E-girl Style Guide to Perfectly Nail the Electronic Look
What is E-Girl Style?
The E-girl style – electronic girl style – is a distinctive way of dressing by young women connected to early online communities in anime, gaming, and cosplay, in playful and even flirtatious outfits with aesthetic roots in Kawaii, Lolita, and Y2K fashion styles.
Rejecting perfect beauty, the E-girl is also characterized as Grotesque and Kitsch. [1]
A typical E-girl feature includes long eyeliners and small hearts painted under the eyes with eye-rolling and protruding tongues, a facial expression known as Ahegao, imitating climaxing.
E-girl outfits blend doll-like 90s anime and Kawaii styles with alternative styles such as Emo, Grunge, streetwear, and Goth.
More recently, the E-boy style also emerged as a related genre to E-girl.
The e-boy style combines the Softboi aesthetic with Skater styles to create a masculine yet vulnerable and sensitive look.
Famous hip-hop and pop singers such as Billie Eilish, Lil Peep, and Doja Cat populated e-girl and E-boy styles and turned them into a fashion trend.
E-girl Style Origin
The origin of E-girl goes back to the late 2000s when it was used as a derogatory term in gaming sites to describe female players who looked for male attention.
In June 2009, “E-girl” was included in Urban Dictionary as “Call her an E girl cause she’s always after the D.”[2]
However, in the 2010s, thanks to the video-sharing app TikTok, the meaning of E-girl changed to “attractive alternative girls who love to play video games online.” [3]
How to Dress in E-girl Style?
Dressing like an E-girl is easy, provided you follow specific dressing rules relevant to this aesthetic.
The most popular E-girl aesthetics include a unique blend of doll-like anime looks and alternative styles such as Goth, Grunge, Vaporwave, and Skater.
Add to that famous E-girl outfit, such as plaid mini skirts, striped long-sleeved shirts, heart stamps under the eyes, and bleached hair for a perfect E-girl look.
In the following section, I’ll give tips and design ideas to help you create your E-girl outfits quickly.
1. Plaid Skirts
Put the ‘girl’ in E-girl by choosing perhaps the girliest piece of clothing – a plaid skirt.
A quick look on Pinterest shows that a plaid skirt is the cornerstone of every E-girl outfit.
Whether you go for a toned-down color or something wild like neon pink, a sharp mini or midi piece will let you build enviable outfits around it.
Just think about all the pairs of tights and trending sneakers you can juxtapose with or throw in a heavy chain belt to add some attitude.
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2. Oversized T-shirts or Sweatshirts
Beloved for being extra comfy and always cool, oversized pieces are essential for a perfect E-girl outfit.
What you choose to show on your top is up to you, but pop culture references – think bands, movies, and TV shows – are welcome.
Remember that for E-girls, layering is the game’s name, so why not throw on a striped long-sleeve under a cool T-shirt?
The more they contrast with each other, the better!
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3. Pop-colored Pants
Let’s clarify: the E-girl look is not about blending in.
Your trousers must follow a similar aesthetic to the nerdy look.
Drawing from Y2K style, popular E-girl outfits include denim and cargo pants.
However, to make the trousers pop, pick up a pair that catches the eye with striking color or pattern – neons, deep blues, and stripes are just some fail-safe options to check out.
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4. Cropped Tops
If you’re not feeling like sporting oversized garments, or when the temperatures begin to rise, a cute crop top is guaranteed to lend your outfit that necessary E-girl edge.
A natural complement to high-rise trousers and skirts, cropped tops indicate whether your style is a slinky cami or a cool long-sleeve with a loud pattern on the chest.
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5. Platform Sneakers
Infused with the 90s fashion stamp of approval, chunky platform sneakers will provide extra height – when needed – and the rebellious attitude required by this aesthetic.
Choosing a black or white design is a safe option that never fails.
Yet, the more adventurous E-girls might want to snatch a pair in hot pink or neon green – as I said, this aesthetic is all about ‘going big or going home’.
With unlimited styling potential, the right pair of platform sneakers will have you look and feel like you’re on cloud nine.
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6. Butterfly Hairclips
It’s time to introduce some uber-girly accents – anything works here, from hair accessories to E-girl chains, chain drop earrings, and chain necklaces.
