2023 was filled with girls on TikTok redefining the word coquette. The word was once a derogatory term for women, but TikTok made it a culture in which girls embrace their femininity by wearing hyper-feminine outfits with bows and hearts and a color pallet that would normally be reserved for Valentine’s Day. Just when we thought coquette clothing was going out of style, Kim Kardashian’s fashion brand SKIMS launched a Valentine’s Day collection with the one and only coquette queen, Lana Del Rey. Yes, this means Lana is officially a SKIMS model. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that this would occur, but it’s definitely one of the coolest things that has happened in fashion this year.
There are two particularly notable looks from SKIMS: the white pajamas with red hearts and the black satin, lace-trim maxi slip dress.
The black satin, lace-trim maxi slip is especially striking because of the way Lana styles it with a black lace veil and Cupid’s bow sticking out of her chest. Social media is currently obsessed with bridalcore, an aesthetic that has turned into a narrative behind the darkness of marriage. Celebrities have gone parading around in tattered white lace dresses, long lace veils, and smeared makeup, to promote this look and make social statements. This aesthetic was largely created by Lana Del Rey, as she often used bridal looks in her music videos and social media posts. For example, the cover of Lana’s album Lust for Life is a recreation of one of the OG aesthetic bride’s looks, Pricilla Presley, in which she is wearing a white dress and has daisies in her hair. Lana Del Rey likes to add a hyper-feminine, damsel-in-distress vibe to the idea of the bride, which she has captured in the song Black Beauty, where she states that her wedding dress is black. She really brings this song to life with her SKIMS maxi slip, lacey veil, and black leather boots.
Moreover, Lana adds romance to this Valentine’s Day SKIMS Collection in her white pajamas covered in red hearts and an apple on her head through which an arrow has pierced. Apples are a really important symbol of romance because the OG romance poet Sappho used apples as a metaphor for innocence and love. Lana Del Rey is known for using fruits to convey love in her songs, like in her song Cherry, which is about summer love. This look is also very notable because it demonstrates how Lana Del Rey is catering to her fan base. TikTok is filled with Lana stans creating outfits based on Lana Del Rey songs and albums. A staple in these outfits is often Brandy Melville socks and lace tanks with similar prints to Lana’s SKIMS pajamas. This is unusual for Lana because she often says that she doesn’t work for her fans, but rather to express herself. Lana has been known to prevent her music from being on the radio or in award shows, because she claims that she likes to be heard, but not seen. However, I think she is changing her attitude towards fame and embracing it, telling her fans through this look.
Lana Del Rey has created a multifaceted depiction of Valentine’s Day through the contrast between her darkly romantic, gothic bridal core maxi slip dress and her playful heart pajama set. Thank you Lana for bringing the spark back to the coquette aesthetic through her new SKIMS collection.
