VSCO girl

/VIS-koh girl/

noun

A late-2010s internet label for a beachy, casual aesthetic built around recognizable clothes, accessories, and online behavior.

#internet slang
#2019 internet culture
#teen aesthetics
#TikTok culture
#fashion stereotypes

Meaning

VSCO girl describes a recognizable late-2010s teen aesthetic associated with oversized shirts, short bottoms, scrunchies, Hydro Flask bottles, shell necklaces, friendship bracelets, casual branded shoes, light makeup, beachy styling, and environmental phrases such as “save the turtles.” The label came from the VSCO photo-editing app, but it does not mean the person necessarily uses VSCO or identifies with the stereotype. In the documented 2019 context, it could refer to the look itself, a self-presented identity, or a playful or teasing stereotype; these sources do not establish which tone or meaning is most common today.[2][7]

1. A label for the bundled look and lifestyle associated with the late-2010s VSCO aesthetic: oversized tops, Nike shorts or similar bottoms, scrunchies, shell jewelry, Hydro Flasks, casual shoes, natural makeup, and beach-inspired styling.
2. A stereotype or parody character used online. Depending on tone, calling someone a VSCO girl can signal fond imitation, self-identification, or criticism of conformity, brand-focused fashion, wealth, whiteness, thinness, or supposedly superficial environmentalism.
3. The term can describe an outfit or recognizable style without making a claim that its wearer uses the VSCO app, says “sksksk,” or genuinely identifies with the label.

A collage labeled “the cute vsco girl” shows scrunchies, a Hydro Flask, a Kånken backpack, bracelets, skincare and makeup. — This annotated collage presents the VSCO-girl label as a recognizable bundle of accessories and beauty items, rather than simply a description of someone who uses the VSCO app. Its “cute” framing also shows how the look could be presented playfully. Source

Examples

“That outfit is very VSCO girl.”

“The video is a playful VSCO girl transformation.”

“She wore the scrunchie and Hydro Flask, but skipped the VSCO girl label.”

“Calling someone a VSCO girl can sound teasing rather than complimentary.”

Origin and spread

The expression combines the name of VSCO, a photo-editing and sharing app, with “girl.” Reporting describes the aesthetic as a casual, beach-oriented update of preppy and earlier social-media styles. During 2019, the label spread through TikTok, YouTube transformation videos, Instagram posts, and retail associations. i-D reported that VSCO Girls had “recently exploded on TikTok,” while Know Your Meme records Instagram and TikTok posts about VSCO-themed sleepovers in summer 2019. The label became broader than app use: teenagers interviewed by Slate said many people called VSCO girls did not necessarily use the app, while NBC reported that some already owned the associated items before the label became recognizable. The style could be embraced as a real identity or performed through parody. “Sksksk” and “and I oop” became associated with the stereotype, but their histories predate it and include Black LGBT and other online communities; they are not native VSCO-girl inventions. The available evidence does not establish a single creator. Earliest use not established: the retrieved Urban Dictionary record is dated July 1, 2019, while Know Your Meme reports a June 14 Urban Dictionary definition and a January 30, 2019 YouTube how-to video that is unavailable here. These conflicting records document early circulation without settling which is earliest.[1][3][4][5][6][7]

How to use it

Use it for the recognizable aesthetic or its 2019-era parody, not as a precise synonym for “teenage girl” or “VSCO user.” The label is context-dependent: it may be affectionate or self-aware, but applying it to a person can also imply conformity, affluence, whiteness, thinness, or shallow environmentalism. “Sksksk,” “and I oop,” and “save the turtles” have distinct histories and should not automatically be treated as proof that someone is a VSCO girl.

A social-media post titled “How to be a ‘VSCO girl’” shows two beach and boating photos of a person in casual clothing and swimwear. — This post uses a before-and-after-style pair of beach and boating images to present the look as something one can perform or assemble. It helps show how “VSCO girl” circulated as an internet aesthetic, without establishing who the person is or whether they identify with the label. Source

Why the label can sting

Slate reported that several interviewed teenagers treated being called a VSCO girl as a bad thing and laughed at the perceived conformity. That reaction belongs to those interviewees, not everyone who uses the term; other reporting also documents people embracing or performing the aesthetic themselves.[3]

The app connection is loose

The name points to the VSCO app, but the label can describe a visual stereotype detached from actual app use. Slate quoted a teenager saying many VSCO girls did not use the app, while NBC described people who already owned the associated items before the label became common.[3][6]

The stereotype was not neutral

BuzzFeed News reported that the look was commonly associated with being white, thin, and able to afford branded products, and described an interviewee’s experience of being told she did not look like a VSCO girl despite wearing the same items as a white, thin friend.[7]

Questions people ask

Does calling someone a VSCO girl mean they use the VSCO app?

No. The name comes from the app, but Slate reported that many people described as VSCO girls did not necessarily use it. NBC also quoted someone who owned VSCO-associated items before they were considered part of the trend.[3][6]

Is “sksksk” actually VSCO-girl slang?

It became associated with the stereotype, but was not created for VSCO girls. The Independent traces related expressions to earlier Black LGBT and online communities, so “sksksk” alone does not identify someone as a VSCO girl.[5]

How did VSCO-girl style differ from the Instagram-baddie look?

The contrast described by BuzzFeed is between VSCO-girl styling—casual clothes, light or natural makeup, and an effortless look—and an Instagram-baddie look associated with heavier makeup, Fashion Nova, lip fillers, and a more polished presentation.[7]

Sources

1. Know Your Meme — VSCO GirlSupports: origin.
2. Urban Dictionary — VSCO girlSupports: earliest documented use, meaning.
3. Slate — VSCO girls explained by teensSupports: origin.
4. i-D — a guide to vsco girlsSupports: form, origin.
5. The Independent — Where did 'and I oop' and 'sksksk' come from?Supports: origin.
6. NBC News — What are 'VSCO girls'?Supports: origin.
7. BuzzFeed News — VSCO Girls Are Taking Over Social MediaSupports: meaning, origin.