I thought I was a cool, hip mama until I got tagged in a post on Instagram about how to know if you’re a VSCO girl. I’m sorry, a what?! If you’re’ like me and had to go Google this new trending thing then sit tight, I’ve got you. Here are five things you need to know to understand the biggest trend on the internet right now – and possibly to understand what your tweens and teens are even talking spilling tea about.
It Started With An App
The whole VSCO term itself is a little wonky but it has meaning. VSCO is a photo editing app that gives users the ability to create their own filters in order to give their photo and video streams uniformity. Think Instagram and TikTok but beachy, preppy, clean. Think vintage light over So-Cal beachy pics. The aesthetic of girls wearing certain styles of clothes and using the VSCO app created a trend that is currently blowing up like crazy.
It Definitely Has A Specific Aesthetic
You can spot a VSCO girl right away from her scrunchies (OMG why are those things back, I thought we finally killed that look!?) She’ll also likely be wearing Birkenstock sandals or Crocs, crop tops, and holding a Hydro Flask. Airpods and Fujifilm Instax are also critical to the look. As a mom, though, I have to say that I particularly love the no make-up portion of this Gen-Z fashion and lifestyle trend.
It’s Pronounced “Vis-co”
Like ‘disco’. And if you say it wrong then you’re a lame parent (like me, until five minutes ago when I learned this important fact.)
It’s Mostly Wealthy Thin White Girls
VSCO girls are, for the most part, thin, white, and upper-middle class, making their expensive yet easy-breezy look, fairly exclusive. For example, those Hydro flasks range in prices from $30 to $600 a pop. And the must-have Fjallraven’s Kanken backpack starts at $80. If part of the personae of being a VSCO girl means wearing specific trending high-end items then it will cost you.
They Have A Lingo
Get ready to Google a few more words. VSCO girls like to say things like “sksksk” or “and I oop.” Ok, let’s try to break this down. “Sksksks” is what a VSCO girl says when she drops her Hydro Flask (according to Urban Dictionary) or does something wrong. Think, “tsk tsk”. And “I oop” was originally uttered by a YouTube star who accidentally hit himself in his privates. The “and I oop” quickly became a viral meme and now means something along the lines of “this is funny” or is what VSCO girls say when someone else is dropping some hot gossip.
