Coastal Grandmother! Does it sound like something you’ve heard before? It’s making waves all over the internet and social media! If you haven’t, no need to feel left out. This is your crash course to the tastefully decorated and impeccably dressed world of the Coastal Grandmother and how you can become one.
What is a Coastal Grandmother
“Coastal Grandmother” began on TikTok when it was coined by Lex Nicoleta. It had already existed before then but it seems only now has it been given a name and found itself talked about in Vogue, The Cut, Glamour, and even The Wall Street Journal.
Nicoleta tells The Cut, “Coastal grandmother is a lifestyle and aesthetic that embodies elements of coastal living and homemaking.” It’s basically Diane Keaton in Something’s Gotta Give and Meryl Streep in It’s Complicated.
Let’s get one thing clear, you don’t have to be a lola or live by the ocean. What you need are a large white couch in an airy and sunlight-filled home, a garden you spend hours tending to, and a luxury hand soap and lotion combo. Sound like your thing?
Put in the context of Filipino pop culture, the Coastal Grandmother is the chic and laid-back version of the tita archetype with a lot of time and a fair bit of money on her hands. She is cooking meals with ingredients from a whole foods grocery, having afternoon tea at a café with friends, and strolling through upscale malls to buy expensive anik anik. Leave any marites tendencies at the door though.
Achieving the Coastal Grandmother Aesthetic
Unlike the look a typical Pinoy tita conjures up—an A-line dress with a bold print, a large handbag, and folding pamaypay—the Coastal Grandmother’s ensemble of choice is not bold or garish. She is a classy lady who loves easy, breezy outfits that look effortlessly stylish.
Her carefully curated closet includes beige khakis, knit sweaters, plain or striped button-downs, and various items of clothing in linen. All these are in neutral colors or shades of light blue. Add in the occasional large straw hat whenever applicable. The ideal is to look like you’re about to take a walk down the beach even when you’re just furniture and wine shopping in Estancia.
The Coastal Grandmother’s home comes in a similar ocean vibes color palette. “Cool blues and warm whites are key, as is texture: think raffia, cane furniture and linen-decked sofas, light-washed wood and open French doors,” describes Vogue Australia of a Coastal Grandmother’s interiors. “French provincial style is a good starting point, with its open kitchens, traditional wood paneling, and charming rustic air.”
It’s very reminiscent of the coastal interior design style which we already talked about here: Coastal Interior Design Style for that Easy, Breezy Vibe. Here’s a useful tip from the blog post: “Go for minimalism or just hints of the beachy motif. Be careful not to get too thematic, otherwise, your home will look kitschy.”
Living the Coastal Grandmother Dream
To sum it up, the Coastal Grandmother is sophisticated simplicity meets comfy and cozy. It’s domestic bliss helmed by an empowered woman in her prime—whatever her age may be and with or without a partner or children in her life. It’s also indulging in the little pleasures like the occasional bouquet for no reason but to have it.
Writer for Glamour Jenny Singer describes it perfectly, “Coastal grandmother is not about conforming to male heterosexual expectations of female beauty. It is about being able to spend north of $70 on a single unscented pillar candle. Or, at least, cosplaying as someone who has money to spend on simple, good things. It is understated, wealthy-person dress up.” And isn’t that the dream anyway?