Basic Girl

Basic Girl, more known as Basic White Girl, is an aesthetic that originated in the early 2010s through African-Americans' point of view on the average teenage girls, primarily through riffing and observation. A Basic Girl tends to love Starbucks or Dunkin' Donuts, wear Ugg boots and yoga pants, a sense of authencity, and a varying degree of shallowness. This aesthetic was created through a negative view of popular trends seen mostly adopted by white teenagers and young adults, and is often used as an insult to these demographics. This aesthetic is often used by major media companies when creating female characters to make them more relatable to a larger audience.

History and Philosophy[]

Artists like Klymaxx and Kreayshawn are among the first to use the term basic bitch in music in the very late 00s and the early 2010s. This term and its variations are also used by influencers like Lil Duval and Spoken Reasons, and these pieces of art and media often described a basic bitch as "uncouth, uncool, and inauthentic". It's original meaning has a similar definition of the popular 80s derogatory word 'airhead' but adds another more complicated level of trend following and racial tones. This type of woman and its criticisms swiftly grew in popularity in pop culture, especially in hip hop music. Social media also ran with the criticisms of basic white girls as images and old school format memes were shared and created. This popularization caused the term and its associations to be put under fire due to its insulting and shaming nature. Though the time it existed lived only between 2009 and 2016, the negative connotations of women following popular trends blindly lives on, although the terminology has evolved.

Visual[]

The Basic Girl aesthetic is visually characterized by a combination of popular symbols and trends associated with a stereotype centered around romance, femininity and trendiness. It encompasses visuals such as Starbucks cups, Ugg boots, yoga pants, Jeeps, selfies, manicured nails, dyed blonde hair, Birkenstocks, Top 40 hits, Taylor Swift, iPhones, and an affinity for romantic comedies. These visuals often reflect a trend-following approach, embracing self-love and going with the flow. The aesthetic's visual appeal lies in the display of branded items, fashionable choices, and an inclination towards a specific color palette that may involve pastels. These visuals are frequently shared on social media platforms.

Fashion[]

Basic Girl fashion is often associated with pretty, feminine, comfortable and easily obtainable items that are usually cheap to produce and cheap to buy except for key brands that are known by name like Ugg boots. Fashion is the main key factor in identifying Basic Girls and are one of the more criticized elements of the aesthetic. Examples of the fashion include:

French and fishtail braids
Dyed blonde hair
Aviator sunglasses
Circle sunglasses
Hoop earrings
Cubic zirconia stud earrings
- Multiple ear piercings
- Silver and gold plated
Cross necklaces
Chunky sweaters
Infinity scarves
Casual button-up shirts
Crop tops
Solid color t-shirts
Graphic tees
Sweatshirts
Skinny blue jeans
Blue jean shorts
Yoga pants
- Solid and patterned
Ugg boots
Riding boots and Chelsea boots
Converse, Keds, and Toms
Moccasins and Crocs
Strappy sandals and flip flops
Belly button piercings
Name brand purses available at local retail stores
- Michael Kors
- Steve Madden
- Louis Vuitton and Gucci (knockoffs are common)
- Coach

Media[]

Trendy girls can be seen through various forms of media, both online and on the small and big screens. Many pieces of media are also associated with Basic Girls as this stereotype often follows the most popular shows and movies in recent times. Many of the listings are associated with basic white girls at the time of origin, however, with the evolution of trends the associated media also evolves.