TikTok's Coquette Food Trend, Explained
You may be familiar with the viral TikTok trend of girl dinner, in which people show off assorted food spreads comprised of cheese, bread, olives, fruit, nuts, and other side dishes arranged neatly on a plate. Shortly after this trend became popular, the coquette style also began trending, eventually garnering over 1 billion views on the app. Signifying a whimsical, romantic style of dress, the coquette aesthetic celebrates everything pink and frilly, with singer Lana Del Rey often idolized as the trend's icon and inspiration.
Somewhere along the line, someone realized the next natural progression was to combine these two trends. TikTok's coquette food videos display a mix of decadent or heart-shaped items like churros or cakes and simple meals decked out in playful (and sometimes ironic) pink bows. These tongue-in-cheek creations can be as simple as a single piece of bread or a potato sitting on a plate with a pink bow, or a glass of water featuring ribbon-adorned ice cubes. The biggest factor these videos have in common — other than the #coquette or #coquetteaesthetic tags — is the background music, which is usually either Lana Del Rey or some other calm, romantic melody.
Some feel the playful trend promotes disordered eating
One video from TikTok user @folklaurlover showcases a bowl of macaroni and cheese topped with a pink bow. The humorous clip has received over 7,000 comments, with many just as interested in the brand of mac and cheese as the coquettish presentation. "Omg coquette mac n cheese," commented several people, while even more simply wrote, "Girl dinner."
@folklaurlover it’s so coquette in here >.< #coquette #coquetteaesthetic #anniesmacandcheese
A few of these posts, however, have sparked frustration and concern for allegedly promoting disordered eating habits. One video from user @coquette.girl.xoxo jokingly displayed a "coquette meal" of pearls and decorative hair clips, and while most commenters saw the humor in the video, a few were confused. "Wait so you guys just [don't] eat anything," one user pondered.
Another TikTok user, @annagrigoris, expressed her frustration with the trend in a video showing pictures of another person's "coquette meal," which was comprised of hard-boiled egg whites and a bowl of plain lettuce. Over 5,000 people commented, many agreeing that the meal was upsetting. While the coquette food trend is largely playful and tongue-in-cheek, every trend seemingly has its detractors.
If you need help with an eating disorder or know someone who does, help is available. Visit the National Eating Disorders Association website or contact NEDA's Live Helpline at 1-800-931-2237. You can also receive 24/7 crisis support via text (send NEDA to 741-741).