The suffix is an internet slang term used to refer to visual styles or trends. Originating from the

hardcore punk Hardcore punk (commonly abbreviated to hardcore or hXc) is a punk rock music genre#subtypes, subgenre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots ...

genre, the term gained broader prominence during the late 2000s to early 2010s to describe various

internet aesthetics The Internet (or internet) is the Global network, global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a internetworking, network of networks ...

. Notable examples include Normcore,

Gorpcore Gorpcore is a fashion trend in which outerwear typically designed for outdoor recreation is worn as streetwear. It has been described as "wearing functional outdoor wear in an urban, trendy style". This includes Technical textile, technical garme ...

Cottagecore Cottagecore is an internet aesthetic and subculture concerned with an idealised rural lifestyle. The aesthetic centres on traditional and vernacular architecture, clothing, interior design and crafts. Based primarily on the visual and material c ...

Goblincore Goblincore is an internet aesthetic and subculture inspired by the folklore of goblins, centered on the celebration of natural ecosystems usually considered less beautiful by conventional norms, such as soil, animals, and second-hand objects. ...

and

Corecore Corecore (alternatively spelled CoreCore) is an artistic movement aiming to capture post-2020 sensibilities. A product of youth culture in the 2020s, the corecore aesthetic can largely be found on TikTok, where it juxtaposes various video clips w ...

Etymology

The suffix may be applied to any word to describe a trend or aesthetic associated with the word. Terms coined with the suffix often refer to

subculture A subculture is a group of people within a culture, cultural society that differentiates itself from the values of the conservative, standard or dominant culture to which it belongs, often maintaining some of its founding principles. Subcultures ...

s that already exist. The use of is associated with niche

, which gained popularity alongside the suffix. Terms with the suffix are used to conceptualize trends in a way that can be easily communicated. It is mostly used by

Generation Z Generation Z (often shortened to Gen Z), also known as zoomers, is the demographic cohort succeeding Millennials and preceding Generation Alpha. Researchers and popular media use the mid-to-late 1990s as starting birth years and the early 2 ...

. and similar suffixes, such as ''

-ussy ' ( ) is an English-language morpheme derived from the word ''pussy'' used to create novel derived terms, typically with the implication of resembling the female genitalia in some way. Neologisms derived from ''pussy'' have existed in LGBTQ s ...

'' and '' -pilled'', are used online and on

TikTok TikTok, known in mainland China and Hong Kong as Douyin (), is a social media and Short-form content, short-form online video platform owned by Chinese Internet company ByteDance. It hosts user-submitted videos, which may range in duration f ...

for shorthand references to concepts. The term ''-punk'', originally used in

cyberpunk Cyberpunk is a subgenre of science fiction in a dystopian futuristic setting said to focus on a combination of "low-life and high tech". It features futuristic technological and scientific achievements, such as artificial intelligence and cyberwa ...

and

steampunk Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction that incorporates retrofuturistic technology and Applied arts, aesthetics inspired by, but not limited to, 19th-century Industrial Revolution, industrial steam engine, steam-powered machinery. Steampun ...

later gained popularity amidst the emergence of

Seapunk Seapunk is a subculture that originated on Tumblr in 2011. It is associated with an aquatic-themed style of fashion, 3D net art, iconography, and allusions to popular culture of the 1990s. The advent of seapunk also spawned its own electronic ...

. Alongside, ''-wave'' originally taken from new wave, and later repurposed for

chillwave Chillwave (originally considered synonymous with glo-fi and hypnagogic pop) is a music microgenre that emerged in the late 2000s. It is characterized by evoking the popular music of the late 1970s and early 1980s while engaging with notions of ...

and

vaporwave Vaporwave is a microgenre of electronic music, a visual art style, and an Internet meme that emerged in the early 2010s and became well-known in 2015. It is defined partly by its slowed-down, chopped and screwed samples of smooth jazz, 1970 ...

. The term ''sleaze'' (as in

indie sleaze Indie sleaze is a retroactively-identified fashion style that was popular in the United States and United Kingdom from approximately 2006 to 2012. Characterised by an affordable, messy and lethargic take on vintage fashion styles, especially the ...

) arose in response to to refer to subversions of trends.

History

Origins (1980s-1990s)

The word ''

core Core or cores may refer to: Science and technology * Core (anatomy), everything except the appendages * Core (laboratory), a highly specialized shared research resource * Core (manufacturing), used in casting and molding * Core (optical fiber ...

