Recently also tacked for that two sizes too big sweater? Did you happen to score a high-pile rug for the living room? Or that fun, pastel-colored sandwich maker? Welcome to your very own #soft era. After years of minimalist, cool designs, the pendulum is swinging towards the fluffy pole. Wooly materials, teeny tiny accessories, fragile vases and crocheted bicycle saddle covers: it’s impossible. Even the latest car models opt for round shapes and cute, almost cartoonish bubble wheels.
We go for mild en masse. Even on Twitter, the place where under ‘Chief Twit‘ Musk pruning words are fired back and forth, a school teacher goes viral who makes hugs from children’s drawings from her class. A crocheted rabbit over your headphones: another soft hype.
Manual work
The TikTok videos of Canadian textile artist Alexandria Masse demonstrating her crochet have been viewed more than three million times. During the corona pandemic, there was a revival of handicrafts, but the trend has now transcended the hobby. Alexandra’s candy-colored headphone warmers illustrate the new collective desire for softness that goes beyond design.
Softies. We are all or fast becoming it. For the origin of the #softlife trend, we have to go to Nigeria. In a context of political instability, Nigerian influencers emphasized the value of relaxation and comfort with #softlife. No materialistic, luxurious comfort; rather, a sense of ease, self-love, and contentment.
The Nigerian call was embraced worldwide, although it is more realistic to say that the #softlife trend has been going on for longer and has been given a name and hashtag by framing the Nigerian influencers. #Softlife has now been viewed more than 700 million times on TikTok. The trend stands for a stress-free, relaxed living environment that seems as far removed as possible from the geopolitical unrest in the angry outside world.
The trend stands for a stress-free, relaxed living environment that seems as far removed as possible from the geopolitical unrest in the angry outside world.
The #softlife movement includes the #softgirl, a counterpart to the #powerwoman and the #girlboss who dominated social media for years. Some #softgirls glorify the domestic life that women had previously struggled with. All #softgirls embrace their vulnerability and believe that not performance, but self-care emancipates. The T-shirts with printed self-love slogans cannot be dragged on. A better world starts with self love. Only, is that actually true?
Escapist
Self-care as activism, it sounds ironic. A much-heard criticism is that #softlife, despite its spiritual tone, is mainly focused on consumption and is therefore feasible for the lucky few. Not everyone has the time or money to allow themselves such a ‘soft’ existence.
Moreover, #softlife has something escapist about it. You may ask: Will a more compassionate life for ourselves lead to an increase in social well-being or societal stability? If we jointly put more emphasis on our own relaxation and satisfaction; Doesn’t this collective self-care lead to (even) more navel-gazing and a growing apathy and aversion to abuses in the world? Something to think about in the oversized sweatpants on the deep pile carpet. Softly, then.