In defence of the clean girl

Glazed skin, neutral clothing and hair pulled in such a tight slick-back you know her head must ache. Her makeup is so effortless, it’s almost like she’s wearing none at all. Her Pinterest board is full of Hailey Bieber, and she’s obsessed with self-care — she’s the “clean girl.”

The effortlessly casual clean girl aesthetic exploded on TikTok over the past few years, with over one million videos posted to the platform being tagged with #cleangirl. 

Two years ago, when I met one of my close friends, she deemed me a clean girl — maybe because of my neat room and minimal makeup. At first, I was slightly offended. The last thing I wanted was to be boxed into a basic TikTok aesthetic. 

When she called me a clean girl, I pictured the popular girls I went to high school with, who all dressed identically and never branched out. I didn’t want to be lumped in with those girls. But I also understand the pull towards wearing a crewneck, a pair of jeans and gold jewelry — it’s easy and efficient. 

So why did being called a “clean girl” feel like a dirty insult?

My friend wasn’t wrong — I tend to dress in neutral clothing, and I love a slick-back bun. I’ve always classified my style as “timeless,” but maybe that’s just an attempt to make it sound deeper than it is. Her label left me wondering if I really have any style at all. 

While trying to get to the root of why the comment bothered me, I came to the conclusion: Who cares? 

Why does minimal have to mean boring? Style should be about what you feel most confident in. I’m envious of the girls who wear skirts as tops and layer ten patterns, but that’s not me. When I started university, I felt out of place because I didn’t have the eccentric style I thought I needed to fit in with everyone else. They were so confident in their latest thrift finds, and I wanted to exude even just an ounce of that confidence. 

But I realized I have that confidence; it just looks different. I feel most confident and beautiful when I wear a black turtleneck, dark-wash jeans and black leather boots. It’s simple and maybe “clean,” but it’s me — and isn’t that the whole point? 

In a magazine overflowing with patterned tights and plaid jorts, I’m here to advocate for the basic bitches.

A clean girl closet, if done effectively, can be professional and sustainable. I’ve had 50 per cent of my closet since middle school. It’s full of quality investment items that will stand the test of time and can be styled in hundreds of ways — from the office to the bar. 

The “clean girl” might be basic, but the point of fashion is to wear what makes you feel good. For some, a clean style fits the bill. There’s nothing dirty about that.