Ever since Megan Thee Stallion gave us “Hot Girl Summer” in 2019, the Internet’s appetite for “-girl” aesthetics has been insatiable. While we’ve cycled through everything from “clean girl” to “that girl,” there’s one that isn’t going away: “[insert food] girl.”
What started with garlic girls (who simply loved adding extra cloves to every recipe) and pickle girls (united by their fermented food obsession) has evolved into a full menu. These playful microtrends are transforming into a legitimate design movement, with Pinterest’s 2025 color palette—Cherry Red, Butter Yellow, Dill Green, and Alpine Oat—serving as evidence.
For decades, aesthetics have been dictated by traditional gatekeepers—designers, fashion editors, and executives who decided each season’s “in” look. Now, through the democratization of social media, young women are reclaiming traditionally “feminine” interests and transforming them into fun, light-hearted forms of self expression. These trends bubble up organically from TikTok, where creators turn food-inspired moods into viral aesthetics that gather millions of views each. Even major brands and celebrities are taking notes—Hailey Bieber parlayed the strawberry girl aesthetic into an entire product line before most of us even knew what it meant.
Food-inspired aesthetics aren’t a new thing, though—moodboards featuring food on 2010s Tumblr dominated the platform long before TikTok’s hundreds of millions “food-inspired” views. Foods come pre-loaded with cultural meaning and emotional resonance. According to Bon Appetit, this makes food not only efficient but “optimal for eclectic moodboarding.”
Each “food girl” represents a distinct lifestyle philosophy and creates an entire world. Think of it as a personality quiz come to life: Instead of Buzzfeed telling you what pizza you are, based on your favorite Taylor Swift era, you get to choose your own food-based destiny. Are you a “tomato girl” living that slow-life Mediterranean fantasy? Or maybe you’re a “hard-boiled egg girl” treating skincare like it’s a full-time job? How about a chaotic “baked beans girl” that keeps emergency snacks in your designer bag? Pull up a chair—there’s a seat at this dinner table for everyone.
Tomato Girl
Born from that endless summer in Italy everyone seemed to have in 2023 (everyone except me, apparently), the tomato girl aesthetic is, yes, #slowliving, red linen dresses, and pasta-making videos, but it’s also sun-baked terracotta tiles, vintage-inspired appliances, and ceramics that would make your nonna proud. Think rustic wooden beams, Mediterranean-inspired textiles, and enough copper cookware to outfit a Tuscan kitchen—like a perfectly ripe heirloom tomato: rich, authentic, and somehow both classic and completely of the moment. Tomato girl speaks to our collective desire for warmth, tradition, and that ineffable Italian spirit of sprezzatura.
Cherry Girl
Cherry girl is tomato girl’s sophisticated Parisian cousin who studied abroad and never quite came home. While both share an affinity for red, cherry girl leans into darker, more dramatic burgundies. In spaces, this translates to velvet-upholstered everything, vintage movie posters, moody accent walls, brass accents, and, you guessed it, cherries. There’s a certain sultriness to cherry girl that sets her apart—siren eyes, scarlet lips, and the kind of home that hosts fabulous dinner parties where people discuss Proust over some red wine.
Lemon Girl
Fresh, bright, and perpetually optimistic, the lemon girl aesthetic brings Amalfi Coast energy. Lemon girl is a sunny counterpoint to the moody, dark academia vibes that dominated previous years. Expect citrus-bright yellows paired with crisp whites, plenty of natural light, and ceramic tiles featuring lemon motifs. Rattan furniture, striped awnings, and botanical prints complete the look. Living la dolce vita!
Strawberry Girl
If cottagecore and balletcore had a baby raised on Hailey Bieber’s TikTok, you’d get strawberry girl. This aesthetic brings together soft pinks, vintage florals, and an almost confrontational level of sweetness. Think scalloped edges (on everything), floral wallpapers, and milk glass collections (fridgescaping, anyone?). It’s all about capturing that sweet, romantic energy that’s both nostalgic and fresh.
Mango Girl
Living in perpetual vacation mode, a mango girl would choose a bikini over business casual any day. Mango girl brings the warmth of sunset oranges and golden yellows into spaces through rattan furniture, bold botanical prints, and loads of plants. Their spaces are filled with coconut, mango, and papaya-scented products. The vibe is tropical babe meets wellness guru—smoothie bowls, yoga corners, and perfect golden hour lighting.
Baked Beans Girl
Perhaps the most delightfully chaotic of the food-inspired aesthetics, baked beans girls (see: Crocs filled with baked beans) are independent and adventurous. It manifests through earthy tones, organic textures, and a deliberately undone approach to styling. She’s chaotic but also wellness-oriented—like that friend who does sunrise yoga but also stress-eats cold ravioli straight from the can.
Hard-Boiled Egg Girl
The minimalist’s answer to food-inspired design, the hard-boiled egg aesthetic (which gained traction alongside skincare-obsessed TikTok) celebrates clean lines, ivory tones, and perfectly curated simplicity. We’re talking pearl-white walls, curved furniture in eggshell hues, and carefully considered neutral textiles. We’re even seeing the aesthetic with Pinterest’s Alpine Oat prediction—a sophisticated take on minimalism that feels warm rather than stark. The bathroom is where the hard-boiled egg aesthetic really shines, with spa-like amenities and marble surfaces—because every hard-boiled egg girl knows the importance of a proper skincare routine.
Julia Cancilla is the engagement editor (and resident witch) at ELLE Decor, where she manages the brand’s social media presence and covers trends, lifestyle, and culture in the design world. Julia built her background at Inked magazine, where she grew their social media audiences by two million, conducted interviews with A-list celebrities, and penned feature articles focusing on pop culture, art and lifestyle. Over her five years of digital media experience, Julia has written about numerous topics, from fashion to astrology.
