E-kids,[1] split by binary gender as e-girls and e-boys, are a youth subculture of Gen Z that emerged in the late 2010s,[2] notably popularized by the video-sharing application TikTok.[3] It is an evolution of emo, scene and mall goth fashion combined with Japanese and Korean street fashion.[4][5]
Videos by e-girls and e-boys tend to be flirtatious and, many times, overtly sexual.[6][7] Eye-rolling and protruding tongues (a facial expression known as ahegao, imitating climaxing) are common.[8]
According to Business Insider, the terms are not gender-specific, instead referring to two separate styles of fashion, stating that "While the e-boy is a vulnerable 'softboi' and embraces skate culture, the e-girl is cute and seemingly innocent".[9]
Origins
The terms "e-girl" and "e-boy" are derived from "electronic boy" and "electronic girl" due to their association with the internet.[10] "E-girl" was first used in the late-2000s as a pejorative against women perceived to be seeking out male attention online. According to an article by Business Insider, the earliest example of e-girls were found on Tumblr,[9] with Vice Media stating the subculture evolved out of the earlier emo and scene cultures.[11] Vox writer Rebecca Jennings instead referred to the Tumblr aesthetic as a precursor of the subculture, as it lacked the cutesy aspect that would come to define e-girl hair and makeup.[12]
Ruby Barry of Heatworld traces the origins of e-girl fashion to 2000s Japanese street fashion, including anime, kawaii and lolita fashion styles.[4] Kayla Marci of Edited described it as an evolution of emo, scene and mall goth fashion that was heavily influenced by Asian fashion styles such as anime, cosplay and K-pop.[5] i-D referred to Avril Lavigne as "the original e-girl" due to her polished take on alternative fashion, contrast to mainstream norms of the time and affinity for Japanese kawaii culture.[13] Additionally, fictional characters such as Ramona Flowers, Harley Quinn and Sailor Moon were influential on the development of the subculture.[14][15]
By the late-2010s, e-boys had split from this original all female culture, embracing elements of emo, mallgoth, and scene culture.[16] The popularity and eventual death of emo rapper Lil Peep also influenced the beginnings of the subculture,[17] with the New York Post describing him as "the patron musical saint of e-land".[18] E-boys also make use of "soft-boy aesthetics" through presenting themselves as sensitive and vulnerable. According to the Brown Daily Herald this is due to a transformation of ideal male attractiveness from being traditionally masculine to embracing introvertedness, shyness, emotional vulnerability and androgyny.[19]
Mainstream popularity
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The subculture gained mainstream attention in 2018, following the worldwide release of TikTok. According to an article in i-D, the subculture's emergence on the app challenged the polished and edited photos of influencers and VSCO girls common on Instagram, due to TikTok lacking the features to do so.[20] An article by CNN stated that "If VSCO girls are the sunshine-basking hippies of 2020, e-girls are the opposite".[21] The subculture first began to gain mainstream attention in 2019.[9] MEL Magazine attributed the subculture's popularity to the increased interest of K-Pop groups like BTS, Exo and Got7 in the Western mainstream, due to the two's similar style of dress and hair.[22] A trend soon began on TikTok and other social media platforms, where people would upload videos "transforming" into an e-boy or e-girl, according to Vox Media, this is how the culture "entered the mainstream lexicon".[12][23] In the summer of 2019, Belle Delphine's emerging online prominence helped bring attention to the e-girl subculture; Business Insider described Delphine as "a symbol of the first wave of e-girl".[24] The July 2019 murder of Bianca Devins also brought attention to e-girls due to Devins' participation in the subculture.[25]
The subculture continued to grow in prominence through 2020, with Vogue publishing an article featuring Doja Cat discussing e-girl makeup,[26] and "e-girl style" being in the top 10 trending fashion terms on Google in the year.[27] Additionally, a number of mainstream celebrities began to adopt the bleached stripes hairstyle associated with e-girls, including American socialite Kylie Jenner[28] and Kosovar-English singer Dua Lipa.[29] In July, high fashion designer Hedi Slimane released a preview of a collection called "the Dancing Kid" for Celine, influenced by the fashion of e-boys. In a July 29 article from GQ, fashion critic Rachel Tashjian referenced this as a sign that "TikTok is now driving fashion".[30] Corpse Husband's song "E-Girls Are Ruining My Life!", which was released in September, gained large amounts of attention on TikTok,[31] eventually charting in the UK Singles Chart for three weeks.[32] In late 2020 and early 2021, a number of high fashion designers, namely Ludovic de Saint Sernin and Celine, began designing collections inspired by e-boy fashion.[33][34][35] Both InStyle and Paper magazine credited e-boys and e-girls as important to the rise in popularity and resurgence of pop punk in the 2020s.[36][37]
Fashion
The subculture's fashion is inspired by a number of prior subcultures, fashion trends and forms of entertainment, including mall goth,[38][39] 1990s–2000s fashion, skater culture, anime,[5] Japanese street fashion,[4] cosplay,[40] K-pop,[41] BDSM,[6] emo, scene,[10] hip hop,[42] and rave.[43] Dazed described the aesthetic as "A little bit bondage, a little bit baby".[15] Outfits commonly consist of baggy, thrifted clothes.[6] In particular, some e-girls wear mesh shirts,[6] plaid skirts, oversized t-shirts, crop tops, platform shoes, chokers and beanies,[44] while e-boys wear oversized sweaters[45] or monochrome clothes and band merchandise[46] layered over long sleeve striped shirts,[7] and polo necks.[47] Chain necklaces, wallet chains[42][46] and dangle earrings[48][49] are also frequently worn. E-boys often wear curtained hair,[50][51] whereas e-girls hair is dyed neon colors,[6][52] often pink or blue,[10] or is bleached blonde in the front.[44] Some tie their hair into pigtails.[10] Hair dyed two different colours down the centre (known as "split-dye hair") is common amongst both sexes.[9]
Both boys and girls may wear heavy makeup, in particular pink blush on the cheeks and nose, imitating anime.[53][8] Fake freckles[53] unkempt nail polish,[54] and winged eye liner[6] are common. YouTuber Jenna Marbles made a video imitating an e-girl's makeup style, calling it a mix between "Harajuku, emo, and igari makeup",[52] the latter of which is a Japanese makeup style imitative of a hangover.[55] Some e-girls draw over their philtrum using lipstick to make their lips look rounder.[56] One notable element of e-girl makeup is under-eye stamps, often in a heart shape,[43][57] a trend that has been influenced by Marina Diamandis.[58] Discussion of mental health is also common.[15]
Music
E-boys and e-girls are associated with "Sad Boy" music,[59][60] a broadly defined grouping of musicians, who similarly write music influenced by sadness and mental illness, that often overlaps with emo rap.[61] The term has been criticized by artists such as James Blake, due to its portrayal of mental illness, which he considers "unhealthy and problematic".[62]
In the 2020s, it became common for participants of the subculture to listen to artists associated with the 2020s pop punk revival.[37]
See also
References
External links
Media related to E-girls and e-boys at Wikimedia Commons
