If you’re on the fashion side of TikTok, you’ve noticed the buzzy swarm of hyper-specific names for aesthetics that represent their own ephemeral subculture of style.
One could say it all began with the #cleangirl aesthetic, & got more familial with #coastalgrandmother & #coastalgranddaughter. #Mobwife was no exception.
The colloquialism du jour: the “surfer nephew” is a phrase you might hear a lot this summer. We’re here to provide some context.
The term was coined by stylist, writer, & content creator Allison Bornstein, who also invented a name for the “chic desert aunt”, otherwise known as the surfer nephew’s more refined, grown-up, pared-down–well–aunt.
“I realized that the Chic Desert aunt has a counterpart, & that it is the surfer nephew” Bornstein tells her 275k+ followers in a recent video naming this beachy, tomboy-like aesthetic.
Despite their name, the aunt & nephew differ in their details.
According to Bornstein, where the desert aunt might wear silver jewelry, her nephew wears beaded pieces. When auntie might throw a leather bag over her shoulder, surfer nephew selects a raffia accessory. While desert aunt is more Ashley Olsen, surfer nephew is Mary-Kate. Getting the idea?
As revealed through the comments on the post, many resonate deeply with Bornstein’s spot-on take.
“I’m a coastal granddaughter sun, desert aunt moon & surfer nephew rising,” writes one user, creating a birth chart out of said TikTok trends.
“This is so unnecessary and that’s exactly why I love it – fashion is so cute and hilarious and fun,” chimes another.
For surfer nephew inspo, scour through runway shows such as Tommy Hilfiger’s Spring/Summer 2016 collection, look to creators like Portugal’s Caetana Botelho Afonso (@caetanaba on Instagram) & scan stylings of the superstar Jennifer Lawrence, who Bornstein uses as a central reference for both chic desert aunt & surfer nephew.
Regardless of whether you identify as a chic desert aunt, surfer nephew, or neither, chances are you’ve seen a piece of your style in the ubiquitous TikTok style vernacular, thanks to creators like Bornstein.
– Marley Gifford – www.marleygifford.com
Image credits:
Tommy Hilfiger SS16 image: Vogue.com
@caetanaba image: @caetanaba on Instagram
Jennifer Lawrence image: source unknown
