“Wallpaper Girl” Is the New Aesthetic Taking Over The Internet

Written by

Olivia Harvey
Olivia Harvey
Olivia Harvey is a freelance writer and award-winning scriptwriter from outside Boston, Massachusetts. She’s a big fan of scented candles, getting dressed up, and the 2005 film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice starring Keira Knightley. You can make sure she’s doing okay via…read more
updated May 5, 2020
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Credit: Cathy Pyle

Gone are the days of “preps,” “jocks,” and “nerds.” We’re now living in an age where E-boys, VSCO girls, and now, “Wallpaper Girls” reign supreme. You may be familiar with the two former labels—each has a distinct look and characteristics that have been defined by social media stereotypes (VSCO girls have scrunchies, oversized tees, and Hydroflasks, and E-boys and girls wear loads of blush, silver jewelry, and stripes). But what is a Wallpaper Girl, and what does it take to become one?

“Usually these Wallpaper Girls live in either L.A. or New York,” TikTok user Charlotte Samuels explains in one of her videos posted at the end of April. Samuels says that the “Wallpaper Girl” aesthetic is her new favorite look, and she loves it so much that she needed to coin a phrase to describe it.

She continues in her video, “Growing up they probably had a bathroom with really expensive wallpaper. Decorating their daughter’s rooms, [parents] wanted it to be elegant, and timeless—something that they wouldn’t have to change… They probably paid a lot of money for the wallpaper and matching valances.” 

Samuels says that the Wallpaper Girls were probably expected to grow up and “be like Blair and Serena [from ‘Gossip Girl‘],” but instead, they grew up to be “baddies.” Therefore, Wallpaper Girls are basically cool, edgy girls who take their selfies in front of the dated wallpaper from their childhood.

“And thus,” Samuels says, “the Wallpaper Girl is born.”

The TikTok-er listed a few influencers who fit into this new aesthetic. Iris Apatow, daughter to director Judd Apatow, is a Wallpaper Girl. She often flaunts her cool clothes and bold makeup in front of her old-school wallpaper and matching curtains.

It’s a mix of vintage and modernity, grunge and class, and a medling of bold on bold. Samuels told House Beautiful that being a Wallpaper Girl—or Wallpaper Woman, if you will—is about owning that “old money look.” She says, “Old money whispers, new money screams.” It’s that juxtaposition that makes the Wallpaper Girl’s selfies so fun to look at.

Now is not the time to be embarrassed by your outdated wall treatment. Embrace it and be inspired by it. You may just be the next great Wallpaper Girl to grace the web.