In the ever-changing world of social media, trends can come and go before you even get caught up to speed.
However, one trend which has stuck around for some time is “VSCO girls”. Inspired by the photo-editing app VSCO (pronounced “visco”), this iteration popularized by teenage girls saw its peak this summer, but doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon.
Related: What Everyone Was Obsessed With In The 2000s!
To give you an idea of what makes up a VSCO girl, take a look (below):
So what makes up a VSCO girl? There are a few things (below) which you’ll commonly find through the feeds of these teens. Many of these can be traced back to initial popularity in the early 1990s, ironically before many of these VSCO girls were even born, since they mostly fall into the category of Generation Z:
- Puka shell necklaces, stacks of Pura Vida bracelets
- Fjällräven backpack
- Hydro Flask water bottle, usually covered in stickers
- Scrunchies
- Crocs or Birkenstocks
- Mario Badescu facial sprays, Victoria’s Secret body sprays and perfumes
- Oversized tee-shirts and light wash denim, typically purchased at Brandy Melville
Typically, you’ll find these free-spirited girls sharing their love for nature, the environment, and sustainability online, as well as sipping Starbucks through reusable metal straws, and taking photos on a disposable camera or Polaroid with their equally as aesthetic friends.
Though the term derives from the photo-editing app, you’ll find their presence extends to Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, too. Because VSCO also allows for users to save their edited photos in a feed, these girls will typically share images there, as well as on platforms such as Insta. On TikTok, there’s a dedicated VSCO girl filter, and on YouTube, one search for the term will pull up numerous videos dedicated to a “VSCO girl transformation.”
Ch-ch-check one transformation out (below) for a better idea of how you can become a VSCO girl, too:
But it’s not just about their photos and appearance, there’s also VSCO girl approved vernacular which you’ll need to familiarize yourself with:
- “and I oop” — a reference to a video (watch it HERE) of drag queen Jasmie Masters, used to express surprise or playfully acknowledge a mistake
- “sksksksk” — represents excitement or awkwardness, pronounced phonetically (hear it HERE)
While the trend seems harmless enough, many use it as an insult to describe “basic” teenage girls. Per Dictionary.com:
“The underlying implication of the insult VSCO girl is that she is white, relatively rich, conformist, and obsessed with social media—that’s she’s basic, to use another slang term, but according to the perceived fashion and lifestyle trends among young, white women in the late 2010s.”
What do you think of this trend, Perezcious readers? Sound OFF (below) in the comments with all your thoughts!!
[Image via VSCO/Haley Pham/Instagram.]
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