There’s nothing like months spent inside to make you crave the great outdoors. After spending most of 2020 in a second-floor flat with no balcony or outdoor space, I’ve been dreaming of fields and walks that don’t involve dodging people on pavements. Whether you’re isolating in the Cotswolds or Clapton, the lockdown has brought on a nationwide appreciation of nature. I’ve personally been flower-pressing daisies I’ve collected from the banks of East London’s canals and now class a bike ride as my perfect activity. Turns out I’m not alone, and this has a name: cottagecore.
It’s an internet aesthetic that started trending on the platform TikTok and which The Guardian defines as “a visual and lifestyle movement designed to fetishize the wholesome purity of the outdoors.” Holiday pictures on Instagram have been replaced by images of freshly-baked sourdough, bikes with baskets filled with hand-picked flowers and art-directed picnics. This social media trend is also impacting how people dress, with a return to nostalgic countryside styling. Think Princess Diana on a weekend away in the country with vintage floral tea dresses, basket bags, colourful gingham and shorts sets.
