FROM girl dinner and math to Barbie and Taylor Swift, pink bows are the latest addition to the female-powered fads of 2023, unofficially dubbed the "Year of the Girl."
The latest social media trend has gone viral on TikTok, with thousands of creators adding a touch of coquette vibes to their everyday lives.
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What is the ‘pink bow’ trend on TikTok?
TikTok girlies and creators looking to get in touch with their feminine side are taking part in the latest craze to sweep social media.
The "pink bow" trend is taking over the nation, or at the very least, the internet.
The concept is simple: users jazz up themselves, or everyday objects, with pink bows, adding a feminine and whimsical flair to their otherwise dreary winter days.
As usual, what started as a small addition, from a nice touch to a hairstyle or equally coquettish outfit, has exploded – or, as the trend would say, blossomed – into pink bow mania.
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Users have added pink bows virtually everywhere in their everyday lives, from pets and stuffed animals to takeout orders and bottles of ranch dressing.
Some content creators even stack the trend, pairing pink bows with equally trendy items like Stanley Cups and Celsius energy drinks.
Of course, the most whimsical of them all are those who like to poke fun at the concept.
These users add pink bows where they absolutely should not belong, from bottles of prescription medication to ice cubes and IUDs.
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Others take the trend a little too far, adorning their entire homes with the accessory, or adding a wave of pink to their holiday decor.
The trend is popular, with the hashtags #pinkbow and #pinkbows having a combined 46.2 million views on TikTok, while #bowtrend and #bowtrends are close behind at 43.4 million views.
Similarly, the hashtags #coquettebow and #coquettetrend clock in at over 10 million views, too.
Users often pair their pink bow videos with a text overlay, calling themselves "pink bow girlies," lamenting that "this is me if you even care," or admitting that they're "just a girl."
The pink bow trend is typically paired with an equally devoted follower of the coquette aesthetic, Lana Del Rey.
Most videos include a snippet of the singer-songwriter's song, Let The Light In, from her album, Did You Know That There's A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd.
Some lyrics from the now-viral sound include: "'Cause I love to love, to love, to love you / I hate to hate, to hate, to hate you" and "Ooh, let the light in / At your back door yelling 'cause I wanna come in."
This isn't Lana Del Rey's first foray into the coquette aesthetic.
The singer is also part of another viral trend, name-dropped in a TikTok audio that says: This is so Lana Del Rey Vinyl, which is usually applied to people, places, or things users deem feminine or "coquette core."
What is coquette esthetic?
TikTok has already churned out dozens of fashion trends, from "Clean Girl" to "Cottage Core" and everything in between.
The latest aesthetic to hit the social media app is coquette, amplified in part by the pink bow trend.
While the literal translation of the word is "a woman who flirts," the coquette aesthetic takes on a life of its own in all things flirty, romantic, and beautiful.
Urban Dictionary defines coquette as "an aesthetic based on reclaiming girlhood and embracing a fun-loving, bubbly personality."
"People of any age, race, sexuality, and gender can be coquette," as long as they embrace all things girly.
Besides bows, numerous styles and accessories can be labeled as coquette, including lace, frills, hearts, ribbons, pom-poms, and florals.
The trend can also be depicted with soft, feminine staples like flushed blush, hair barrettes, pearl necklaces, and dainty dresses.
The color of choice for coquette girls is, of course, fifty shades of pink, but muted pastels and peachy color variants work, too.
Some users compare the coquette aesthetic to "balletcore" or the "Soft Girl," which are similar in embracing all things hyper-feminine.
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What are users saying about the ‘pink bow’ trend?
TikTok users are embracing the "pink bow" trend, and occasionally making fun of it, too, by adding bows to just about anything they can get their hands on.
TikTok user @sole.ilia posted a video of a bottle of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing, adorned, of course, with a pastel pink ribbon bow.
Users loved the unique take on the coquettish trend, commenting: "So real."
Another wrote: "ranch over anything" alongside a pink bow emoji.
TikTok creator @kariio.333 posted a video of a single tamale, accessorized with a pink bow.
One user wrote: "me if you even care."
Another commented: "so Lana core," referencing Lana Del Rey.
Another user said: "A coquette tamale with Lana Del Rey and Sydney Sweeney in the background is a once in a lifetime experience."
TikTok creator @myla.thebluestaffy posted a video of her dog lying in bed, wearing a pink bow on each ear.
One user commented: "She is absolutely adorable and also very cute," indicating that the pink bow trend accomplished what it set out to do.
Another wrote: "She's just a baby."
TikTok creator @evelyn.alison managed to combine the pink bow trend with an equally trendy item, the now-viral Stanley Cup.
She posted a video of her white tumbler adorned with pink bows and even added bows to the water and ice inside.
One user wrote: "omg it's so coquette in here."
Another user commented: "coquette taken to the next level."
One creator even referenced another viral trend, commenting: "girl dinner."
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The pink bow and coquette aesthetic trends are still going strong in December 2023.
It's more than likely TikTok users will see some variations of the fads going into 2024, which means pink bows are officially here to stay.
