The 'coastal grandmother' look, inspired by Nancy Meyers' films, has taken over TikTok
Move over, hot girl summer: There's a new TikTok aesthetic taking over.
Let us introduce the "coastal grandmother" lifestyle, inspired by crisp white buttons, white wine and the music of Etta James. And no, it does not require being an actual grandmother.
The term was defined by TikTok user @lexnicoleta to describe the aesthetic of a clean wardrobe, open kitchen and gentle life at the beach, embodied by the protagonists of the films "Something's Gotta Give" and "It's Complicated" by Nancy Meyers, who is set to make a new film for Netflix.
Some wardrobe essentials include white turtlenecks, a straw beach hat and soft denim jeans. Another element to the lifestyle is kitchen decor, ideally a cozy room filled with bowls of lemons, fresh vegetables handpicked from a garden and an Ina Garten cookbook.
Along with romantic-comedy fans on social media, TODAY's own Jenna Bush Hager identifies with the coastal grandmother aspirations.
On TODAY with Hoda & Jenna, the co-hosts discussed the new trend, sharing a TikTok explaining the elements to the aesthetic. Then, they shared examples of the kinds of housing designs that embody the lifestyle.
"I believe I'm a coastal grandmother," Jenna said as images of beach houses with a "breezy beige feel" showed on the screen. Hoda and Jenna fawned over the open kitchens and warm interiors and asked: Who wouldn't want to live the life of a coastal grandmother?
Other elements to the aesthetic have ties to another element of classic romantic comedies: the soundtrack. TikTok user @lexnicoleta shared a playlist to the social media app titled "coastal grandmother" with songs like "This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)" by Natalie Cole and "L-O-V-E" by Nat King Cole.
The "coastal grandmother" trend has seen earlier iterations of the video-sharing app. TikTok user @sincerelymolly dubbed the décor aesthetic "Nancy Meyers chic" in December. That creator also shared a playlist called "wine night with nancy meyers & nora ephron," featuring "Respect" by Aretha Franklin and "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" by Diana Ross.
Before that, a trend emerged inspired by the life of the characters in “Big Little Lies.”
“When you realize your mom who got the quaint coastal town beach house in the divorce is living your dream,” one viral TikTok from 2021, set to the HBO show’s theme song, states.
Even without the coastal setting, user @caitforshort offers easy steps to "just pretend" and still achieve the vibe.
Pour a glass of wine
Light a fire or candles
Put on your favorite playlist
Make a delicious, healthy meal
Put on a Meyers film.
More from Meyers
Meyers' repertoire includes the 1998 remake of "The Parent Trap" and "The Holiday." Her latest film was the 2015 movie "The Intern," starring Anne Hathaway and Robert De Niro.
And now, seven years later, she's back.
Netflix announced Tuesday that Meyers will write, direct and produce a new feature film for the streaming service.
"Over the last 40 years, Nancy Meyers has blessed movie lovers with iconic, character, quotes, and kitchens," the official Netflix account tweeted.
It's unknown what the film will be about or when it will be released, but hopefully fans of the "coastal grandmother" will have new inspiration for their relaxing, breezy lifestyle ambitions. At least TikTok creators can dream.
