Pinterest is one of my favourite forms of procrastination. It’s a social media where privately, I am the centre of attention. I sit there, for what feels like hours, meticulously curating boards of my dream life. I turn to Pinterest to capture inspiration for many things, but mostly clothes. My love for fashion is fuelled by my favourite board- ‘cottage-core’. I frequently meander through the search results under this specific aesthetic. And though I love my brain to bloom with ideas that the pictures plant, I never realised how insidious my consumption of the aesthetic was. I can see the style, books, and clothes I like, but the most important part is missing. I cannot see myself. I’m not actually present, nor can I ever be in the images presented to me. They all perpetuate one type of race, body and culture. All Eurocentric. The lack of diversity is stark and so it inspired me to delve into and decolonise cottage-core. To place myself in an aesthetic that social media, not just Pinterest, excludes me from. This summer granted me the time to spring my board into life. So here are some of my cottage-core- inspired outfits.

Despite my non-visibility, I create these boards with confidence

I noticed how white dresses are a staple part of the aesthetic. I wanted to represent my Bangladeshi culture and so searched for a white salwar kameez. Usually, South Asian clothing is famous for its intricate and dazzling embellishments, and my collection definitely reflects that. But after a couple hours of mining through rhinestones, I found the salwar kameez. The experience of styling white is always fun since you can incorporate colours most people shy away from – like yellow.

Some outfit pictures under the aesthetic also include books. From my observation, they tend to be books written by white authors, like John Keats or Percy Shelley. Though I admire their works, I decided to bring out my much-loved copy of Rabindranath Tagore, a renowned Bangladeshi poet, to compliment my outfit as well as accompany me on my picnic. But to be honest, my reading time lasted approximately 5 minutes because to have the proper picnic experience, you of course must be scared off by a squirrel.

Images perpetuate one type of race, body and culture. All Eurocentric

Floral-patterned clothing is a frequent feature of the aesthetic. You can probably tell I am drawn to the print since the floral pattern has already debuted in this article (spoiler: there is more to come). I couldn’t pass up the chance of showing an outfit in front of an actual cottage. A perfect coincidence occurred during my visit to St James Park. What better use for this picture than here?

My last outfit was inspired by bandanas wreathed around hair. I repeated the floral print and a white garment, since these are my favourite aspects of the cottage-core aesthetic. I coupled this outfit with a heart bag that matched my shoes. Iconic? I know. My frilly socks were the icing frosted on top.

As the season has shifted from autumn, that brings an end to my cottage-core summer. When I open my wardrobe next, I know my fingers will itch to reach for my floral patterned clothing. But the fluffy feel of jumpers overtakes them as it drapes down the hanger, covering their traces. The autumnal weather strengthens. New boards will be curated during the hours I’m supposed to pour into my degree. But this time under the name “Gilmore Girls season”. Despite my non-visibility, I create these boards with confidence. My summer affirmed that Pinterest isn’t just an app I can dream on, but one where I can successfully bring my boards to life.