1935) State Library of Victoriaĭuring the 19th and 20th centuries, hygiene was also leveraged as a technique of colonisation. In this context, poor hygiene denoted poverty and, conversely, just like on TikTok, perceptions of cleanliness were associated with wealth.įlyer showing a hand pulling back an illustrated curtain to reveal the slums behind the public face of the City of Melbourne. Slum areas were imagined as vectors of disease that threatened the middle and upper classes. The urban poor living in such conditions were pathologised as unhealthy, unhygienic and immoral. Diseases like cholera, caused by contaminated water, were attributed to the filth and squalor exemplified in the overcrowded city slums. In 19th century England, infectious diseases plagued industrialising cities and towns, which could not adequately accommodate a rapidly expanding urban population. Perceived cleanliness (or otherwise) has long been understood as being reflective of class. However, it is no coincidence these trends have emerged on social media at the same time. “Clean girlies” (as they’re known on TikTok) and those embodying old money occupy what are imagined as distinct aesthetic trends. Without definitive rules, even Vogue admits the old money aesthetic is “hard to pin down”, describing it as “more of a mood than anything else”. Such clothing might be worn on a yacht, in a country club or while attending the polo. There is a preference for fabrics made from natural fibres or clothing that is well constructed and functional. Old money aesthetics draw on notions of “quiet luxury”, also called “stealth wealth”, in which sporting fashions that are garish or excessively branded is considered a social faux pas. In fiction, it has been popularised by the Roy siblings of HBO’s hit series, Succession. The old money aesthetic, on the other hand, is right now best embodied by Sofia Richie, whose recent wedding in the south of France went viral for exemplifying the style. It is considered best exemplified by celebrities like Hailey Bieber and Bella Hadid and, according to some subscribers of the aesthetic, evokes an “ elite feeling”. This highly gendered and racialised aesthetic implies slimness, flawless and dewy skin, plump and glossy lips, smooth and sleek hair, light (or “no makeup”) makeup, a fresh scent, gold jewellery and a highly organised and stress-free lifestyle. The clean girl aesthetic can be traced to this TikTok in which a user named xolizahbeauty instructs her audience on how to achieve the look of “those girls that always look clean”. What are clean girl and old money aesthetics?
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