'Coconut Girl' Aesthetic Is The Epitome Of Summer Fashion

If you frequent TikTok or the 'gram, you've probably noticed your timeline has recently been peppered with people sporting bright bikinis, floppy sun hats, and early-'00s tropical prints you forgot ever existed. Well, we're excited to announce that bright, kitschy prints and accessories have made their way back into our summer wardrobes, and we couldn't be more obsessed. And like every aesthetic trend nowadays, this one has a name you won't soon forget: the coconut girl aesthetic.

Advertisement

What does it mean to be a coconut girl? You don't have to drink all your summer beverages out of a coconut (though it certainly helps) — rather, the coconut girl aesthetic is all about embracing the wild, bright, kitschy clothes that haven't seen the light of day since the early aughts. That neon orange souvenir shop shirt you bought back on a family vacation in 2003? Very coconut girl. Your old Lilly Pulitzer dress? Coconut girl as anything. Hawaiian-printed bikinis, friendship bracelets, and seashell necklaces all scream coconut girls. Coconut girls aren't afraid to be loud and proud with their summer attire, and we love to see it. 

If you want to embrace your inner coconut girl this summer, you're in the right place — we've curated 19 of our favorite ways to wear the trend for all your fashion inspo needs. 

Advertisement

Find a floral printed skirt

Fun florals were incredibly in during the early-'00s, and we're overjoyed that the coconut girl aesthetic has brought them back (for good, hopefully). Look for florals that utilize multicolored flowers with their petals out on full display. A tight floral pattern with round-ish flowers of roughly the same size screams coconut girl. If you can picture middle school you wearing it, there's a good bet it's coconut-girl chic!

Advertisement

Make some old-school friendship bracelets

Time to dust off your Girl Scout friendship bracelet-making skills, people — woven and beaded friendship bracelets have come back with a vengeance. Wear one, two, or 10 (personally, we think the phrase "the more, the merrier" applies here) to embrace the coconut girl trend in its entirety. You don't just have to wear them as bracelets, either. Wrap friendship bracelets around your ankles or even make an extra long one to wear as a choker.

Advertisement

Find fun Y2K patterns

Want to get the perfect bathing suit beach pic this summer? We've got one trick for you: Deck yourself out in fun patterns that you haven't worn since the Y2K era. Bright Hawaiian flowers and multicolored animal prints are the way to go here. As for the style of bikini, it doesn't particularly matter, but if you want to go full coconut girl, opt for a halter top.

Advertisement

Bring back the halter tops

Speaking of halter tops, that's another silhouette we haven't seen in a while — but it's back, too. We love a halter top because it offers more security and support than other bikini top styles. It's also very coconut girl, meaning lots of colors and patterns will still give you coconut girl vibes. For best results, though, we recommend choosing something bold and bright. 

Advertisement

And open knit crochet tops

Loosely-knit crochet tops are ultra coconut girl, especially when they're cropped, bright, and worn over a bikini. If you're handy with a crochet hook, you could even try making your own! Find one with long sleeves if you think you'll need extra coverage, or get an open crochet vest for hotter summer days. 

Advertisement

Embrace ruffles

Texture is another big trend that shined in the early '00s and is coming back to grace the coconut girl aesthetic. Ruching and ruffles in particular are textures to look for as you're shopping for your coconut girl pieces. Look for ruffled bikinis in bright colors this summer to bring out your coconut girl full force. 

Advertisement

Bring out bright colors

When you want to go full coconut girl, bright colors are the key to getting there. Mixing bright colors close to each other on the color wheel like yellow and orange, purple and blue, and green and yellow are all great summer color trends to get you into the bright boldness that the coconut girl aesthetic has to offer. For bonus points, find and wear brightly-colored, floral-patterned garments. 

Advertisement

Accessorize with big flowers

Accessories can make or break your coconut girl look. When looking to accessorize, embrace the same patterns and colors you'd look for in your coconut girl clothes: bright colors and floral or woven patterns. A great, easy coconut girl hair accessory is a large flower clip — bonus points if you can match the flower to floral patterns elsewhere in your ensemble. 

