AESTHETIC STUDY: Princesscore
- Sugarscape
- Jan 8, 2021
- 4 min read
Cottagecore, an aesthetic based on the romanticism of western cottage/ farm life, was on the rise in 2020. I too found myself enthralled in the loose-fitting dresses, pastel colors, and floral patterns. I could watch endless TikTok edits of people showing off their cottagecore outfits in golden sunlight, usually in a field or on a picnic.
But this is when I began to notice that the tags on these videos began to include the tag #princesscore over time. I then began to do a deep dive into this aesthetic, and I've found that if I had to live by just one aesthetic, this would be the one.
According to the Aesthetics Wiki (yes, there really is a Wiki for everything!), princesscore, also known as royalcore, is an aesthetic based on the fashion and mannerisms of a princess. On my first impression of the aesthetic, princesscore appears to be a mixture of cottagecore, Parisian style, and shabby chic. Related aesthetics include princecore, queencore, kingcore, and even dragoncore!
Just as the name, princesscore is based on the regal style of a princess. People take their inspiration anywhere from cartoons to historical figures. I've seen some beautifully curated outfits based on outfits from Disney's Aurora, Cinderella, and Snow White, and not just from their grand ballgowns, but their cottage/ maid outfits as well with a modern spin. On a more historical historical side, some regal style icons consist of Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, Empress Masako of Japan, Queen Rania of Jordan, and, of course, Princess Diana. I mean, truly, where can you find a style list that doesn't mention her name?
Princesscore usually consists of flowy, loose dresses, pants, or skirts, blouses, tights, pumps, and ballet flats. In most outfits, people embellish their clothing with things like pearls, embroidered flowers, birds, or butterflies, gold or silver braid, and lace. These details really elevate something that's average into something a little more eye-catching, because they aren't very common on more trendy clothing. Something so subtle can become a beautiful accent on any article of clothing. As for colors, princesscore colors traditionally include white, gold, silver, blush, garnet, beige, nudes, sage, rose, and powder blue.
To accessorize, of course crowns and tiaras are acceptable. However, if you're not quite that bold, a dainty headband is a more modern alternative. Another more popular way of accessorizing is to casually add a corset to your everyday look. With a loose-fitting dress or blouse, a corset really accentuates the waist to help give you a bit more shape. Princesses also love some sparkle, so necklaces, earrings, rings, and bracelets are all very much acceptable. I find that if you layer with more simple pieces than statement ones, you can really get away with wearing more without it being overbearing.
In a lot of aesthetics, many people pretty much keep it to their wardrobe. But some people take it to a whole new level and live their lives through an aesthetic. This isn't a bad thing! Sometimes romanticizing your life the way you want it and curating it to fit your own sense of beauty and taste makes it a little more enjoyable. Under the #princesscore on TikTok, royalcore and princesscore activities consist of having picnics, playing dress up, doing makeup, having tea, spending time outside in a forest or by the ocean, and if, you're lucky enough to live by one, exploring cottages, old castles, or museums. But, of course, these are only TikToks. Having princess-like behavior means doing the best for yourself and carrying yourself with grace, style, elegance, and confidence.
When researching the princesscore aesthetic, I noticed that most of the content belonged to conventionally pretty white women. Their content is absolutely beautiful, but there is an issue in many aesthetics where there is extremely low representation without having to do some sort of extensive research. On the surface it may seem like a minor inconvenience, but in reality it causes a deeper issue where an aesthetic is seen as more appealing when it is done by a person with Eurocentric beauty standards. Anyone should be able to search their desired aesthetic and see someone who looks like them. It's exhilarating to be able to physically see someone who looks like you living out the style you want to have. For many minorities, it shows that although it may not be as common as we think, it's very much possible and it lifts this feeling of limitation from our shoulders.
I've included some of my favorite princesscore creators who are black women, women who look like me, and I have been so thankful to be able to come across their content. Each and every one of them have beautifully crafted social media accounts dedicated to their princesscore style. They are absolutely ethereal, and their photos appear to be something pulled directly from a renaissance painting. Below are their Instagram handles and a snippet of their feeds.
Please look more into these creators, and don't be afraid to research other princesscore creators that look like you as well. On their Instagram pages, each of them have their other socials linked where they create even more content. I absolutely love their photos and videos, and they are most definitely follow-worthy!
Keep things sweet!
-xoxo, The Sugarscape
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