'' initially referred to a central element of a thing. The term '' hard-core'' initially referred to a devoted follower of a movement before being applied to the genre of

music in the 1980s, with the earliest recorded use of the term "hardcore punk rock" being made in January 1980 by the Canadian punk band D.O.A. in an issue of San Francisco punk fanzine "Creep", the band would later release their album "Hardcore '81" considered one of the first times that a

punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...

record was labeled ''hardcore''. By the mid-1980s, the suffix was applied to various

subgenres Genre () is any style or form of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other for ...

influenced by hardcore punk, such as nardcore,

thrashcore Thrashcore (also known as fastcore) is a fast-tempo subgenre of hardcore punk that emerged in the early 1980s. Thrashcore is essentially sped-up hardcore, adopting a slightly more extreme style by means of its vocals, dissonance, and occasiona ...

and

grindcore Grindcore is an extreme metal, extreme fusion genre of heavy metal music, heavy metal and hardcore punk that originated in the mid-1980s, drawing inspiration from abrasive-sounding musical styles, such as thrashcore, crust punk, hardcore punk, e ...

. Later being used for

alternative Alternative or alternate may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Alternative (Kamen Rider), Alternative (''Kamen Rider''), a character in the Japanese TV series ''Kamen Rider Ryuki'' * Alternative comics, or independent comics are an altern ...

and

punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...

music styles and scenes such as

queercore Queercore (or homocore) is a cultural/social movement that began in the mid-1980s as an offshoot of the punk subculture and a music genre that comes from punk rock. It is distinguished by its discontent with society in general, and specifically ...

, sasscore and

slowcore Slowcore, also known as sadcore, is a subgenre of indie rock characterised by its subdued tempos, minimalist instrumentation, and sombre vocal performances. Slowcore's influences are diverse, involving varying other genres, including folk rock ...

. By the late 1990s to early 2000s, the term was used in

hip-hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...

subgenres like "

horrorcore Horrorcore (also called shock rap, horror hip hop, horror rap, death hip hop, death rap, or murder rap) is a subgenre of hip hop music based on horror-themed and often darkly transgressive lyrical content and imagery. Its origins derived from ...

" and "

nerdcore Nerdcore is a genre of hip hop music characterized by subject matter considered of interest to nerds and geeks. Self-described nerdcore musician MC Frontalot has the earliest known recorded use of the term (to describe this genre) in the 2000 ...

," as well as

metalcore Metalcore is a broadly defined fusion genre combining elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk, originating in the 1990s United States and becoming popular in the 2000s. Metalcore typically has aggressive verses and melodic choruses, combined ...

deathcore Deathcore is an extreme metal subgenre that combines death metal with metalcore. The genre consists of death metal guitar riffs, blast beats, and metalcore Breakdown (music)#Heavy metal and punk rock, breakdowns. While there are some precursors ...

and

ramones The Ramones were an American punk rock band formed in the New York City neighborhood Forest Hills, Queens in 1974. Known for helping establish the punk movement in the United States and elsewhere, the Ramones are often recognized as one of th ...

-core. Some of these genres inspired the ironic usage of the suffix which gained popularity in the early 2010s to refer to online aesthetics, fashion trends and visual styles.

Proliferation (2000s-2020s)

The first use of the suffix -core to refer to a style was the term "fashioncore" coined by

band

Eighteen Visions Eighteen Visions is an American metalcore band from Orange County, California, formed in October 1995. The band broke up in April 2007, less than a year after their major label debut was released through Epic and Trustkill Records. After over a ...

in 2002, which later helped originate the visual style, fashion and aesthetic of the

scene Scene (from Greek ') may refer to: General * Scene (performing arts), a part of the story held in a single location * Scene (perception), a set of information that can flow from a physical environment into a perceptual system via sensory tran ...

subculture. This was followed by, '' normcore'', coined in 2013 by trend forecasting group

K-HOLE A K-hole is a transient dissociative state experienced during ketamine intoxication. Often referred to as "K-holing," this state is characterized by total detachment from one's body and environment, rendering users completely immobilized. Althoug ...

. The normcore aesthetic involved plain clothing as people chose to avoid

social media Social media are interactive technologies that facilitate the Content creation, creation, information exchange, sharing and news aggregator, aggregation of Content (media), content (such as ideas, interests, and other forms of expression) amongs ...

's focus on uniqueness. Glamcore arose soon after normcore as a trend in opposition to it. ''

New York Magazine ''New York'' is an American biweekly magazine concerned with life, culture, politics, and style generally, with a particular emphasis on New York City. Founded by Clay Felker and Milton Glaser in 1968 as a competitor to ''The New Yorker'' a ...

