We all know by now what Cottagecore is, on Wikipedia it is described as an Internet aesthetic that idealises European rural life. We saw how the trend influenced fashion, with it’s dainty flower motifs and never ending supply of bows and puffy sleeves.
But, is Cottagecore really just an aesthetic, a lifestyle, or something entirely deeper than that?
One short scroll through social media apps tells us straightaway that for the majority of people it is just that, a trend that will die just like any other, that in turn will get revived in two decades or so. For some of us It’s a lifestyle and as such is focused on simplicity, on making things with our hands practicing traditional skills, spending time in nature, spending time with loved ones, slowing down and enjoying the little things in life. It’s no wonder that some of us aspire to live that way. Not everyone is cut for city life and in the last few years the surge in people and indeed families moving to the countryside has increased. Some of us get easily overwhelmed by the sensorial overload of a cosmopolitan life, and in evolutionary terms, city life feels somewhat contra naturam.
So what is the Homo Sapiens‘ natural habitat? While we are concerned with preserving the natural habitat of other species our own pretty much is a second thought , if at all. City life is a relatively new concept for humanity and it has developed so quickly that we haven’t had the time to adapt as species, this is why the effect on physical and mental health is so prevalent.
Now, don’t get me wrong, people get mentally and physically ill in the countryside as well, but moving to a city wouldn’t improve that, whilst the other way round has a more positive outcome, hence why country retreats are a thing, but I digress… It seems as though there is a natural need of humankind to connect with nature, something we’re doing less and less as our world becomes more dependent on devices and automation. The Cottagecore trend started because in the 2019/2020 pandemic people had, for the first time, the availability to actually enjoy the home and practice domesticity, as well as going for walks in nature, which was just about as much we could do outside the house. Since then it hasn’t completely died down because so many realised that all can end in a snippet and whilst we are walking this planet, we might as well make the most or it.
