“I’m at that stage of quarantine where I want to completely change who I am.”
Taz Alam is no stranger to trying out new challenges, so it was only fitting to delve into the world of fashion and aesthetics in her latest video. Taz explains how she is not normally known for aesthetic looks, but is excited to explore and discover another side to herself. “I might be a soft girl!”
Firstly, the “Soft Girl” aesthetic. Known for its pink and yellow pastel tones, floral patterns, and plaid skirts, the soft girl look is adopted by millions across the internet. “I’m just channeling that soft girl, feminine energy,” Taz says, whilst prepping for her soft girl debut. Taz wears bold, pink eye makeup and lip gloss, along with a pink plaid skirt, paired with a white t-shirt, white tights and pastel pink “clunky” shoes.
“I feel very much like a doll,” Taz states, whilst taking photos for her Instagram. While she found the outfit restrictive, the makeup allowed Taz to appreciate her features in a way she hadn’t before. “I think I’m finding a newfound appreciation for my face – what is going on?!”
Next up, “the complete opposite of a soft girl” was the E-Girl aesthetic. Heavily inspired by skater culture, anime, and 1990s to 2000s fashion choices, the E-Girl culture includes darker tones and heavier makeup. For this look, Taz wore a white turtleneck layered underneath a baggy t-shirt, paired with combat trousers, boots and, of course, chains to accessorise. “I don’t know what it is about wearing a different outfit and makeup, but it really does make you channel a different energy,” she says.
The “Art Hoe” aesthetic was originally used to empower POC, allies and those interested in art. “It’s a very positive and empowering movement,” Taz says, showing her viewers the yellow-toned colour palette of the aesthetic. Taz focused her eye-makeup on these yellow and orange tones, matching her look with a bold, floral shirt and dungarees. This particular aesthetic allowed Taz to feel that positive energy the aesthetic radiates, exclaiming, “I feel like a kid again!”
“VSCO girl is a term generally used as an insult,” Taz starts of this next aesthetic. VSCO girls are often depicted with a hydro-flask, baggy t-shirts, scrunchies and a shell necklace. Taz addressed this aesthetic by pairing a baggy grey t-shirt with blue jeans, a scrunchie on her wrist and a Kanken rucksack. “I feel like this one’s kind of anti-climatic,” she says, realising she didn’t quite have the right equipment for the look.
The final look was the “Instagram Baddie” aesthetic, in which the model “always looks flawless”. They often follow the latest trends, wear sports brands and darker tones of makeup. Taz focused this look mainly on her makeup, sporting brown eyeshadow, eyeliner and fake eyelashes. “This is a level of standard for makeup that I don’t know if I can achieve!”
Taz ends the video with a positive message to her viewers, saying how the past few days have allowed her to find a self-confidence she hasn’t seen before. “The biggest lesson I’ve taken away from this video is to just have fun and celebrate yourself!” Taz says, explaining how self-love can be as simple as changing outfits and “messing around with makeup”.
We absolutely adore your confidence, Taz!
Want More?
Find out Varaidzo Kativhu‘s 10 books you must read to learn about racism. Alternatively, you could read about how Roksana Janiszewksa faked being on the cover of Vogue.
For updates follow @TenEightyUK on Twitter or like TenEighty UK on Facebook.