A new trend on TikTok is catching the attention of people, focusing on how to be “demure” and “mindful” in everyday situations. The trend was ignited by Jools Lebron (@joolieannie), a popular TikTok influencer who shared a series of videos offering satirical advice on maintaining a “modest” and “respectful” appearance at work and in life.
In her latest videos, Lebron puts a focus on understated makeup and modest clothing. For example, in one of her videos she says, satirically: “I don’t come to work with a green-cut crease. I don’t look like a clown when I go to work. I’m very mindful while I’m at work.”
The “demure” trend quickly spread beyond Lebron’s initial videos, with other TikTok users and even brands jumping on board. The trend has also made its way to other social media platforms, especially X (formerly Twitter), where users have started to mockingly incorporate the word “demure” into various contexts.
Why you can’t escape the word ‘demure’ on social media: Memes and reactions
The “demure” craze is a satirical response to previous viral trends. According to Forbes, the trend is poking fun at the “clean girl” aesthetic that took over TikTok in 2022, which emphasized minimalist makeup and a polished look, as well as parodying the “coquette” trend.
The hashtag #demure has seen a significant increase in usage, with thousands of new videos appearing daily. The growing popularity of the trend has attracted comments from brands like Google and e.l.f. cosmetics, and even led to a humorous video from United Airlines referencing “demure” travel.
The “demure” trend arrives on the heels of the “Brat summer” phenomenon, another TikTok-driven movement that embraced hedonism and being the center of attention, inspired, of course, by singer Charli XCX’s latest album of the same name.
This rapid shift is yet another example of how quickly TikTok trends rise and fall. Here are some examples of the memes on X, where it has been one of the most recurring trends on social media in the past few days:
