. It makes you think that in order to be who you want to be, to be a cool person, or to be a part of the social environment you’d like to be in you have to dress a certain way, own certain objects, do certain activities, and eat certain foods. It traps you in a belief that this romanticized and catered set of images needs to be what your life constantly looks like. And that is just not realistic. 

If you want for example, to be a part of the dark academia aesthetic, one of the most prominent in the book community, there are a series of actions you need to take. Firstly you need to dress in dark clothes, English heritage, collegiate elite fashion. You must drink coffee all the time, preferably black coffee. You must read only intellectually stimulating books, be obsessed with classics and “The Secret History” by Donna Tartt (check out my other post about this book here). Owning heavily annotated copies of these books, read it at candle light and write with fountain pens. Wander libraries in old buildings and stare at art. All while taking amazing pictures of it and sharing it on social media, of course. 

If there are any aspects of your life that don’t fit that aesthetic you have the overwhelming feeling you must hide it. Limiting your interests, limiting who you are, simplifying you to fit into a category. All to attempt to fulfill impossible expectations set by specifically catered images that do not reflect a whole, and do not apply to every person, but rather to an imaginary idealized version of life. 

“If, in the pursuit of one’s desires and of the beautiful aspects of life, the condition of others’ or of one’s own intellect is jeopardized, the enjoyment garnered must sometimes be sacrificed for the greater good.”

The Conflict Between Aestheticism and Morality in Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, Patrick Duggan, Boston University Arts and Sciences. 

The benefits

Now that we have established that there is a clear negative side to the aesthetics, let’s be a bit more positive, and look on the bright side. 

“Access to aesthetically interesting and valuable objects and environments can improve our well-being.”

5 Factors Influencing Aesthetic Appreciation, Shahram Heshmat Ph.D., February 2023, on Psychology Today

Whenever I walk into my room, with my moss green walls, my Norman Rockwell print framed right above my bed between the tulle canopies, the greek column that I use as a bedside table and the vintage writing desk I bought off of marketplace and filled with my favorite books, candles and stationary, I feel at home. The little space I built for myself makes me feel good. I sit by my table with my cup of coffee and dim lights, and enjoy the warmth I feel in that space. A space that has been specifically catered to my interests, to my taste. And it makes me feel good. 

The visual characteristics of an environment have a psychological impact on how we feel being in it. Aesthetics have the power to transform, improve and communicate. 

“Living an aesthetic life attributes greatly to my own happiness. Noticing beauty, surrounding myself in it and creating experiences around beauty can leave me elated. My physical environment influences my state of mind. I feel inspired, optimistic and passionate about life. This appreciation of aesthetics enables the creativity inside me to come out and be shared with others in a way that feels natural and authentic. And when I’m in a slump of some kind, noticing or bringing beauty into my life can quickly pull me out of it.”

Living an aesthetic life, Chantelle Grady, September 2018

So if you want to buy the aesthetic thing that will make your room look cute, if you want to wear an aesthetic outfit, or take a cute picture of your coffee with your book, you should! In the end, like everything else in life, this movement has its positives and negatives. Maybe the obsession over an unachievable ideal is a reason to completely discard the aesthetics from your life. Or maybe throwing your entire personality up on the wall is how you feel at home. Moderation and consciousness is the key either way.