'' popularized the term ''normcore'', as well as the 2017 term ''

gorpcore Gorpcore is a fashion trend in which outerwear typically designed for outdoor recreation is worn as streetwear. It has been described as "wearing functional outdoor wear in an urban, trendy style". This includes Technical textile, technical garme ...

'', an

outdoor recreation Outdoor recreation or outdoor activity refers to recreation done outside, most commonly in natural settings. The activities that encompass outdoor recreation vary depending on the physical environment they are being carried out in. These activitie ...

-themed aesthetic named after the snack

gorp Trail mix is a type of snack mix, typically a combination of granola, dried fruit, nuts, and sometimes candy, developed as food to be taken along on hikes. Trail mix is a popular snack food for hikes, because it is lightweight, easy to sto ...

. The suffix began being applied to contemporary momentary trends and online visual aesthetics. The

cottagecore Cottagecore is an internet aesthetic and subculture concerned with an idealised rural lifestyle. The aesthetic centres on traditional and vernacular architecture, clothing, interior design and crafts. Based primarily on the visual and material c ...

aesthetic emerged during the early

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

as residents of cities wished to get more involved with nature. Similar

escapism Escapism is mental diversion from unpleasant aspects of daily life, typically through activities involving imagination or entertainment. Escapism also may be used to occupy one's self away from persistent feelings of depression or general s ...

inspired the darker

goblincore Goblincore is an internet aesthetic and subculture inspired by the folklore of goblins, centered on the celebration of natural ecosystems usually considered less beautiful by conventional norms, such as soil, animals, and second-hand objects. ...

aesthetic. The COVID-19 pandemic also inspired cluttercore, which involved collecting objects indoors. The

American Dialect Society The American Dialect Society (ADS), founded in 1889, is a learned society "dedicated to the study of the English language in North America, and of other languages, or dialects of other languages, influencing it or influenced by it." The Society p ...

considered as a nominee for " most creative word of 2021". The term

corecore Corecore (alternatively spelled CoreCore) is an artistic movement aiming to capture post-2020 sensibilities. A product of youth culture in the 2020s, the corecore aesthetic can largely be found on TikTok, where it juxtaposes various video clips w ...

emerged in response to the overuse of the associated suffix, originating in 2020 and later gaining wider popularity in 2022. Corecore became an

artistic movement An art movement is a tendency or style in art with a specific art philosophy or goal, followed by a group of artists during a specific period of time, (usually a few months, years or decades) or, at least, with the heyday of the movement defined ...

aiming to capture post-2020 sensibilities, commonly described as an "anti-trend", originated by users such as @masonoelle and @HighEnquiries. Corecore videos collaged clips from movies, memes, television shows, and online videos, juxtaposed with music that often involved themes of sadness and loneliness, as well as criticisms of

consumerism Consumerism is a socio-cultural and economic phenomenon that is typical of industrialized societies. It is characterized by the continuous acquisition of goods and services in ever-increasing quantities. In contemporary consumer society, the ...

. Many internet users viewed corecore as a unique art form, though some criticized the popularity of the trend for weakening its message that opposed trendiness. Fashions suffixed with surged in popularity in 2022. Inspired by the 2023 movie ''

Barbie Barbie is a fashion doll created by American businesswoman Ruth Handler, manufactured by American toy and entertainment company Mattel and introduced on March 9, 1959. The toy was based on the German Bild Lilli doll, Bild Lilli doll which Hand ...

'', the suffix was applied to the Barbiecore trend, inspired by the style of the movie's titular character and the color pink. Barbiecore was more popular than other trends the same year. Lexicographer

Grant Barrett Grant Barrett (born 1970) is an American lexicographer, specializing in slang, jargon and new usage, and the author and compiler of language-related books and dictionaries. He is a co-host and co-producer of the American weekly, hour-long public ...

told ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' that year, Core' just seems like a suffix that is going to last and last and last."

Criticism

In 2024, ''Varsity'' writer Gina Stock claimed that the rise of "-core"

aesthetics Aesthetics (also spelled esthetics) is the branch of philosophy concerned with the nature of beauty and taste (sociology), taste, which in a broad sense incorporates the philosophy of art.Slater, B. H.Aesthetics ''Internet Encyclopedia of Ph ...

and fashion trends were contributing to

overconsumption Overconsumption describes a situation where consumers overuse their available goods and services to where they can't, or don't want to, replenish or reuse them. In microeconomics, this is the point where the marginal cost of a consumer is greater ...

