By Category

Category	Explanation
Internet Aesthetics	Aesthetics are an internet phenomenon wherein a person with a social media account (such as tumblr and Pinterest) reblogs/posts images or snippets of text on their digital space for the purpose of creating/conveying a mood and appreciating things the collector considers beautiful/visually appealing. These include various subjects, such as fashion, settings, people, objects, quotes, etc. Often, people create moodboards, tiktoks, edits, niche memes, and playlists for the aesthetic. These do not have to be carried out in real life, and there is often an element of wish-fulfillment, nostalgia, or escapism with internet aesthetics. However, people can carry out their aesthetic in real life through fashion, home decor, and participating in certain hobbies or activities. Because of this, some of the more popular and attainable aesthetics have become subcultures, such as with Cottagecore.
Design Aesthetics	Similarities in interior, product, and graphic design. These are always created and pushed forward by design authorities such as companies, magazines, and professionals and are expressed through advertisement, products, and lifestyle. These are largely dependent on trends and cater to a certain audience, which may or may not create a subculture. (Ex: Y2K, Shabby Chic)
Fashion Styles and Subcultures	Similarities in fashion, such as in textures, connotations, silhouettes, etc. This can be mainstream or alternative. People in alternative fashions create communities and bond through the clothing itself. Shopping and making outfits is the primary activity of the blog, with brands and bloggers have a large influence on the aesthetic. Pages in this category include aesthetics where fashion is the main, and often only, point of discussion, but interior design often crosses over too. Like subcultures, these are in "real life," with wearing the fashion out being mandatory to participate. (Ex: Lolita, Techwear)
Subcultures and Stereotypes	Subcultures and stereotypes include "types" of people that have similar interests, such as in fashion, music, activities, and even personalities. This is carried out in real life, almost always affecting social circles and how others perceive the person in the subculture. Unlike the internet aesthetic category, some people here often are not purposefully trying to look a certain way or enjoy the culture through an aesthetic lens. For example, geeks don't have geek aesthetic blogs or try to mimic the aesthetic of a piece of media. The pages here also include some music, fashion, and aesthetic communities because of the strong overlap with the definition. This category also includes stereotypes, which, unlike subcultures, are often mainstream. These are commented on by others not of that stereotype; the conception of Jocks are an example. A good litmus test is if there is a "starter pack" made of this type of person. Many included here are ephemeral trends and can/did die out; a stereotype/subculture is not necessarily based on longevity.
Genre Fiction	Genres of books, movies, TV shows, etc. that have associated tropes, settings, character types (see below), and plotlines. (Ex: Cyberpunk, Gothic)
Art History Periods and Movements	Periods and movements of art history where artists have a similar ethos and artistic technique. It can cross over with historical eras, but later, art became separate from mass culture. (Ex: De Stijl, Pre-Raphaelite)
Historical Eras and Events	Periods of history and different historical events where there were commonalities in political and philosophical systems, zeitgeists, art and architecture, fashion, etc. (Ex: Trenchcore (WWI), 1950s Suburbia)
Locations and Real-Life Settings	Different places with expected activities, components, and types of people. The pages in this category should be an actual location, not a type of person/community.
Character Tropes	Individual character types in fiction with associated tropes such as visual appearance, personality, and setting. These can cross over with stereotypes, as fiction often depicts people in a subculture as a trope of a certain genre. (Ex: Vampire, Yandere)
Music Genres and Communities	Music genres with shared visuals, such as in cover art, music videos, and community culture. Often, some music communities include fashion and activities modeled by the music and bands, hence the crossover with subcultures and stereotypes. (Ex: City Pop, Grunge)
Seasonal	Different times of the year, such as seasons and holidays with associated visual motifs and activities. (Ex: Autumn, Christmas)
National Cultures	The art, fashion, music, foods, monuments, etc. of a national culture. These pages need to be in-depth and respectful, hence the few pages.
Single-Subject_Aesthetics	A single-subject aesthetic is an aesthetic that revolves entirely around a single visual, with little or no other visuals on the blog/moodboard. For example, while Cottagecore includes images of pies, animals, flowers, and cottages, Cloudcore is pictures of clouds and cloud depictions such as in illustration and embroidery. Images are often tagged as (the subject)core because it provides an easy way for searching aesthetic pictures of the subject, rather than images that are more plain, memes, informational, etc. The wiki does not allow single pages for single-subject aesthetics because the article quality tends to be extremely low and images can be disparate. For example, a cat in a field of flowers contently smiling is Cottagecore, whereas a black cat in a crumbling castle is Gothic. However, both are Catcore, technically. Therefore, the pages are low-quality. However, because many single-subject aesthetics have become extremely popular, it is necessary for the wiki to document them.