E-girls and e-boys, sometimes collectively known as e-kids,^[1] are a youth subculture of Gen Z that emerged in the late 2010s,^[2] notably popularized by the video-sharing application TikTok.^[3] It is an evolution of emo, scene and mall goth fashion combined with Japanese and Korean street fashion.^[4][5]

Videos by e-girls and e-boys tend to be flirtatious and, many times, overtly sexual.^[6][7] Eye-rolling and protruding tongues (a facial expression known as ahegao, imitating climaxing) are common.^[8]

According to Business Insider, the terms are not gender-specific, instead referring to two separate styles of fashion, stating that "While the e-boy is a vulnerable 'softboi' and embraces skate culture, the e-girl is cute and seemingly innocent".^[9]

Origins

The terms "e-girl" and "e-boy" are derived from "electronic boy" and "electronic girl" due to their association with the internet.^[10] "E-girl" was first used in the late-2000s as a pejorative against women perceived to be seeking out male attention online. According to an article by Business Insider, the earliest example of e-girls were found on Tumblr,^[9] with Vice Media stating the subculture evolved out of the earlier emo and scene cultures.^[11] Vox writer Rebecca Jennings instead referred to the Tumblr aesthetic as a precursor of the subculture, as it lacked the cutesy aspect that would come to define e-girl hair and makeup.^[12]

Ruby Barry of Heatworld traces the origins of e-girl fashion to 2000s Japanese street fashion, including anime, kawaii and lolita fashion styles.^[4] Kayla Marci of Edited described it as an evolution of emo, scene and mall goth fashion that was heavily influenced by Asian fashion styles such as anime, cosplay and K-pop.^[5] i-D referred to Avril Lavigne as "the original e-girl" due to her polished take on alternative fashion, contrast to mainstream norms of the time and affinity for Japanese kawaii culture.^[13] Additionally, fictional characters such as Ramona Flowers, Harley Quinn and Sailor Moon were influential on the development of the subculture.^[14][15]

By the late-2010s, e-boys had split from this original all female culture, embracing elements of emo, mallgoth, and scene culture.^[16] The popularity and eventual death of emo rapper Lil Peep also influenced the beginnings of the subculture,^[17] with the New York Post describing him as "the patron musical saint of e-land".^[18] E-boys also make use of "soft-boy aesthetics" through presenting themselves as sensitive and vulnerable. According to the Brown Daily Herald this is due to a transformation of ideal male attractiveness from being traditionally masculine to embracing introvertedness, shyness, emotional vulnerability and androgyny.^[19]

Mainstream popularity

The subculture began in 2018, following the worldwide release of TikTok. According to an article in i-D, the subculture's emergence on the app challenged the polished and edited photos of influencers and VSCO girls common on Instagram, due to TikTok lacking the features to do so.^[20] An article by CNN stated that "If VSCO girls are the sunshine-basking hippies of 2020, e-girls are the opposite".^[21] The subculture first began to gain mainstream attention in 2019.^[9] MEL Magazine attributed the subculture's popularity to the increased interest of K-Pop groups like BTS, Exo and Got7 in the Western mainstream, due to the two's similar style of dress and hair.^[22] A trend soon began on TikTok and other social media platforms, where people would upload videos "transforming" into an e-boy or e-girl, according to Vox Media, this is how the culture "entered the mainstream lexicon".^[12][23] In the summer of 2019, Belle Delphine's emerging online prominence helped bring attention to the e-girl subculture; Business Insider described Delphine as "a symbol of the first wave of e-girl".^[24] The July 2019 murder of Bianca Devins also brought attention to e-girls due to Devins' participation in the subculture.^[25]

The subculture continued to grow in prominence through 2020, with Vogue publishing an article featuring Doja Cat discussing e-girl makeup,^[26] and "e-girl style" being in the top 10 trending fashion terms on Google in the year.^[27] Additionally, a number of mainstream celebrities began to adopt the bleached stripes hairstyle associated with e-girls, including American socialite Kylie Jenner^[28] and Kosovar-English singer Dua Lipa.^[29] In July, high fashion designer Hedi Slimane released a preview of a collection called "the Dancing Kid" for Celine, influenced by the fashion of e-boys. In a July 29 article from GQ, fashion critic Rachel Tashjian referenced this as a sign that "TikTok is now driving fashion".^[30] Corpse Husband's song "E-Girls Are Ruining My Life!", which was released in September, gained large amounts of attention on TikTok,^[31] eventually charting in the UK Singles Chart for three weeks.^[32] In late 2020 and early 2021, a number of high fashion designers, namely Ludovic de Saint Sernin and Celine, began designing collections inspired by e-boy fashion.^[33][34][35] Both InStyle and Paper magazine credited e-boys and e-girls as important to the rise in popularity and resurgence of pop punk in the 2020s.^[36][37]

Fashion

The subculture's fashion is inspired by a number of prior subcultures, fashion trends and forms of entertainment, including mall goth,^[38][39] 1990s–2000s fashion, skater culture, anime,^[5] Japanese street fashion,^[4] cosplay,^[40] K-pop,^[41] BDSM,^[6] emo, scene,^[10] hip hop,^[42] and rave.^[43] Dazed described the aesthetic as "A little bit bondage, a little bit baby".^[15] Outfits commonly consist of baggy, thrifted clothes.^[6] In particular, some e-girls wear mesh shirts,^[6] plaid skirts, oversized t-shirts, crop tops, platform shoes, chokers and beanies,^[44] while e-boys wear oversized sweaters^[45] or monochrome clothes and band merchandise^[46] layered over long sleeve striped shirts,^[7] and polo necks.^[47] Chain necklaces, wallet chains^[42][46] and dangle earrings^[48][49] are also frequently worn. E-boys often wear curtained hair,^[50][51] whereas e-girls hair is dyed neon colors,^[6][52] often pink or blue,^[10] or is bleached blonde in the front.^[44] Some tie their hair into pigtails.^[10] Hair dyed two different colours down the centre (known as "split-dye hair") is common amongst both sexes.^[9]

Both boys and girls may wear heavy makeup, in particular pink blush on the cheeks and nose, imitating anime.^[53][8] Fake freckles^[53] unkempt nail polish,^[54] and winged eye liner^[6] are common. YouTuber Jenna Marbles made a video imitating an e-girl's makeup style, calling it a mix between "Harajuku, emo, and igari makeup",^[52] the latter of which is a Japanese makeup style imitative of a hangover.^[55] Some e-girls draw over their philtrum using lipstick to make their lips look rounder.^[56] One notable element of e-girl makeup is under-eye stamps, often in a heart shape,^[43][57] a trend that has been influenced by Marina Diamandis.^[58] Discussion of mental health is also common.^[15]

Music

E-boys and e-girls are associated with "Sad Boy" music,^[59][60] a broadly defined grouping of musicians, who similarly write music influenced by sadness and mental illness, that often overlaps with emo rap.^[61] The term has been criticized by artists such as James Blake, due to its portrayal of mental illness, which he considers "unhealthy and problematic".^[62]

In the 2020s, it became common for participants of the subculture to listen to artists associated with the 2020s pop punk revival.^[37]