The best of both worlds: all you need to know about the Blokette aesthetic

As any stylish person will tell you, a good outfit is all about tension: between high and low, chic and casual, masculine and feminine. What if we took the tension between the latter to the extreme? Enter the Blokette aesthetic.

The trend originates from the Nymphet Alumni podcast, hosted by “Hot Girl Critics” Biz Sherbert, Alexi Alario, and Sam Cummins. The hosts define Blokette (Blokecore + Coquette) as “a fascinating new look which combines sporty tomboyish swag with whimsical femininity”.

If this sounds confusing at best, fear not: we’re here to catch you up to speed. Here’s a step-by-step history of Blokette, as well as the essential pieces you need to recreate the look.

Embraced by celebrities like Bella Hadid and Rina Sawayama, Blokecore is undoubtedly one of the biggest aesthetics to arise from social media as of late. Inspired by the typical attire of footie fans, lads, and dads all over the UK, Blokecore has become extremely popular with fashion girlies and bros everywhere. The hero item is precisely the football jersey, styled with straight-leg jeans—usually Levi’s—or baggy denim shorts and Adidas sneakers, and worn on every occasion except football matches.

With Girl Dinner, Girl Math, and related phenomena reaching viral status on social media, it’s clear that 2023 is the year of the Girl! The younger generations are all about reclaiming their femininity, and they do so through trends like the Coquette aesthetic. LA-based stylist Marisa Ledford tells PEOPLE, “The coquette fashion trend is Gen Z’s take on flirty, soft, hyper-feminine style which references the Victorian Regency era.” Milkmaid tops, pastel colours, and babydoll dresses are the Coquette must-haves.

So, there you have it: just like Nymphet Alumni puts it, Blokette is the perfect amalgamation of Blokecore’s sporty tomboyishness and Coquette’s playful femininity. Each Blokette outfit combines pieces on opposite ends of the gendered clothing binary—i.e., a football jersey styled with a tiered mini skirt—to create something new and visually compelling. Here are the must-have pieces to ace your Blokette look.

From Adidas zip-up jackets to Rosalia’s Motomami football jersey, it’s safe to say that sportswear is truly having a moment this year. Vintage colour schemes and silhouettes are predominant, especially with nouveau-preppy brands like Martine Rose and Wales Bonner—whose collabo with Adidas brought us gems like the uber-popular silver Adidas Sambas.

…and speaking of the devil, Adidas Sambas and other similar sneakers are key Blokecore—and therefore Blokette—pieces. Their slim, sporty, and 90s-inspired feel makes them perfect paired with baggy shorts or straight-leg jeans.

On the other end of the Blokette spectrum, ballet flats and Mary Janes are basically synonymous with Coquette. After years of hiding in the darkest corner of our wardrobes, ballet flats had a bit of an unexpected comeback after a certain Miu Miu show, and are now one of the trendiest styles.

Donned by it-girls like Alexa Chung, ribbons are shaping up to be the hair accessory of FW23. But it doesn’t end with hair: ribbons are being used to decorate everything, from stockings to handbags. Blame designer Sandy Liang and her romantic, bow-adorned dreamy aesthetic.

Balletcore is the unexpected link between Coquette and Blokecore, as it embodies the soft femininity of the former as well as the sportiness of the latter. Moreover, Coquette often draws inspiration from ballet culture: silhouettes, colours, and accessories are often inspired by the world of ballet. One of these accessories is leg warmers, which are paired with—obviously!—ballet flats, but also with Uggs, loafers, and even combat boots.