If you now find yourself in your late 20s or beyond, it’s likely that when you were growing up you identified with one of a small cluster of subcultures — emo or preppy, townie or goth — but if you’re younger, you may be better versed in the language of aesthetic culture which has found its feet online in recent years. There is even a website that helps you to figure out your brand: Aesthetics Wiki lists hundreds, if not thousands, of online and offline aesthetics to choose from. Some have been on the rise lately; others are about as niche as it gets. If you love country weekends, flowers in baskets, and home baking, for example, you might be cottagecore; if you love earth tones, fantasy fiction, and remnants of the steampunk trend, goblincore could be for you. In the mainstream Instagram and TikTok worlds, however, angelcore has taken center stage. It’s an aesthetic defined by dreamy, hazy, celestial images in a kaleidoscope of pinks and lemons and baby blues. But where did it come from?
