For the love of pink: Why it is okay to embrace the Barbiecore aesthetic in 2022

When acclaimed director Greta Gerwig known for her delicate yet strong portrayal of women in movies such as Lady Bird and Frances Ha gives her nod to that doll we all had and lovedmdashBarbiemdashthen you know the world is changingIt could be the attention generated by the upcoming moviemdashwith Margot Robbie as Barbie and Ryan Gosling playing Kenmdashthat spotlights Barbiecore Or that in 2022 embracing pink in all its glory is a sign of true wokenessThe Barbiecore aestheticmdashdescribed as bodycon silhouettes cropped tops miniskirts statement platforms and dopamineboosting colours and prints primarily in hot pinkmdashis making itself felt With collaborations such as Balmain x Barbie and Zara x Barbie Valentino leading with its monochrome collection for AW 2223 and with other tastemaking brands such as Balenciaga Jacquemus and Loewersquos odes to it the trend is seeping into mainstream narrative Celebrities ranging from Kim Kardashian Zendaya and Lizzo to Florence Pugh Lil Nas X and Harry Styles and closer home Ranveer Singh have shown how to do it rightItrsquos also about nostalgia and Y2K fashion made popular by movies such as Clueless and made endearing by characters such as Elle Woods in Legally Blonde As trend forecasting site WGSN said in a blog post ldquoFor young women itrsquos about flipping the male gaze on its head reclaiming and challenging the bimbo aesthetic and showing that intellect and sensuality can go hand in hand It challenges victimblaming culture reinforcing the message that the problem with unwanted sexual advances isnrsquot what someone wears itrsquos the harassers Itrsquos seen by many as a new form of feminism and an unapologetic way of being lsquofemininersquo rewriting the rules and shifting biases For young men itrsquos about self expression embracing their true selves even if it goes against societal norms It taps into the soft masculinity aesthetic made more mainstream by the likes of Harry StylesrdquoTwo hardcore Barbiecore lovers tell us why pink is a way of lifelsquoItrsquos a very fluid approach to fashionrsquoSiddharth Batra Fashion influencerBatra who gives all the feels in his flowy colourful genderfluid outfits on Instagram could be Indiarsquos answer to Harry Styles He is unafraid and unapologetic and itrsquos truly a treat to watch himOn Barbiecore Irsquom honestly not big on brackets or trends but I love that Barbiecore follows a very fluid approach to fashion with respect to colours and energy And thatrsquos what I resonate most with Anything frantic dramatic eccentric and fun is my style so Barbiecore feels close to homeOn following its principles Irsquom Libran I enjoy change I easily get bored Menswear in India is very limited so I began experimenting and shopping from the womenrsquos section That was my first tryst with fluid dressing and the more fun side of fashionThere has been no looking back Irsquove always known no rules whether pink prints or ldquofeminine stylesrdquohellip I see it all as one spectrum I donrsquot follow Barbiecore because itrsquos a trend I follow what comes naturally to memdashfluid fun fashion And thatrsquos the essence of Barbiecore anyway Pink in particular makes me happy It best defines my current stateOn using it as a tool to express his sensitivity What I wear is less a medium of selfexpression and more a state of mind On some days I tuck my shirt in to feel more confident on other days itrsquos halftucked to feel better about a work argument I colourblock pop tones to hide my emotions or contrast crazy prints to accompany my burning anxiety Therersquos no one reason why my fashion is crazy it has different meanings on different days But all aim to make me feel better about myself every dayOn why it speaks to men Wersquore in a time where everyone wants something uniquehellip something that takes your mind off mundane life Wersquove all dealt with a lot of gloom in the past two to three years and everyone wants to have some fun More importantly more and more public figures and brands are accepting eccentricity and prettyinpink dressing as normalcy It had to trickle down to everyonelsquoIt amplifies my personalityrsquoPicsSatej ShindeSakshi Rawte Beauty writerRawte who was a tomboy in school has realised that pink and Barbiecore goes best with her personality Shersquos all about putting herself out thereOn Barbiecore I didnrsquot even know it existed until a few months ago Now itrsquos a way to express myself in a way I wasnrsquot able to do while growing up I was a tomboy so I didnrsquot like to dress in Y2k fashion I didnrsquot own a single pink item I am going back to my childhood and dealing with it as a 24yearold and itrsquos not a phase Itrsquos like having my personality amplified and assigning a colour to itOn how it started My idol Megan Fox wore an asymmetrical pink top with a bright pink latex skirt This was even before the Valentino pink I decided to do something riskymdashI went to Zara and bought a pink dress And I realised it looked great on memdashpink makes you stand outHow it helps selfexpression It tells everyone I am okay with putting myself out there I am vibrant and an extrovert My clothes have become conversation startersThe fashion brigade speaksCharu Gaur Editor Runway SquareBarbiecore is giving into our childhood obsession and being absolutely shameless and owning pink It echoes the gaudiness of the dolls and looks great editorially or on the red carpet I donrsquot know what I would say if everyone on the street wore it thoughEka Lekhani who styled Ranveer Singh in pink I feel Barbiecore is a very fantastical and liberating aesthetic Itrsquos vibrant itrsquos bright itrsquos happy an instant mood booster a statement Itrsquos about embracing vibrant hues to match a vibrant energy Hot pink specifically helps embrace femininity with confidence in the most empowering way Pink is not a colour itrsquos an emotion and therersquos nothing sexier and more attractive than a man showcasing his emotion head to toe Ranveer owned it ruled it and slayedSujata Assomull Journalist and authorI think itrsquos trending because of the movie but Barbiecore has also captured the spirit of the moment It holds a lot of nostalgia and we want to feel comfortable Itrsquos also an interesting time where we are all questioning gender and what being a woman or man is It has come at a time when women are challenging what being feminine is It could be seen as antifeminist but we are embracing it The colour has come back and like always it packs shock value and people want to be noticed Itrsquos bold itrsquos very friendly to pictures and social media if you wear pink yoursquore part of this tribe