Discover the rise of the messy girl: a new movement in beauty and lifestyle that embraces imperfection, chaotic style, and authentic self-expression.
Scrolling through Instagram, you’ve probably noticed a shift in the way people post. Feeds are becoming less curated and more intentionally chaotic. Gone are the polished flatlays, and in their place are photodumps: out-of-focus snaps, awkward angles, and seemingly random shots that would’ve never made the cut in a perfectly arranged grid. The clean-girl aesthetic has officially taken a back seat, giving way to the messy girl era.
The clean-girl movement began with a minimal, fresh-faced approach to beauty: glossy, barely-there skin; softly defined brows; a touch of blush; and natural-looking lips. Though it began as a makeup trend, it quickly evolved into a full-blown way of life—one built on the image of ease, order, and quiet luxury. Think pilates, matcha, Alo Yoga sets, and high ponytails. However, something in the air shifted: maybe it was Charlie XCX’s brat album, or maybe people just grew tired of the constant performance on social media.
When the terms “messy girl” and “clean girl” enter the conversation, they’re often positioned as opposing forces. But this isn’t about declaring one archetype superior to the other. It’s simply about acknowledging a shift to a new era in beauty and lifestyle that embraces a different kind of expression.
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So, Who is This Messy Girl?
The messy girl is, at her core, a rebellion: one wrapped in smudged eyeliner, slept-in hair, and a deliberate refusal to uphold the polished standards that defined the clean-girl era. While the clean girl champions sleek hair, glassy skin, and minimalist everything, the messy girl pushes back against that pressure to appear perfect. She embraces realness and visible imperfection, choosing authenticity over aspiration.
Her aesthetic pulls heavily from nostalgia, namely ’90s grunge, early-2000s indie sleaze, and the gritty glamour of icons like Courtney Love. The messy girl isn’t afraid of eyeliner that’s a little smeared or hair that looks like it has stories to tell. Today’s cultural muses echo that energy, more specifically Charli XCX in her brat era and Lorde, both of whom sport styles that lean into an eclectic-meets-chaotic aesthetic. They embody a kind of stylized disorder that feels distinctly now.
But the chaos of the messy girl style extends beyond beauty and into cluttered bedrooms, overstuffed tote bags, mismatched photos, and an online presence that doesn’t try to hide the cracks. She’s the product of real-world fatigue: high rent, tight schedules, burnout from constantly performing perfection. Her messiness becomes a release, a kind of freedom from the hyper-curated standards that defined the last decade.
This aesthetic also carries an undercurrent of critique. Fashion commentators note that the “messy girl” challenges the culture of hyper-productivity and the pressure to present a pristine, effortless life online. And while her look feels raw and unfiltered, it’s ironically and oftentimes a consciously crafted authenticity—a choice to show up imperfectly on purpose. She isn’t the opposite of the clean girl, nor her replacement. She’s simply the next chapter, inviting room for chaos, honesty, and a little bit of that beautiful mess.
