Want To Start Dressing Granola But Not Go Full-In? Try The Granola-Curious Aesthetic!
This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s fall editorial intern Hannah Yarrington. Find her on Instagram at @513hny. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
When it comes to the granola aesthetic, it can be a lot to throw yourself into it all at once. Looking like you’re ready to go on a hike at any moment can cost a lot of money, and it takes time to curate all that goes into being a granola girl. Being from the mountains, I was very much exposed to this type of aesthetic, but I never really felt like I could fully commit to it. But I wanted to dip my toes into it by using some key elements while also mixing it with my current wardrobe. This granola curious aesthetic doesn’t mean you have to travel around the world camping, hiking, or road-tripping, but you want to get more connected to nature and love earth tones, or maybe like to do those things occasionally (if you want to know more about an actual granola girl’s closet, check out this article). Regardless of your motivations, today I’ll give you the full run-down of everything you need to know to be granola curious.
When it comes to the typical granola style, everything is usually oversized or hangs loosely to optimize comfort levels because comfort is a massive part of this aesthetic. When it comes to the curious side, I would first take a look at what you have in your closet before going out and buying anything new. Take things out that could be classified as granola so that you can pair them with the other things in your closet to make an outfit. But what makes something granola? Let’s start with the tops.
Tops
Button-ups are a really fine way to start this curious journey. Flannels are good, too, if you have any, or perhaps a corduroy collared shirt. You can take a relatively basic outfit, layer on that button-up, and quickly give yourself that outdoorsy feel. Oversized, graphic t-shirts are also a good option, as well as plain tank tops to help with layering. Long sleeves, such as henleys, are some of my favorites as well. Look for greens, browns, oranges, and reds, especially in your closet. Slouchy sweaters are good, too; any cable knit with a funky pattern or cotton sweater will give you a cozy feel when paired with other items I’ll talk more about later.
Outerwear
I like to make this a separate section from tops because fleece jackets, quarter zips, and vests are a thing outside of regular tops. Layering is a great way to subtly give off the granola vibe, where you can easily wear some pair of jeans and whatever shoes, slap a vest over it, and you’re there.
Pants
For pants, granola curious girls like to keep it pretty simple. I see a lot of people wearing mom jeans/baggy jeans; any wash is fine, and you can also wear white jeans too. If you have a pair of carpenter pants, you can pair them with a simple top, and that is perfect. When you start wearing the outdoor pants designed for hiking, you are edging into straight granola girl territory that many granola curious girls are not ready for yet. Legging and yoga pants are also great when paired with a cute sweater or vest.
Shoes
Granola girl shoes are where it’s at, and you can transform the simplest outfits into a granola-inspired look with shoes alone. The Birkenstock Boston Clogs are really great, and I love pairing them with some loose jeans and cozy socks. You can also totally get knockoffs for a way cheaper price point. Wearing boots, in general, is also great. A lot of people like Blundstones or Dr. Martens, but if you want to give off a slight granola vibe, I would lean toward a brown boot as opposed to a black boot. Converse is also super popular, along with Chacos and Tevas, for more summer wear.
Accessories
Much like shoes, traditional granola girl accessories can literally make any outfit earthly and outdoorsy. Hats are a great place to start. Try a beanie, a canvas ball cap, a bandana, or an earth-tone headband. Rings and bracelets with crystals are also perfect, and you can add in some necklace stacking and beaded jewelry. Also, when it comes to bags, you can literally wear a simple canvas tote bag or crochet bag, and it gets the message across, but you can also try a utility-style backpack or Kavu bag if you really want to get into it.
The big thing to remember here is that you do not have to own every single item in these categories. Being granola curious means slowly integrating these things so that you can subtly look like you may shop at REI and like plants. Pair some of these items with clothes you already wear to evaluate your looks, and then you don’t have to dive straight into living in a van and always wearing hiking boots.
What do you think of the granola curious aesthetic? Let us know!