Momnah Shahnaz
See how this article is discussing the latest TikTok trend? Notice how it’s being very demure and very mindful while doing so.
All of a sudden, everything is demure. Everything is mindful. And, of course, everything is cutesy. Eating a chocolate-covered strawberry is so demure. Rotting away in bed is cutesy. Getting ready for work is so mindful. Announcing your divorce to your husband online is super demure.
But while everything is very demure and very mindful, what does that actually even mean?
What Is Demure And Mindful?
Demure can be defined as being reserved and modest. But this internet trend is satirical and aims to contribute to social commentary about femininity as a whole.
Posts about being ‘demure and mindful’ exaggerate modesty for comedic effect. Although some believe this trend is another ‘clean girl’ aesthetic, it is mocking idealised notions of femininity through satire. The aim of the phrase is not to restrict women. Although it has gained further traction on social media and is now used in many contexts, the joke’s initial aim was making fun of stereotypes in regard to femininity.
Where Did It Start?
The trend began with Jools Lebron. She is the social media influencer who created this viral phrase in a video about her makeup and hair choices for work. Lebron has around 1.9 million followers on TikTok and is definitely living up to her new iconic title as ‘miss demure’.
She has followed up her initial post with multiple videos, growing her audience and attempting to monetise her success. Her viral TikTok also gave her access to Jimmy Kimmell where she was a recent guest. She has also invented a follow-up phrase: ‘demurity is my purity’.
@lottieellis777 @coach new in is so ✨demure✨ 😍 #coachretailemployee #coacheurope #coachny #fyp #coachnewin
How Far Has It Spread?
Many celebrities have also hopped onto this trend, making the phrase ‘very demure, very mindful’ blow up even further. Actress Jenna Ortega used this trend to promote her latest movie Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024). Drag queen RuPaul used this trend to promote online bookstore Allstora.
Olivia Rodrigo, Lindsay Lohan and Penn Badgley are just a few others who have hopped onto the trend, reiterating its wide-grown influence. It has also entered the fashion world, being used by Coach to promote their items. But what causes these innocuous phrases to initially blow up anyway?
“Brat summer […] explores subversive aspects of femininity.”
Phrases blow up and go viral often, slipping into the everyday vocabulary of gen Z. Humour is definitely a contributing factor to something’s viral stance. If enough people find it funny, it can spread around like wildfire (something not very mindful). But other than that, it can be incredibly hard to predict what will catch on.
The Death Of Demure And Mindful
However, we need to acknowledge how fast these trends move and how everyone is expected to move alongside them. Initially, this summer was all about having a brat summer, following the release of Chali XCX’s latest album. Brat summer influenced fashion and lifestyle choices… until ‘very demure and very mindful’ became the new buzzword. Now, brat summer is officially dead.
Demure and mindful can be seen as a response to brat summer. In some perspectives, it can be viewed as a polar opposite. However, brat summer can also be seen as very demure and very mindful in itself because it explores subversive aspects of femininity. Being a “365 party girl” is totally demure.
Ultimately, this buzzword is a fun, catchy phrase. Trends are constantly changing, with new viral phrases cropping up every few weeks. Demure is evidently an impactful trend showcased by how widespread it has become.
How long do you think the ‘very demure, very mindful’ trend will last before a new phrase takes its place?
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Featured image courtesy of Josh Rose via Unsplash. No changes made to this image. Image license found here.
momnahshahnaz
Ancient History & English Lit student :) Loves everything to do with books, movies and cats!