"As mermaids might be the most elusive mythical creatures, with all its particularities and things we don’t really understand - which might be the reason we’re so interested - so is the definition of Mermaidcore."
I believe that every 4 year old little girl has dreamed of being a mermaid at least once - and I blame Aquamarine for my obsession about it more than a decade ago. But it could have also been because of the Little Mermaid or maybe even the Barbie movie, you know which one. But the thing is that mermaids have always been a big deal for us, and it might be time to heal some parts of our inner child with the new microtrend of the moment. Maybe it has something to do with the Little Mermaid live action, maybe not, but the thing is that mermaids are back! The look has now dominated award shows - take a look into the Golden Globes 2023 - runways, social media and our favorite trendsetter, TikTok.
Fashion has been obsessed with being underwater for a while now, as we saw during the previous Fashion Weeks and runways shows, but things got even more interesting now. I’m not saying that the mermaid look and silhouette is news to the industry, it actually has been around for decades now, somewhere around the 1930s. Research says that it was created by Marcel Rochas, a French courtier, and then made popular in fashion cycles and discussions by Jean Patou - famous for its appearance in Vogue with the aquatic looking gown. I would say that even though the mermaid style has been on and off, it was out of the spotlight for a while, but it started to make its way back up a couple years ago, just now making its comeback to the mainstream.
As mermaids might be the most elusive mythical creatures, with all its particularities and things we don’t really understand - which might be the reason we’re so interested - so is the definition of Mermaidcore. To create some visual examples, I would combine my favourite mermaid to this day, Aquamarine, with some of the super feminine trends from TikTok, like the coquette girl. The look is achieved by wearing iridescent slip dresses, corsets and lace up tops, a lot of pearl accessories - even some shell inspired ones if you want to go all in - sheer fabrics, sequin in baby blue, lilac and pastel pink and a lot of ruffles - all that you can think of. Say goodbye to the minimalism we’ve been seeing in some previous trends and find a way to love the too-much-look. Mermaids shouldn’t be minimal, so I guess we knew what to expect.
But it hasn’t turned into a trend just because it’s cool and pretty. It actually has a lot to do with our on going and never ending need for finding comfort in escapism and nostalgia. As I said, every little girl, such as myself, has dreamed about being a mermaid - or any other mystic being - at least once, and that’s what this trend is really about. The times haven’t been exactly comforting and peaceful lately - I mean there are literal wars going on now, economic problems are all over the place and society seems to love to stay at the same social place forever - so why not try to find some comfort in reverting the process and finding our indeed child? That topic has been very popular on the internet now that society is a lot more open to psychological subjects like trauma, so it’s only natural that fashion makes its point in the discussion.
Also, it’s a lot more fun to pretend we’re actual mermaids - or princesses, or fairies, or any other mystical being - than to actually face the reality of life everyday. We’ll do it when it's necessary, we won't deny it completely but is it too much to ask to let a 4 year old me have her moment every once in a while? She deserves it, and so do I! And that’s why I’m not presenting Mermaidcore to you, I’m helping you style it - from my inner child to yours, let’s dive - you get it? - into sheer, frill and a lot of shine.
If you’re a fashion and beauty lover like me, you’re familiar with the wet look. It usually goes for beauty and makeup, but not this time. Mermaidcore changed the game and took it into fashion - and we’re very excited about it. The goal is to make your clothes look soaked - think something close to Di Petsa’s designs - and there are ways to achieve it and look like you just got back from a family meeting under the sea - please read it as you’re singing Ariel’s song. Here, it’s great to combine semi-sheer and lace fabric, so hop on the trend full force and invest in a two-piece pastel set to achieve the effect.
You may think it’s too soon to leave the land and live under the sea full time, that’s ok too, and we have something just for you: ruffles. It is a Mermaidcore must anyway, as you can’t tell me you don’t look at them and see all kinds of aquatic algae and oceanic plants, but it’s possible to make it look more like you spend some time on land. As it is a very feminine fashion garment, maybe try combining it with something that will create contrast, like an oversized blazer - it can even be from the men section of the store. To complete the mermaid looking style, finish it up with some shell related accessories and you’re good to go. A perfectly balanced mermaid that can be either on land or under deep sea - the best of both worlds.
If you ask me, those are the most important and on-topic pieces to create the mermaid look - you’ll be good to go with them - but that’s not all. If you think that’s not enough, we can always make things even more interesting, as in trying to imitate the sun shining on the sea. Did I catch your attention? If so, then go for iridescent materials. I’m talking silk, sequin and satin in light, even pastel colors - purple and blue always remind me of mermaids, but that’s on you. Also, as we’re already in that nostalgic mood, if you add some y2k touches to the look I would say you get even more points. And that’s it! Get ready to make that little girl inside of you a lot more excited in the next few months!