Feminine Fashion Files: Episode 2, Trace of Hearts
Welcome to Feminine Fashion Files, where we go behind the scenes with your favourite hyper-feminine fashion influencers as they reveal style secrets and explore what being a girly girl means to them.
Image credit: @traceofhearts
Trace, age 28, is a hyper-feminine content creator who has amassed over 100,000 followers and 2.7M likes on her TikTok- @traceofhearts. Known for her styling videos where she showcases her girly pink ensembles and for her unapologetic love for all things hyper-feminine, Trace describes her social media brand as ‘’Grown Girlhood/ Feminine Lifestyle.’’
What does hyper-femininity and being a girly girl mean to you?
‘’To me, hyper-femininity is about embracing everything that's stereotypically "girly" without shame or embarrassment. It's a way to reclaim the things that previously had negative connotations around them because they're associated with women. In a patriarchal society, presenting yourself as ultra-feminine is seen as "less-than." We can see this in a lot of pop culture media; how the super-pink, girly character is the villain, the mean girl, or the bimbo. Movies like Legally Blonde or Barbie usurps this notion by portraying the main characters as hyper-feminine, but also complex and capable.’’
How long have you been a content creator, and what inspired you to start creating hyper-feminine content?
‘’I've been creating content since 2019, but have gone through several different blogs/branding. I got into hyper-feminine content after I graduated college and finally felt like I could embrace the things that I was previously embarrassed of. I always like pink, pastels and everything cute, but for a long time I would only dress in black to portray an outwardly cool appearance.’’
Image credit: @traceofhearts
Image credit: @traceofhearts
Are there any particular brands or style icons that inspire your hyper-feminine outfits?
‘’For brands, I love Dior, MiuMiu, LoveShackFancy, For Love & Lemons, & House of CB. For hyper-fem style icons, FreddyMyLove had a huge influence on me for years (still love her). I also get a lot of inspiration from Old Hollywood stars like Aubrey Hepburn.’’
What style tips would you give to someone who wants to start dressing in the girly aesthetic?
‘’Instead of spending thousands revamping your entire wardrobe--start small! It's all in the details. Ribbons in your hair, frills on your socks, wearing your favourite jewellery. When shopping, look for clothes with feminine details like broderie anglaise fabric, puff-sleeves, lace-trim details, bow detailing. So instead of a basic white cami, get a pointelle lace cami with lace-trim and a rosette in the centre of the neckline.’’
Are you connected with other creators who create girly or hyper-feminine content? What is the community like?
‘’Yes! I've met so many amazing friends from the community. Everyone is super nice because we've all connected over our shared love of hyper-feminine things. And we all understand what it means to be part of a subculture that can get a lot of stares or snide comments. Yet we're living our lives and serving looks anyway.’’
Image credit: @traceofhearts
Have you ever experienced any backlash or challenges when creating hyper-feminine content on social media?
‘’Nowadays I think most people online are familiar with this aesthetic-- I feel like I get more snide comments from people in real life. The typical online hate comments would be about me being a pick-me or catering to the patriarchy because I don't reject everything feminine. There are also comments about my style being ‘p3d0-bait.’’’
What are some of your favourite videos you’ve posted on TikTok?
‘’Hard to pick a few, I love all my recent styling videos because those are the outfits I've been wearing the most lately!’’
Do you have any other comments about the hyper-feminine aesthetic or being a hyper-feminine influencer?
‘’I spent so many years trying to find my style and after trying so many different looks, I realised I felt the most confident and powerful in my hyper-feminine outfits. It's also so fun meeting people for the first time and having them realise my personality is very different from my style persona. Peers will tell me that it's nice knowing someone who dresses in pink and florals, but still has niche interests and a sense of humour. I think some people assume we're all secretly bimbos? So, it's nice to subvert expectations in that way. It also acts as a lesson to never judge a book by its cover!’’
Image credit: @traceofhearts