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Meet TikTok's 'coastal grandmother' (Rebroadcast)

This summer's TikTok trend of choice: coastal grandmother. Grandkids optional.
This summer's TikTok trend of choice: coastal grandmother. Grandkids optional.

Close your eyes and imagine for a moment that you’re on the beach in an outfit that Diane Keaton in “Something’s Gotta Give” would wear, looking through a book of Ina Garten recipes with a cashmere sweater tied across your shoulders.

If any of this appeals to you, you might be what’s known on TikTok as a “coastal grandmother.”

It’s a term coined by 26-year-old TikTok creator Lex Nicoleta to describe a beachy, romantic aesthetic.

It’s become this summer’s vibe of choice. But what can the aesthetic of coastal grandmother tell us about how trends circulate online? And how do they encourage consumerism?

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Arfie Ghedi