Advertisement

Dig out that old Lilly Pulitzer

In case you haven't already caught on, neon clothing definitely fits the bill for your coconut girl aesthetic. And Lilly Pulitzer prints? They're nearly as coconut girl as you can get. If you've had a Pulitzer dress sitting in the back of your closet for ages, it's time to dig it out and don it on all your beach vacays this season. To round out this look, accessorize with a straw hat, woven friendship bracelets, and a pair of bright, chunky platform flip-flops. 

Advertisement

Add a shell necklace

Another coconut girl accessory that we'd be surprised if you've put on in the last 15 years is the shell necklace. Shell necklaces can be bought for a few bucks at pretty much any souvenir shop, and they're the crowning glory of your coconut girl aesthetic. For bonus points, get one that boasts some beads in bright colors, like neon pink or ocean blue.

Advertisement

Swim in a bold bikini

Possibly the hottest summer swimwear trend this year is the boldly-colored, Hawaiian-printed bikini set. Strut your stuff in a two-toned floral bikini when you want to leave no doubt that you're proud to be a coconut girl. Get one in a color that matches your newly-made friendship places for a fun and put-together look you won't want to take off. 

Advertisement

Find a fun matching set

Matching sets have seen a massive spike in recent years, partially with the rise of the athleisure trend. If you love the comfort and styling ease of a good matching set, get one that fits the coconut girl aesthetic by finding one with elements we've already talked about: bright colors, bold prints, and some texture if you want. 

Advertisement

Sport souvenir shop shirts

Our favorite kitschy coconut girl aesthetic piece is the oft-overlooked souvenir shop shirt. You know what we're talking about — the ones that sport the name of whatever beach you're lounging on, often with some flowers, dolphins, shells, or other sea-related prints on them. Souvenir shirts are a great coconut girl piece to wear on and off the beach. Buy one oversized and tie it at the waist to crop it if you want to really take it back to the early '00s. 

Advertisement

Go for an old fashioned crop top

Speaking of crop tops, go hunting at your favorite local thrift shop (or your fav online thrift store) for a decades-old crop top that embraces summery '00s trends. Cutesy cap sleeves, ruching, and bandeau-level chest coverage are all good signs that you've found a coconut girl piece. Obviously, if it's bright or floral, you've hit the jackpot. 

Advertisement

Or shirts adorned with beachy accessories

If you can't find (or just don't want to wear) a floral-printed or brightly-colored shirt but still want everyone to know you're a coconut girl at heart, go for a shirt with some subtle nods at beachy themes. We love the above, adorned with a small flower pattern of seashells. This is another great moment to capitalize on ruffles and ruching, too!

Advertisement

Wear your favorite hat

Hats are very, very coconut-girl chic, especially bucket hats. A hat on its own can be enough to hint at your coconut-girl-ness. Go for wider brims that are as playful as you are, and pair them with other bright colors in your outfit or let them stand on their own. 

Advertisement

Cover up with an oversized button-up

Need a little swimsuit cover for when you want to go inside and grab another margarita? No need to buy a new one. Instead, find an oversized button-up to wear when you need a little extra coverage at the beach. It doesn't even need to be in a bright color — any lighter-colored oversized top will work fine and gives a casual enough air to still say "coconut girl" without shouting it from the rooftops. 

Advertisement

Find a big straw hat

Don't want to embrace a bucket hat? Try taking a wide-brimmed straw hat with you on your next beach vacation. Wide, floppy, playful brims are the key to nailing the coconut girl aesthetic here. A plain beige straw hat will work just fine, but if you want to get extra coconut-y with it, go ahead and look for one in bright pink, blue, or white. 

Advertisement

Don't forget to drink from a coconut

As we've already said, actual coconuts are optional with this trend — but if you can get your hands on one, why wouldn't you? Drinking out of a coconut is one surefire way to let your coconut girl shine without even needing to wear clothes that match. To go all out, find a coconut drink that comes with a bright straw and a little tropical umbrella. 

Advertisement

Recommended

Advertisement