A phrase formatted with pale yellow text over images has proliferated across Instagram and TikTok this summer. The format reads "kinda chic to" followed by an image of a look or trend, completed with commentary like "kinda chic to repeat outfits" or "kinda chic to bake a quiche."
Plus-size influencer MariaBegins used the format as early as April in a series of body positivity posts, making her one of the earliest instigators. According to Google Trends, searches for the term have risen 5,000 percent. The Instagram hashtag has amassed over 60,000 posts, while TikTok videos using the phrase have accumulated hundreds of thousands of likes.
The trend has been embraced by celebrities and major brands. Drew Barrymore posted that it was "kinda chic to be in your 50s," while Reese Witherspoon and Lauren Dern used it to declare it "kinda chic to cheer on other women." Retailers including Boots, Aldi, and Virgin Atlantic have adopted the format to promote their products and services.
Berlin-based fashion editor Brenda Weischer called the trend "template slop," noting its widespread use has made it "an unoriginal idea." Bella Younger, a social media consultant, described the phenomenon as "a long hot summer of copy, paste on social media," saying she had "never seen Instagram so homogenous." Younger suggested that algorithms reward repetitive content over creativity, making it difficult for original material to gain visibility.
The trend mirrors previous viral formats, including 2024's "brat" takeover and last summer's "very demure, very mindful" craze. Vogue declared the word "chic" itself dead last year, noting it "has finally lost all meaning."
