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 just 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. For example, searching just "cat" on Tumblr brings mostly candid photos of cats or cat memes that don't have much aesthetic value. However, searching "catcore" brings images that have more interesting framing, lighting, details, etc. So, many people follow the tags to search for aesthetic images revolving around the subject in general.
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. If you would like to add a notable single-subject aesthetic, insert it here alphabetically. The section should only be inserted if searching up the name shows over five Pinterest boards, Tumblr posts, etc. Many single subject aesthetics are related to other aesthetics and those aesthetics will include images that could be considered their own ‘core’.
Animals[]
"Animalcore" is a very vague aesthetic inspired by animals. Animals span far and wide from the sea to the land and sky; from the size of a pebble to a cruise ship; and all with different shapes. Because of it, it is difficult to determine what could be made with this subject.
Animals are a part of nature. However, while plants and rocks symbolize passivity in the natural world (order, similarity, stability, everlastingness, evolution, peace), animals symbolize activity (chaos, difference, change, fickleness, metamorphosis, conflict).
Bugcore[]
Bugcore is an aesthetic inspired by animals that are classified as arthropods. This includes a wide range of animals from sea-dwellers like lobsters, isopods, shrimp, and crabs to land-dwellers like butterflies, spiders, bees, and roaches.
Bugcore crosses over with other nature-based aesthetics that tend to be more adventurous and enthusiastic about all of nature, rather than the palatable "cute" parts. Bugcore is comparable to Fairycore, in the way that it revolves around small, ambient creatures. However, bugcore is comparatively more savage, with arthropods utilizing savage jaws and appendages, chemical warfare, and brute statistical achievement relative to their size.
Becuase bugs are animals, bugs are often colored in a manner to extend survival, which mean the colors they are most often associated with are naturally occurring or faded colors, including brown, olive, kambu, or black. However, venomous bugs often compliment their dull colors with vibrant saturated colors as accents like bright yellow, red, azure, spring, rose, and magenta; this is done to show off to mates like a bird, or to simply ward off predators. Bugcore takes this and incorporates it into its fashion.
Bugcore fashion focuses on the inherent anatomy of arthropods, as well as anything that draws on how arthropods evolved to display their many forms of beauty. Most, if not all arthropods, have armor-like outsides and soft insides. Many arthropods are delicate yet crafty. Bugs are sophisticated, yet elaborate. They walk the line between simple and exaggerated. Most of the time, the general shape will be simple, but it will include many certain qualities akin to nobility. Bugcore fashion commonly involves any and all related applications of:
- Silk or fur clothing
- Net-related clothing (Lace, fishnets, veils)
- Corsets, akin to a small thorax.
- Braided hair akin to antennae, long, flowing clothing (capes, dresses, etc.) akin to wings.
- Layered clothing akin to an armored exoskeleton.
- Soft and comfortable clothing as an inner layer, with a thicker layer on top.
- Handcrafted clothing with complex patterns and simple colors, or simple patterns with complex colors.
- Patterns such as stripes, hexagons, spots, or symmetrical patterns.
- Sunhats.
- Items with reflective surfaces (Applications of metal, jewelry, sequins, and beads).
- Big sunglasses, akin to large insect eyes.
See Adventurecore, Strega, Honeycore, and Goblincore for some aesthetics that use Bugcore images.
Isocore[]
Isocore is an internet aesthetic born from the union of low-quality bug photography and whimsical text or doodles(see Wholesome Meme).
The name "Isocore" finds its roots in the fusion of "iso-" from isopod (a type of crustacean) and "core," emphasizing the core elements of this unique aesthetic.
Emerging from online communities fascinated by macro photography and quirky illustrations, Isocore has carved its niche by embracing the imperfections and pixelated charm of low-quality images. This aesthetic redefines beauty by focusing on the tiny, often disregarded creatures that inhabit our world.
The history of Isocore is marked by a grassroots movement, with enthusiasts sharing their snapshots of bugs in various online platforms. The aesthetic gained momentum as artists experimented with adding playful text or doodles to their images, creating a distinctive visual language that combines the rawness of amateur photography with a touch of whimsy.
