Girls don’t want boyfriends, girls (and boys, and nonbinary folks) want cottagecore presents.

If you’ve scrolled TikTok or Instagram at all over the past two years, you’ve probably seen creators (especially young people) baking from scratch, gardening, picking up screen-free hobbies like knitting, and making it all look romantic and dreamy. That’s cottagecore, an aesthetic trend dedicated to romanticizing “uncomplicated” country living. Think foraging berries to make homemade jams, growing vegetables, and sipping tea all day — essentially becoming a vaguely ’70s-styled Alice in Wonderland character. 

Cottagecore became trendier during quarantine, as people looked for not only an escape from day-to-day life, but also a way to idealize staying at home. The aesthetic imbues cozy, grandma-ish style with Gen Z cool: The most popular cottagecore TikTokers wear gorgeous prairie dresses, go on whimsical picnics in fields, and make even boring activities look idyllic (thanks, in part, to filters). No work, no stress, only quaint, Instagram-friendly pastoral living.

If there’s someone in your life who’s gone down one too many rural-life-cottage-living-forest-nymph internet rabbit holes, they’re probably into cottagecore. Find a gift for them below.

Mashable