Back to the best piece of jewelry, get ready to create the perfect E-girl fantasy look with butterfly hair clips.
Cute and feminine, colorful hair clips are adorable accessories that can be styled in myriad ways.
You can try wearing them symmetrically at your temples and keep messy strands in check by securing them with a single butterfly to the side.
Or, if you’re ready to take it all the way, spread them out sparingly across the length of your hair.
These adorable pieces lend that essential back-to-school touch to your E-girl outfits.
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7. Beanies
Bad hair day? Not to worry, a classic beanie hat is the quintessential E-girl accessory.
The beanie will confer an extra layer of coolness to your edit and help to tame the frizz.
When shopping for your beanie, you can’t go wrong with a classic fisherman style, defined by a large fold to the center.
Color-wise, let your imagination run wild and pick a hue that underlines your complexion and hair.
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8. Choker Necklaces and Fishnet Tights
Calling all aspiring E-girls – it’s accessories time!
How you choose to complete your outfit is what decides the overall look, so tread carefully.
But not too carefully, of course.
Some critical items that can be found in every E-girls’ arsenal are statement jewelry pieces like edgy earrings or choker necklaces.
Fun tights or socks with fishnets are also part of most E-girl outfits.
Once again, accessorizing can be an excellent opportunity to introduce some layers to your look.
So get all these necklaces out and try putting them together to create a unique sign-off.
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9. Belt Chains
A polished chain belt is a must-have when putting together that perfect E-girl edit, given the power to transform even the plainest trousers into art pieces.
Chain belts can also bring attitude and extra bling – especially if you’re short on jewelry – by introducing grungy elements to your look and keeping loose pieces in check.
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10. E-girl Makeup
Though not a fashion piece, an E-girl look isn’t complete without signature makeup.
The right E-girl makeup accentuates the contours of your face with bold, black eyeliner and, of course, some tongue-in-cheek face stamps.
In particular, heart stamps are a firm favorite among the style pioneers.
What is the E-girl Look?
The E-girl look combines Emo and Punk rocker vibes with a playful twist built around statement makeup with heavy blush, big eyes, bleached hair in colorful shades, and fun touches like hearts painted beneath the eyes.
What Colors Do E-girls Wear?
Right now, some of the most popular and recognizable E-girl colors are light blue, baby and bubblegum pink, rainbow colors, and neon combinations.
Where Can I Find E-girl Clothes?
The best places to find E-girl clothing stores are Hot Topic, Styleupk, It Girl, Adika, Shein, Yesstyle, and Normcore Studios.
Also, Etsy is an excellent place to find unique E-girl clothes and vintage pieces.
Key Takeaways
E-girl outfits are in vogue right now, in 2023, and for a few good reasons.
First, the E-girl aesthetic is on TikTok’s top charts, together with Fairy Grunge, Cottagecore, Dark Academia, and Light Academia aesthetics.
Second, it’s highly experimental; there are many ways to make E-girl your personal style.
Bookmark this article and have it handy next time you’re prepping for an Instagram session or working on a TikTok reel and not sure what to wear to create that perfect E-girl look.
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Professional Styling Advice
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Contact The VOU’s Style Experts to receive your free and personalized styling advice based on your current way of dressing, preferred outfits, colors, aesthetics, age, gender, body shape, location, and event you seek to attend.
Your dedicated stylist will meticulously select essential garments, footwear, and accessories to craft a wardrobe that complements and enhances your style.
Embrace this unique opportunity for a transformative fashion experience, all at no cost to you.
Bibliography
[1] Eo Gyeong-jin 2020, ‘Digital persona shown in E-girl and E-boy fashion images‘, Fashion Culture Research, vol.28, no.5, pp.692-704.
[2] Tran, C.H. (2022) ‘“never battle alone”: Egirls and the gender(ed) war on video game live streaming as “real” work‘, Television & New Media, 23(5), pp. 509–520. doi:10.1177/15274764221080930.
[3] Kennedy, M. (2020) ‘“if the rise of the TikTok dance and e-girl Aesthetic has taught us anything, it’s that teenage girls rule the internet right now”: Tiktok Celebrity, girls and the Coronavirus Crisis‘, European Journal of Cultural Studies, 23(6), pp. 1069–1076. doi:10.1177/1367549420945341.
source https://thevou.com/fashion/e-girl-style/
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