What is Cottage Core

Maybe you've heard of it, maybe you've even engaged in it without knowing it, and you've definitely seen it.  We're talking about Cottage Core on the blog today.  What is it and how you can embrace it?  Simply put, cottage core is a pastoral aesthetic calling to mind images of traditional old English countryside scenes with rosy cheeked farm girls with wild curls cascading down their shoulders in pinafores made of airy fabrics gathering flowers into baskets or leading sheep out to pasture.

So why has it suddenly taken center stage in the fashion and photography world?  Well, the main theme behind Cottage Core is simple living, hearth, home, and garden and with everyone staying closer to home for most of 2020 and into 2021 as well, it's only natural that people began to look at the idealized versions of life close to home.  Baking bread, tending gardens, spending afternoons under the trees instead of at the office.  The bad news about this fashion movement is that it is rather pricey to dress simply.

If you follow any Cottage Core Instagrammers, you'll likely see the same brands coming up over and over and none of them are cheap.  Occasionally you can find a few inexpensive pieces like my pinafore which is made of 100% cotton and only cost $20 on Shein, but for the most part, Cottage Core seems to be an all-in way of life and a big financial investment.  But, well made garments from natural fibers may be worth investing considering they last for a long time and are very comfortable.  So, let's talk about the top Cottage Core brands.

1.  Little Women Atelier.  This Russian based brand creates handmade 100% linen clothing with four basic styles of dresses each one named after the sisters from Little Women.  In addition to dresses they also create aprons, vests, skirts, and blouses in a variety of pastels and earth tones. Dresses typically cost $240.   I've searched the resale sites, but never seen one of these dresses turn up for sale.  So, sadly, if you want one of these, you'll probably have to buy it retail or wait for a sale.  But, these styles are so gorgeous and feminine, I think it's quite likely that no one wants to part with their purchases from Little Women Atelier.

2.  Sonde Flor.  Another great brand highly favorited by #cottagecore Instagrammers.  Based in Lithuania, this company specializes in natural, modest, comfortable dresses.  All the dresses are handmade of 100% linen with a variety of styles to choose from.  They also create embroidered collars, petticoats, blouses, and skirts.  Like LWA, these dresses are rarely thrifted.  I'd like to think it's because customer satisfaction is so high and the quality is so good that they last for years.

3.  FP One by Free People.  With natural cotton fabric and loads of delicate feminine details and Victorian inspired designs, FP One is my favorite brands for cottage core blouses.  Tops like Sydney blouse that I'm wearing in this post and the Roselind blouse, shown at the right, cost around $100.  These tops turn up frequently on resale sites like Poshmark and you can find them in New condition for around $30-$50.  So, if this brand isn't in your budget, don't lose heart, just start thrifting.

4.  Nour and the Merchant  Taking Cottage Core beyond.  This shop specializes not just in handmade goods but slow fashion.  While there are some ready made pieces, most fabrics are not made until an order is placed.  First the fabric must be made and then the garment is made.  So, shipping time can be quite long, but you are guaranteed to have something special and unique.  Pieces from this shop range in price from $200-$300 and even if you can't afford to buy, it's worth it to stop by the shop and dream a little.

And quiet dreaming is really what this movement is all about.  It's about the blissful and the simple life of eras past.  Even if you can't afford the fashion, you can still embrace the lifestyle.  More long skirts and natural fabrics, more time baking treats, picking flowers and reading novels beneath the trees.  Breathe a little easier, live a little slower, and dream a little more.