The Baddie Aesthetic Is the Defining Fashion Trend For Spring

So, you've heard about the baddie aesthetic, and you want to try it for your own wardrobe? We're here to show you the way. In fact, you may have stepped out in a baddie-approved look already. Picture yourself, for example, headed to brunch in a slinky ruched minidress, feeling as self-assured as ever. Or it's a slow Saturday at home, and a casual sweatsuit is all you have energy for. Or maybe a friend invites you to get coffee last-minute, and you opt for a fitted crop top and your favorite blue jeans. In all these scenarios, you would be rocking the baddie aesthetic, which is rooted in wearing Y2K-inspired and/or sporty pieces and walking into a room like you own the place.

The baddie aesthetic is going to be everywhere for spring and summer 2022, and we have Gen Z to mostly thank for its comeback. According to the trend's starters, to be a baddie is to wear Y2K-inspired or sporty pieces with the utmost confidence, like you barely put any thought into pulling your outfit together. In other words, you turn the street into your very own runway, exuding "main-character energy" while you're at it. The key to mastering baddie vibes is opting for garments that deliver both style and comfort. After all, when you feel good, you look good.
Keep reading to learn even more about this growing trend and how to make your closet more baddie friendly.

Style staples of the baddie aesthetic include tennis skirts, cutout tops, graphic tees, and tiny spaghetti-strap dresses (often with short hems). But it's not all about these lighter pieces. You can also wear oversize sweatshirts, loose tracksuits, and cargo pants to achieve the baddie vibe, especially during the colder months (or for, say, a summer music festival when it gets a little chilly at night). On the footwear front, popular baddie-inspired options include strappy heels and effortlessly cool retro sneakers.

Baddie-aesthetic outfits are all about being stylish without trying too hard, whether it's high-waisted jeans paired with crop tops and Jordans or slinky bodysuits tucked into miniskirts. Baddie 'fits emphasize a laid-back-yet-collected-and-poised attitude that places comfort above all. Fashionistas like Megan Fox and Dua Lipa have frequently embraced the baddie aesthetic in cutout tops, micro skirts, and leather sets.

Eager to experiment with warm-weather baddie outfits like skin-baring shirts and denim shorts? There's never been a better time than right now, because this season's top trends include plenty of baddie clothes and accessories in mood-boosting, vibrant colors such as neon green, illuminating yellow, and rich scarlet. Put simply, the baddie aesthetic invites you to be yourself in items that make you feel in charge, but that are also really comfortable. It's kind of the ultimate fashion win-win, right?

Ahead, read through our list of baddie outfit ideas that will help you channel some baddie energy this season and beyond.