Celeb inspo for this spring's coquette fashion trend
The runways promised us that spring 2024 would be a coquette-fest the likes of which we've never seen before!
But, while the girly trends are coming out in drips and drabs – a pearly/bow-centric H&M line here, a few half-hearted coquettish celeb style moments there – things have yet to go full throttle.
Maybe the problem is a lack of inspiration, and there are plenty of examples from celebs and their stylists all over social media if you dig around!
It doesn't help that the concept of "coquette" is not always fully understood by fashion novices.
In case you need a refresher on coquette 101, think flowy and puffy dresses with materials like silks, satins, and tulle.
Bows, flower appliqués, and florals are also ideal, as are all things Rococo, Regency, and anything that even remotely reminds you of a porcelain doll.
Some coquette subgenres include Priscilla Presley-inspired Southern mod, balletcore, cottagecore, midcentury (including pin-up and boudoir), as well as gothic fashion.
And with an already stunning new season of Bridgerton, more people might just feel the need to add some girly glamor into their own everyday looks.
We've rounded up some of the best coquette-coded celebs to give you some outfit inspo before spring ends!
Sabrina Carpenter
While she hasn't been on the A-list scene for too long, Sabrina Carpenter has a pretty solid place in pop culture right now for viral TikTok hits like Espresso, Feather, and Nonsense.
Her tight ties to Taylor Swift don't hurt her celeb street cred, either...
The Fast Times singer often rocks outfits on the sultry side of coquette, with a big emphasis on the girly boudoir and Rococo elements of the trend.
Bows, frills, satin, corsets, and lace are top-tier tools in her fashion arsenal.
Ariana Grande
The eternal sunshine singer has changed up her aesthetic countless times over the course of her career, but she's been vibing with heavy coquette influences ever since she nabbed the role of Glinda in Wicked.
This makes sense, though, as Glinda is easily one of the girliest fashion icons out there!
With high fashion coquette collabs for the Met Gala and her Wicked press tour, we can only hope that the style will stick around after Parts 1 and 2 of the Broadway musical adaptation hit theaters.
Ari's version of the coquette is very floral, whimsical, and ethereal.
She artfully employs unusual uses of common coquette elements like floral appliqués, tulle, sparkles, puffy ruching, and long dramatic dress trains.
Oh – and lots of pink.
Elle Fanning
Elle Fanning kind of flies under the radar, often choosing indie projects to act in – but her fashion choices are endless showstoppers, and her biggest influences seem to come from the realms of coquette.
It's not surprising that Elle, who trained as a ballet dancer throughout her childhood, would love the ballet influences of the aesthetic like ribbons, tulle, and flowy or puffy skirts.
But the Neon Demon star consistently takes those basic principles to the next level with creative haute couture applications of beading, draping, and a mix of vintage feminine styles from many different eras.
No wonder they cast her as the very Marie Antoinette-looking lead of The Great – she's already been slaying the aesthetic for years.
Lana Del Rey
Lana Del Rey often leans into that delightfully edgy juxtaposition between punk and girly that is goth fashion.
The Young and Beautiful singer also appears to take routine inspiration from Priscilla Presley and her Southern gothic-meets the '60s and '70s glam look.
For example, just take a look at how Taylor Swift's outfit roster has switched over to girlish gothic as she promotes her seemingly Lana Del Rey-inspired album The Tortured Poets Department!
Lana experiments with different subgenres of the coquette in a '50s boudoir shoot for SKIMS and her most recent angelic Met Gala looks, but she'll always be known for her unforgettable Southern mod vibes at the end of the day.
Other pop culture representations of goth as coquette can be seen in characters like Lydia Deetz from Beetlejuice, almost any Tim Burton character that Helena Bonham Carter has played, as well as Wednesday and Morticia Adams.
Cardi B
Okay, okay – hear us out for a second.
Cardi B may not be the first person you think of when the word "coquette" comes into the conversation, as she is also well-known for her sporty and BDSM-inspired looks, especially in her rap performances.
But you can't deny the innovative ways that she routinely brings coquette aspects into her personal style on red carpets and at fashion shows!
The rapper can work magic with vintage silhouettes, pearls, '50s tweed suit sets, lace, and florals in between the very different barely-there looks that are also all over her Insta grid.
The Bodak Yellow rapper is one of the most innovative coquette starlets out there right now, and we can't wait to see what she does next with the aesthetic!
Honorable mentions
Some celebs either used to dress in the coquette style more often than they currently do (Lupita Nyong'o) or haven't fully blossomed into their coquette potential (Billie Eilish and Jenna Ortega.) No hard feelings, though!
Personal styles change and develop over time, and that's not only okay – it's beautiful.
Do you agree with our MVP coquette celeb picks?
Cover photo: Collage: Screenshots/Instagram/@arianagrande, @iamcardib, & @honeymoon + VALERIE MACON / AFP