by Emma Lashley
Emma Lashley is a Library Assistant in the Reference and Local History Department at CDPL.
“Cottagecore” has become quite a popular trend on social media recently, you may have seen posts on Facebook, Instagram, twitter, or even tiktok videos, tagged as #Cottagecore. I myself have spent a number of hours scrolling through cottagecore inspired Pinterest boards looking for outfit ideas. For those who haven’t come into contact with this movement it’s both an aesthetic and a lifestyle inspired by a picture perfect ideal of a simple life in the rural countryside, most commonly the English countryside, hence the “Cottage” part of the name.
As far as the aesthetic of Cottagecore goes, it’s all about natural colors: foliage greens, browns of natural stones and wood, the vibrant hues of wild flowers, etc. This is applied to clothes and household decor. The Cottagecore fashion trend involves wearing clothing that looks like clothes that would have been made at home back in the day. Outfits are often flowy and reminiscent of housework wear from the 1900s-50s. Usually made with natural materials and dyes. Many hard core fans of the fashion, sew, knit, and embroidery their own clothing.
Cottagecore Lifestyle is all about learning traditional skills and trying traditional activities. That might be craft related activities like, sewing, knitting, crocheting, embroidery, and weaving. It could involve more agricultural pursuits like gardening, flower picking, or foraging. Cooking is also a popular aspect of the lifestyle. People will make sourdough breads, homemade cheeses, fruit preserves, that sort of thing.
Books are also a very important part of Cottagecore. Reading and writing are a key part of the lifestyle and antique looking books with pretty leather covers are often part of the aesthetic. With this in mind Crawfordsville District Public Library was inspired to create a Cottagecore display for the month of September. We have a couple of books specifically about the cottagecore lifestyle like Cottagecore: inspirational ideas, crafts and recipes for wholesome country living by Daisy Oakley and The Little Book of Cottagecore: Traditional skills for a simpler life by Emily Kent. But the display will also include many other books inspired by cottagecore. There will be fiction books that every cottagecore enthusiast should read, like Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, A Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton-Porter, and pretty much anything by Jane Austin. The display will also include books that can help you learn popular cottagecore hobbies like knitting, weaving, and embroidery. There will be a slew of fabulous cookbooks with recipes for heavenly home cooked meals, as well as a number of fascinating nature, and gardening books that are sure to get you in touch with the natural aspects of cottagecore. We’ve even included a couple of books that lean into the more magical, fairy-tale-esq side of cottagecore like Finding Faeries: Discovering Sprites, Pixies, Redcaps, and other Fantastical Creatures in an Urban Environment by Alexandra Rowland.
Even if you’re not sure that “Cottagecore” is the look or lifestyle for you, I highly recommend checking out this display. You might just discover a new hobby, find a new book to read, or decide to develop your green thumb. Also stay tuned for our next display coming at the end of the month – “Dark Academia”, Which is also partly inspired by a viral aesthetic trend.
If you would like to learn more about these topics, or if you have any other questions about materials on the display, please stop by the Reference desk on the second floor at CDPL. You may also call us at (765) 362-2242 or email us at ref@cdpl.lib.in.us. We’re happy to help!