, as well as placing women into boxes, with Stock stating, "Some of the “types” and “cores” are inherently problematic – “mob wife” is a style that promotes blind faith in criminal men; “clean girl” sits in a dichotomy where the style appears effortless and minimal, while, behind the scenes, it promotes 15-step skincare routines and expensive organic food; “coquette” aesthetics emphasise submissive charm and

self-objectification Self-objectification is viewing oneself as an object for use instead of as a person. Self-objectification is a result of objectification, and is commonly discussed in the topic of sex and gender. Both men and women struggle with self-objectificatio ...

in a hyper-feminine manner, revealing but chaste." The popularity of core aesthetics has also been described as a symptom of a broader

identity crisis In psychology, identity crisis is a stage in Erik Erikson's theory of personality development. This stage happens during adolescence. It is a period of deep reflection and examination of various perspectives on oneself. The Erikson's stages of ps ...

among

Gen Z Generation Z (often shortened to Gen Z), also known as zoomers, is the demographic cohort succeeding Millennials and preceding Generation Alpha. Researchers and popular media use the mid-to-late 1990s as starting birth years and the early 20 ...

Examples

wiki A wiki ( ) is a form of hypertext publication on the internet which is collaboratively edited and managed by its audience directly through a web browser. A typical wiki contains multiple pages that can either be edited by the public or l ...

called Aesthetics Wiki has documented hundreds of aesthetics. Over 5,000 genres with the suffix have been listed on

Spotify Spotify (; ) is a List of companies of Sweden, Swedish Music streaming service, audio streaming and media service provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. , it is one of the largest providers of music streaming services ...

. Uses of the suffix include: * Balletcore – an aesthetic drew inspiration from the graceful and elegant aesthetic of ballet dancers * Barbiecore – an aesthetic inspired by the movie ''

'' featuring the color pink * Bimbocore – an aesthetic associated with

bimbo ''Bimbo'' is slang for a conventionally attractive, sexualized naive woman. The term was originally used in the United States as early as 1919 for an unintelligent or brutish man. As of the early 21st century, the "stereotypical bimbo" appea ...

fashion style * Cluttercore – a

maximalist In the arts, maximalism is an aesthetic characterized by excess and abundance, serving as a reaction against minimalism. The philosophy can be summarized as "more is more", contrasting with the minimalist principle of "less is more". Literatur ...

aesthetic *

– a

pastoral The pastoral genre of literature, art, or music depicts an idealised form of the shepherd's lifestyle – herding livestock around open areas of land according to the seasons and the changing availability of water and pasture. The target au ...

aesthetic *

– a

grotesque Since at least the 18th century (in French and German, as well as English), grotesque has come to be used as a general adjective for the strange, mysterious, magnificent, fantastic, hideous, ugly, incongruous, unpleasant, or disgusting, and thus ...

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or Magic (supernatural), magical elements, often including Fictional universe, imaginary places and Legendary creature, creatures. The genre's roots lie in oral traditions, ...

-inspired aesthetic *

– an aesthetic based on

* Darkroom-core – an aesthetic focused on dim

mood lighting Mood lighting is the use of specific colors or brightness in ambient illumination with the intention of promoting a specific, temporary state of mind or feeling. While not specific to indoor settings, it is most commonly used in indoor environme ...

* Kidcore – a colorful aesthetic inspired by

Y2K fashion The fashions of the 2000s were often described as a global mash up, where trends saw the fusion of vintage styles, global and ethnic clothing (e.g. boho), as well as the fashions of numerous music-based subcultures. Hip-hop fashion generally w ...

* Normcore – an

anti-fashion Anti-fashion is an umbrella term for various styles of dress that are explicitly contrary to the fashion of the day. Anti-fashion styles may represent an attitude of indifference or may arise from political or practical goals which make fashio ...

aesthetic focused on plain clothing * Weirdcore – a surreal warped version of childhood nostalgia and early internet * Webcore – early internet nostalgia-based aesthetic * 2000s older brother core – visual aesthetic pertaining to 2000s era teenage boys *

Regencycore Regencycore or, sometimes, royalcore, is a fashion style and internet aesthetic inspired by clothing worn in early 19th-century Europe. The rise of regencycore is widely attributed to the popularity of the Netflix television series ''Bridgerton'', ...

– an aesthetic inspired by the television series ''

Bridgerton ''Bridgerton'' is an American alternative history regency romance television series created by Chris Van Dusen for Netflix. Based on the book series Bridgerton (novel series), of the same name by Julia Quinn, it is Shondaland's first scripted ...

References

{{reflist English suffixes 2013 neologisms Generation Z slang Generation Z slang Internet memes introduced in 2014 2010s in Internet culture 2020s in Internet culture Youth culture Counterculture of the 2020s Counterculture of the 2010s Counterculture of the 2000s Cultural trends Social media Digital art Fashion Generation Z Millennials