Coquette
Etymology
From French coquette, the feminine of coquet, “flirtatious” (ultimately from coq, “rooster,” via the strutting image). Long an English word for a flirt, it was revived around 2022–2023 as the name of a TikTok aesthetic — bows, lace, ribbons, and Lana Del Rey imagery — drawing on older “nymphet” motifs that the trend has been criticized for romanticizing.
noun · /koh-KET/
A hyper-feminine aesthetic built on bows, lace, ballet flats, and girlish softness.
What it names
It names a deliberately delicate, romantic look and mood — coy, pretty, and ultra-feminine. As an aesthetic it treats girlishness itself as the statement.
Example
She tied a satin bow in her hair and leaned fully into the coquette look.
Related idea
Softer than brat: both are hyper-feminine styles, but coquette is demure and girlish where brat is loud, messy, and defiant.