If you grew up anytime in the last couple of decades, you know that mermaids were all the rage as kids, especially in the early 2000s. The most recent trend allows us all to relish childhood nostalgia by returning it to the mermaid theme…except a little more elevated this time. Even more fun is that there is so much room for creativity to play with the theme — sort of like choosing the color and design of your tail when you were little.
Here’s a breakdown of what the trend is:
The Color Palette
Part of the mermaid core aesthetic is evoking that essence of the ocean, even if you are nowhere near one. Opt for colors reminiscent of oceanic things like conch shells, pearls or the blue waves themselves. You can also go old-school mermaid and collect accessories and pieces that are vibrant in purples and shades of teal or blue, sort of like "The Little Mermaid." The point is that there is more than one way to exude that mermaid feel, but an aquatic/ocean color palette is a must.
Clothing Pieces and Accessories
Perhaps the most fun part of the mermaid core aesthetic is mixing and matching different clothing pieces and textures. Long flowy skirts are a wardrobe staple for pulling together any mermaid look, but the texture is what really transforms the fit to a whole new level. Crochet clothing pieces like this midi skirt or this swimsuit coverup evoke nautical fish netting paired with pearl accessories, making it appear like you came straight from the sea.
Furthermore, playing with drapey fabrics and shawls creates an essence of the waves and the ethereal energy of mermaids. To accentuate this look, don’t shy away from sweetheart necklines, tube tops and empire waistlines.
In terms of accessories, you’ll want to indulge in pearl earrings and necklaces or anything pearl-accented. Shells also add dimension to this look, so feel free to interweave them with other pieces. Another styling element people have adopted into this trend is waist chains or tying long necklaces around the waist/hip area.
@bodyandstyle breaks down how you can pair pieces you may already have to create a mermaid core outfit.
Hair & Makeup
Finally, the piece that will tie everything together with a cherry on top is how you wear your hair and makeup. Aesthetic looks are made, although seemingly counterintuitive, not by the clothing but by how you present the clothing and wear the whole look overall. This is where hair and makeup come into play.
For makeup, a natural look is best, but feel free to use a lot, and we mean a lot of highlighter. Get the inner corners of your eyes, along the bridge of your nose and atop your cheekbones. If you want to radiate the energy of Aphrodite coming from the sea to elevate that other-worldly mermaid core feel, use this bronzed goddess makeup look to bring that out.
Hair can be worn however you like, but for some ideas we recommend either creating beach waves, braiding your hair overnight to create that crimped wavy look or weaving in little braids throughout like this. To really go the extra mile, clip in tiny shells and pearls throughout your hair.
This look here by @labelsandlattes ties together entirely the perfect example of mermaid core along with the makeup and a super creative hair styling idea.