Hair pulled into a messy bun with a pink scrunchy. An oversized pink Vineyard Vine shirt paired with track shorts and Birkenstocks. Wrists stacked with Pura Vida rings and bracelets and a Hydro Flask hanging from the end of her fingertips with a metal straw and a big “Save the Turtles” sticker.

Everyone knows who these girls are, whether it is from the thousands of TikToks mocking them or from seeing them in the hallways. VSCO girls are the trend that blew up during the summer, but is it a true lifestyle or just an exaggerated meme that will soon fade?

The dramatized make up of a VSCO girl includes scrunchies, oversized t-shirts, Birkenstocks, Pura Vida accessories, a Hydro Flask and a mentality set on saving the turtles and the environment. Then, there are the key VSCO mottos: “sksksk” and “and I-ooop” spread randomly between every few words.

The term “VSCO girl” originated from the photo editing VSCO app, which adds a Polaroid effect – another essential in completing the VSCO girl look. This trend was then created on TikTok, but mostly in a teasing manner. Shortly after, YouTube videos about “Transforming into VSCO girls” hit the trending page. Now, VSCO girl trends are either mocked or admired, and many young teenage girls look up to influencers such as Emma Chamberlain on how to achieve the VSCO girl aesthetic.

“I don’t think an app for filtering photos can be a lifestyle or aesthetic,” freshman Emily Poulin said. “VSCO girls only become VSCO girls because they think it’s cool, and that’s how trends usually go.”

While VSCO is the trendy term, the style of wearing oversized t-shirts and Birkenstocks with scrunchies has always been a way for girls to dress comfortably to school.

“A lot of girls have been dressing like VSCO girls even before it became popular. Things were just added along the way in order to exaggerate it, which allows for more funny videos,” freshman Desiree Snell said.

As any other trend, young girls who are invested in social medias will follow them, hoping to not feel being left out of the “cool club.” Other times, girls will follow the trend because they truly believe that it could help the purpose of the trend. For example, some girls dress and use the “VSCO” girls’ items for their own benefit.

“It’s clearly a lifestyle. Girls wear scrunchies because it doesn’t damage their hair and use Hydro Flasks because it keeps their water cooler,” Snell said. “Dressing like a ‘VSCO’ girl is just a cute and comfortable dressing style.

While social media users make funny videos on the topic, more and more things were added to dramatize what makes a complete VSCO girl. Part of this was targeting the freshman class, and how they will act upon arriving at high school.

“As a freshman, myself, I would want to say that it is a way for other classes to feel superior, but honestly it’s because we are the only class I’ve seen with actual VSCO girls who follow the exact stereotype of it,” Poulin said.