Move over dark academia, the fairy grunge look is rising up.&nbsp;

"All you need is faith, trust, and a little bit of pixie dust" to adopt this new aesthetic, or so says Peter Pan. The fairy grunge trend is taking over <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/avril-lavigne-sk8er-boi-tiktok-debut-tony-hawk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TikTok</a>, and therefore the rest of social media as well. By now, you've probably seen some CGI wings make their way onto your feed, adorning the back of a girl carefully posed to look efortless.&nbsp;
The style is a mashup of recent hits: <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/what-is-cottage-core-popular-instagram-aesthetic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cottagecore</a>, grunge, fairycore, Y2K. It's also an extension of '90s era "kinderwhore," a grunge aesthetic popularized by <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/young-courtney-love-90s-style" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Courtney Love</a>, partner of <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/kurt-cobain-90s-grunge-style-impact" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kurt Cobain</a> and frontwoman of Hole. "Kinderwhore" was coined by journalist Everett True to describe the tattered, ironic version of femininity put forth by female grunge artists of the era. Babydoll dresses, bleached hair, and ripped stockings used traditional elements of feminine dress to subvert expectations, turning a sugary-sweet look into something angry and hypersexualized.&nbsp;

Now, TikTok teens have taken <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/kurt-cobain-90s-grunge-style-impact" target="_blank" rel="noopener">grunge</a> inspiration from the '90s and redone it using thrifted, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/brittany-murphy-movies-y2k-style-documentary" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Y2K</a> pieces like lace-trimmed tank tops, ultra-mini skirts, oversized hoodies, and fingerless gloves. The look, of course, also features the TikTok-fashion staple of heavy layering. Tanks and <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/corset-top-trend-kylie-jenner-bella-hadid-vivienne-westwood" target="_blank" rel="noopener">corsets</a> go over short sleeve button-downs which go over sheer long sleeves and mini skirts and tights and knee-high socks.&nbsp;
Fairycore, which is usually bright and overtly feminine, meets a darker aesthetic in grunge. This look is composed of earth tones and various depths of black. It evokes a casual, thrown-together style popular with teens. Still, it retains the ethereal quality of nature-based aesthetics, drawing inspiration from enchanted forests at dusk.&nbsp;

Traditional fairycore deals mostly in pastels. Bows, ribbons, and shimmering fabrics accent these light, breezy looks. <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/marc-jacobs-brings-back-his-infamous-grunge-collection" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Grunge</a>, hailing from '90s era Seattle, Washington, was a countercultural movement stylized to reject the establishment and communicate its practitioners' angsty lifestyle. Though the trend dissipated after the '90s, its influence still hits home for youths afflicted with a certain amount of teenage anguish.&nbsp;
In comes fairy grunge, dark enough to establish edgy cred and light enough to allow its wearers to tap into their feminine side. Mix in the accessibility of <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/how-thrifted-aesthetic-became-high-fashion" target="_blank" rel="noopener">thrifting</a> with the trendiness of <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/hillary-duff-best-y2k-fashion-moments-lizzie-mcguire-2000s-style-trend" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Y2K</a> basics, and you have a fledgling movement on your hands. We'll see if this one blows up into full-on cottagecore status.&nbsp;

How Cottagecore's Cousin, Fairycore, is Embracing the Grunge Aesthetic

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