First things first, what exactly is Cottagecore?
Cottagecore is an aesthetic that celebrates simple living. It is a trend that celebrates an outdoorsy minimalist lifestyle that is rooted in traditional skills like cooking, gardening, sewing and DIY. In recent times it has become quite a trend in the online lesbian world. I mean what lesbian on earth does not fantasise about moving away from civilization to a beautiful little house with her girlfriend surrounded by creeks and animals. This would be my dream come true.
When I heard about Cottagecore I was very intrigued. I have always fantasised about living off the grid and being fully self-sufficient. My reality of living in an Australian city is far from that but can’t a girl dream? I found that this trend has grown quite big in the social media world and especially amongst queer women. I wonder why that is? I think that queer women intrinsically love the idea of being away from the hassles of modern man…. oh wait did I say modern man? I meant modern civilization. It also has feminist undertones because it is highlighting the often overlooked domestic duties and skills that traditionally cis women did throughout history. Feminism and queer history are intertwined and I think this is showcased in the love of the cottage core trend amongst queer women.
There are strong themes of “communities” that kind of make me think of some sort of amazonian style commune of lesbians living off the grid in log cabins that were built with their own bare hands. I think the rise of cottage core has also been influenced by the pandemic which has increased everyone’s desires for their own veggie patch and getting back to nature. Food security is a completely valid issue, especially in the modern world.
Self-reliance and sufficiency benefits people (queer or straight) in so many ways. There are proven health benefits just in taking a stroll through some greenery, not to mention being able to grow your own food. Imagine the world if every backyard had a veggie patch? In World War 2 we actually had this. In many countries, the government encouraged everyone to grow victory gardens due to the supply chain disruption caused by the war. Everything would taste a hell of a lot better but there would also be a lot less hunger. How many times have we bit into a store-bought vegetable only to have it taste like absolute shit because it’s been frozen in storage for the past 6 months? God only knows what chemicals and pesticides are being sprayed on every single fruit item we consume. I am proposing that we bring back the victory garden.
It is funny how the cottage core trend blew up on social media, especially tiktok, pinterest, youtube etc. Despite a key theme being about disconnecting from the modern world. However I am not complaining. I am loving watching all these people live this lifestyle I can only fantasise about. Hopefully one day when I have enough money and the time is right, I will be able to move away from the city into my own cottage core lifestyle. However until that day I will continue to live vicariously through the online ladies who are living the dream.