Butterflycore[]
Butterfly is a sub-aesthetic of the general aesthetic of Bugcore, relying solely on the visuals of the Butterfly insect.
Mothcore[]
Mothcore is a nature-inspired aesthetic focused on moths, earthy tones, mushrooms, and plants. It shares similarities with Cottagecore. The term "Mothcore" was coined by the user @w1ggly_w0rm. Mothcore fashion includes midi or maxi skirts, boots, sweaters, and lots of jewelry with brown, green, and red tones. It additionally focuses on astronomy and the moon, nighttime, and fairy lights. It has a gentle feeling.
Birdcore[]
Birdcore is an aesthetic that revolves around the concept of birds and everything related to them. Starting with the main subject, birds (known scientifically as Aves) are a large groups of warm-blooded animals that evolved from reptilian creatures. They are some of the only creature capable of true flight, all because of evolutionary changes such as delicate hollow bones and the evolution of tubular filaments into features, all produced from beta-keratin. Feathers evolved for purpose of insulation, display (mating or intimidation), and camouflage.
As such, Birdcore likes to focus on the evolutionary aspects. Because birds have hollow bones, birds are delicate and dainty. As such, a staple of Birdcore is giving off the appearance of being petite and demure. Feathers on the other hand, often are used for a variety of reasons. Feathers are light and float in the air, and as such, are soft and fluffy to the touch; the use of feathers in fashion has often been used practically for their non-irritability; they also appear quite lovely when they blow in the wind. Because feathers are quite warm as well, the simple act of adding multiple layers of feathers provided warmth, allowing for fashionable displays in cold temperatures. In the fashion world, feathers have often been collected for their color; Hue, saturation, iridescence, the list goes on. Unlike mammals and their fur, bird feathers are capable of a wider natural color palette and texture.
Onto concepts related to birds, they mostly revolve around the capture and tending to of birds. bird cages, bird houses, bird feeding, falconry, etc.
Catcore[]
Caninecore/Dogcore[]
Fawncore[]
Rodentcore[]
Rodentcore, also known as Ratcore/Mousecore, is an aesthetic about memes and cute photos of rodents. Rodentcore tends to intersect with other aesthetics such as Goblincore, Weirdcore, and Bastardcore. Many photos of this aesthetic are of people's pet rodents or edited stock photos.
Rodentcore tends to have a "creepy-cute" aspect to it, similar to Cutecore. This especially is prominent when visuals have soft colors, cute imagery, glitter, etc. - as throughout history, rodents have been associated with disease, filth, and death. Sometimes Rodentcore is portrayed as having a very chaotic aspect to it because of the "rabidness" and wilderness of the small animal.
Possumcore (Feralcore)[]
Frogcore[]
Frogcore is an aesthetic purely based around frogs and toads. It may also include motifs like lilypads, nature, mushrooms, rain, ponds, frog statues and swamps. It often overlaps with Feralcore and Wholesome Meme.
Controversy[]
Some participants of the Frogcore aesthetic have been accused of promoting potentially unsafe ways of treating frogs. This is particularly relevant in the way that many frogs are held on bare skin or have their legs moved about, most notably in TikTok videos. Frogs cannot be held on bare skin, as frogs absorb basically everything through their skin - they have what's called semi-permeable skin, which helps them absorb oxygen when underwater. Thus, the oils and soaps on our hands can burn a frog's skin. If you want to hold a frog with bare skin, then you should rinse your hands so they are slightly moist. After you hold a frog, you should wash your hands thoroughly to fight off salmonella.
Pig in Jacuzzicore[]
Pig in Jacuzzicore or simply Pig in Bubble Bath (Ukrainian: Свиня В Джакузі) is a meme aesthetic that originated in the Ukrainian-speaking internet. The aesthetic resembles Cleancore and Weirdcore in motifs. This meme emerged on Telegram as a response to the 2023 Russian invasion of Ukraine. As Telegram has become a source of rapid news on the topic of bombings, it has turned into a space of constant debate on the topic of truth of certain information. Over time, Ukrainian users developed slang and began trends connected to pork as a reclamation of the slurs and stereotypes applied to their culture by Russians.
