Wherever I travel to, I become a bit of a chameleon.
Frugal Backpacker, Urbanite, Cottagecore Lady, or High-Rise luxury Power Player, I don every single aesthetic as easily as breathing. It’s fun!
It’s also a way to immerse myself in the atmosphere the owners or hosts, have worked to create in their towns, resorts, and various curated spaces.
On my most recent travels, I took to the seaside and came into a new mode: Coastal Grandma.
The ‘Coastal Grandmother’ aesthetic is a currently trending phenomenon incorporating unfussy fashion, personal wellness, and laidback lifestyle shifts that embody this zeitgeist. Even celebrities like ‘The Princess Diaries’ actress Anne Hathaway have taken to it, with the trends identifiers, such as structured sunglasses, white linen or cotton, and tasteful accessories.
Characterized by all the plush, light, and unaffected airs of a Hampton-style retreat, and the relaxed wardrobe to match, booking into a luxury beach villa allowed me to experience the spirit of the Coastal Grandma’s popularized in Nancy Meyers’esque films, like Meryl Streep’s It’s Complicated and Diane Keaton’s Something’s Gotta Give.
Age, and actually having any children, bears no real relevance in living this aesthetic too!
The trend – which many are saying is not actually a trend, but a lifestyle – is in keeping with Millennial aspirational ideals too.
Among the scores of elder Millennials that exist, which Boomers and Gen Z often forget about when teasing, there is a growing personal investment in the notion of the ‘Soft Life’.
The sometimes toxic ‘Hustle’ culture where people are often pushed to have various streams of income off the back of overworking themselves & developing monetized personal brands, is being rejected by many elder Millennials in specific. Prioritizing self-care in every aspect of ones life has become chiefly important.
We’re favouring the goodness and ease of quiet pleasures in life, from:
- Good Sheets & Plush home decor to
- Maintaining Great Skin
- Catching up on our Reading Lists
- Physical and Mental Health being of equal importance
- And actively Traveling to be content (and not just to create content)
- As well as Dressing in what makes you comfortable.
“Hobbies include, but aren’t limited to, cooking, hosting, gardening, spending time at the beach, visiting the farmer’s market, and decorating your home to perfection…Essentially making your own life feel luxurious,”
Lex Nicoleta. (2022) – a TikTok user who coined the term, ‘Coastal Grandmother’.
Though one need not be in the 1% to live the Coastal Grandmother life, the timeless beach house setting I had was prime for this bit of travel fun and ‘soft life’ living. The Pearl Bay Villa has elegant coastal interiors resting along a startlingly beautiful strip of private beach in Yzerfontien – a town about an hour’s drive from the cosmopolitan city of Cape Town.
From breakfast to sundowners at dinner, I sustained myself on this comfortable and chic vibe. Casual elegance comes easy here, and with this aesthetic.
And you’re one linen shirt, quiet time, and salad away from living this dream – no beach house really required!
Are you warming to the Coastal Grandma Aesthetic?
