Are you rich or just a coastal grandmother?

Graphic by Molly Van Gorp.

If you’ve recently seen an uptake in linens, straw hats and spotless white clothes, don’t be alarmed! We aren’t regressing into the 1st century BC, although we may be regressing in other ways. Instead, the coastal grandmother, a lifestyle aesthetic with unique dressings, has been gaining social recognition lately. 

Coastal grandmother is an aesthetic that, like many, gained notoriety and fame on Tik Tok. The term was coined by TikTok user @lexnicoleta, who says that if you enjoy “Nancy Meyers movies, coastal vibes, recipes and cooking, Ina Garten, cozy interiors, and more” this aesthetic is the one you’ve been looking for. Most Tik Tok aesthetics have a short life cycle, taking the internet by storm for months only to end up in thrift and resale stores immediately after. Coastal grandmother, however, has a different trajectory, thanks to its roots and connection to upper class life. 

The coastal grandmother aesthetic wasn’t named after its more conservative and linen based aspects. Instead, real older women, specifically those living on the East Coast, have been wearing clothes that fit the coastal grandmother aesthetic for decades. In fact, the aesthetic isn’t even based around being a relaxed woman in retirement, it's a co-option of an entire lifestyle. According to Tik Tok user @oldloserinbrooklyn, “If you’ve ever stepped foot in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island or Massachusetts, you will know, [coastal grandmother] is the prominent aesthetic from ages 18 to 80”. 

This statement isn’t surprising. Coastal grandmother is a lifestyle, and one that like many is entrenched in wealth. From location to occupation, everything about coastal grandmother stems from a life of privilege. In fact, TikTok user @thestyleequation starts her introduction to the trend by saying, “Why am I lounging around, ignoring my to-do list? I’m embracing the … Coastal Grandmother trend”. This lifestyle assumes that the participant has a plethora of time to spend on activities which aren’t of utmost priority, which isn’t the reality for many across the US.Cooking large meals, picking and arranging flowers and taking long walks on the beach are activities that many wish could be part of their everyday routine. Unfortunately, a typical working class lifestyle leaves little time for these leisures. 

With all this in mind, it makes sense that the coastal grandmother lifestyle is an aspirational one. This is a woman that’s made it, who lives her life with ease, grace and class. Her days are slow but fulfilling, her clothes are simple but high quality. And while many of us can play dress up with our white linen pants and floppy sun hats, we can never actually live inside this aesthetic. To quote Ms. Kim K, we have to “Get [our]... f------ ass up and work”. It is simply not realistic for us to revel in this lifestyle, because we don’t have the money for it. 

With working exhaustion and capitalism’s decay weighing down on society, aesthetics that focus on a return to peaceful, low stakes life have been on the rise. Cottagecore, in particular, has been at the forefront of this movement. It follows that with the rise of grind and hustle culture, many feel exhausted with the demands to prioritize work and money over leisure. Some of us just want to dip our toes in the sand and laugh with friends over white wine and baba ganoush. 

Courtesy of Warner Bro. Pictures.

Courtesy of @annehathaway.

Courtesy of IMDb.