Currently, pork-themed slang and imagery is used in a sarcastic manner on the Ukrainian side of Telegram. For example, the word "нахрюк" (roughly translating to oink) means "fake news" or "misinformation". The pig in bubble bath GIF is often sent as a response in conversations as a sign of negligence towards the opinions of one's opponents. Pig imagery is sometimes accompained by these emojis: 🐷🐽🐖🫧💦💧🛁🧼.
Another connected piece of imagery connected to the aesthetic is the pig-carp (Швайнокарась), a photoshopped image of a crucian carp with a face of a pig that has become an unofficial mascot of the Ukrainian Telegram community.
Non-Animal Life[]
Mushroomcore[]
Mushroomcore is an aesthetic entirely based around mushrooms, started by the Facebook group of the same name. Unlike its similar aesthetics Goblincore, Fairycore, and Cottagecore, this aesthetic is solely focused on mushrooms and nature. Different types of mushrooms are always used.
Mushrooms are universally known and widely used in different cultures, foods, and spiritual practices. "The Fairy Circle" is believed to be a portal to the spirit realm, according to many folklore tales. Mushrooms are often associated with the underworld because they decompose dead matter and are linked to the rebirth and recycling of dead matter.
Mushrooms can also depict characteristics of good fortune and represent rapid growth. 1 These are all themes that the Mushroomcore aesthetic seeks to portray and admire.
Elements[]
Icecore[]
Icecore, also known as Frostcore, is an aesthetic revolving around frozen, snowed-over and icy places which give an eerie and otherworldly feel. It shares elements with Cleancore, as the colours are similar (Icecore being less bright and more misty), and frozen places typically have a smooth and sanitized feel to them.
Icecore art evokes a cold, wintery vibe, utilizing lots of blues, cyans, purples, whites, and other monochromatic colors.
Watercore[]
Watercore is about images of water, whether it is lakes, pools, drinks, and beverages, and so on.
Cloudcore[]
Cloudcore visuals have a strong focus on skies with clouds of unique shapes and designs. Most popularly, Cloudcore visuals are often taken around sunrise or sunset for varied colors or the plain blue sky to highlight the clouds' shapes. Because of clouds' associations with softness and purity of color, the photos are often saved to Kawaii, Softie, Cleancore, Ethereal, and Angelcore blogs/boards.
Artificially painted or digitally rendered clouds are also in the tag, specifically as a subset of liminal space and other unsettling aesthetics.
Fogcore[]
Disclaimer: Not to be confused with Wonderland, an aesthetic that shares an alternate name with one of Fogcore's alternate names.
Fogcore is an aesthetic that typically involves fog and outdoor locations (such as streets or buildings) and emphasizes on the feeling of looking around and there being nothing but fog. Fog is simply a cloud that has descended low to the ground, or perhaps has simply formed close to it; as such it is related to Cloudcore. Fogcore can also involve nature such as hills or forests.
Firecore[]
Lightningcore[]
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Food[]
Candycore[]
Candycore is a food-based aesthetic focused on candies and other confections, including desserts, sugar, chocolate, chewing gum, and sugar candies. The Candycore color scheme ranges from highly saturated to pastel. Candycore uses similar color palettes and visual motifs as Rainbowcore. The Candycore aesthetic fits into Decora, Kawaii, and Kidcore aesthetics because of sweets' connotations with children and excitement. These candies are often arranged in an over-the-top manner with different varieties at once. Choco Girl and Bubblegum Coquette also use Candycore visuals. Candyland and Candy Gore are both mainly inspired by Candycore.
Additionally, many costumes and make-up looks, as well as character and world designs, are inspired by candy. The board game Candyland and the "California Gurls" by Katy Perry music video are some examples of candy-theming.
Milkcore[]
The Milkcore aesthetic is largely revolved round the look of everyday milk cartons and bottles, mainly focusing on color and minimalistic styling of containers. Milk can be split off into various subgenres based off of color/flavor. Subgenres can also be applied using other aesthetics like Grunge, which can include darker colors and darker imagery. Milk's aesthetic is mostly soft and not far off from Babycore or Kidcore. The milk aesthetic can also apply to milk tea, and others things with similar flavors.
Picklecore[]
Picklecore is an emerging food-based aesthetic centering on pickles. It was listed on Pinterest Predicts for 2025.
Jellycore[]
Jellycore is based around and characterized by jelly-like visuals. More specifically, it can be literal jelly/gelatin or anything that has a similar look such as soap, slime, lip gloss, and more. Although the aesthetic mostly includes visuals of jelly-like or watery things, items that look jelly-like can also fall under the aesthetic, such as transparent plastic toys or colored glass. Jellycore doesn't always necessarily have to include translucency and opaque jelly-like things such as puddings can be included.
This aesthetic has a very refreshing feel to it. Although Jellycore includes a lot of food, a big focus of the aesthetic is non-edible items that look edible or satisfying to eat. Jellycore is similar to Cleancore, as well as Frutiger Aero, which often feature gel/clear or blue jelly visuals.
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Golden Hour[]
Golden Hour is an aesthetic that is based on the sunsets, sunrises, and the color gold. It also frequently features lens flare, palm trees, and flowers.
Pearlcore[]
Pearlcore is an aesthetic that is themed around the pearl as a gemstone and as well as the color white with a bit of an emphasis on "heavenly" imagery. Many participants in the aesthetic often lean towards this aspect of the aesthetic, while others prefer to go for a more oceanic theme instead to better tie in with the origin of pearls. This aesthetic can be closely tied in with both Nautical and Angelcore because of its pure and heavenly vibe. It also takes inspiration from Boujee, in which both take expensive clothing and activities to make them appear more powerful and elegant. The Pearly aesthetic also tends to have fancier fashion, as pearls can be quite expensive.
Smilecore[]
Smilecore is an aesthetic based around the Smiley face symbol and happiness, particularly the symbol of smiley faces. It also features slogans centered around happiness, such as "Have a Happy Day". The aesthetic is typically seen on posters, clothing accessories, and t-shirts. Even if Smilecore is mainly focused on happiness, it can be very similar to Weirdcore or Traumacore. The Smiley face symbol is also used as a motif in multiple other aesthetics and counterculture, including New Beat, Raver, VSCO Preppy, Acid Design, etc.
Teethcore[]
Teethcore is an aesthetic centered around the bones known as teeth, mainly the collection or loss of them. This aesthetic also includes the thought of being scared of the dentist and can be included in Medicalcore. The visuals may also be used in Morute.
One of the common parts of teethcore is the fantasy figure known as the Tooth Fairy, a legendary being; it is believed if one places their baby teeth under a pillow, the Tooth Fairy will take it, and leave money in place of the tooth. Because of the creature's 'suspicious activity', it has lead to strange theories. But, because many believe the creature is not real, these theories can not be proven true or false.
Spotify Playlists[]
Sparklecore[]
Sparklecore is an aesthetic characterized by the use of sparkles, shiny objects, and elements suggesting creativity and positivity. Visuals associated with the aesthetic include glittery objects, art, makeup, and DIY projects. The aesthetic is often associated with individuals who present as hyperfeminine, and themes of dependability and compassion are sometimes linked to it. Visual elements commonly found within the aesthetic include glitter, hearts, stars, and strobe lighting layered over images.
Ulzzang[]
Ulzzang, (얼짱) is a popular South Korean term literally meaning "best face", deriving from the Korean words face (얼굴) and best (짱). A person desiring ulzzang status would gain popularity on the internet through entering contests where their photos are judged and chosen by voters. In Korean culture, people with clear and pale skin, thin bodies, small heads, large eyes, soft features, and trendy haircuts are highly valued. The trend is unisex and is practiced by both males and females. The term replaced King Car and Queen Car in popularity, and has since been succeeded by Heeulsa.
It has a similar aesthetic to the Chinese concept of wanghong zipai (网红自拍) meaning "web influencer selfie", and many Chinese influencers (such as faaaariii_) often have their selfies mistaken for that of Koreans on the Western internet.
