Cottagecore: A Heavenly Abode of Slow Living

Cottagecore: A Heavenly Abode of Slow Living


Have you ever dreamed of being Elizabeth Bennet, strolling through the vast lawns of Georgian mansions in late 18th century, or wearing a peasant dress and walking alongside the large fields of wheat, only to come across a patch of daffodils, perhaps like the ones Wordsworth told us about - and just behind those, you see the love of your life. If you are more of a literature geek, you would surely have imagined being transported to the world of William Cowper or perhaps if you are a painting lover, planned that one day, you will leave behind all the rush and chaos of this concrete jungle. for a cottage like those of Thomas Kinkade, far away in the countryside, where you can spend your days with field animals and simple strolls around a lake.

 

If you have thought so, know that you are not alone. We have all been there. Moborr was born, as a reflection on this desire of an idyllic lifestyle, detached from all materialistic pursuits and the satisfaction of savouring each moment. It is a fantasy that we had been feeding on since centuries, and we at Moborr, try to create the same through our comfortable, sustainable and eco-conscious clothing range. We long to move away from this pace that we have created for ourselves, and we seek an abode where we can find that, which we know as heaven. And Cottagecore mirrors this eternal desire.

 

Born in 2017, Cottagecore is an aesthetic style that celebrates simple living at home, in harmony with nature. It, however, rose to popularity in the days of lockdown of the 2020 COVID pandemic, when people all around the world were confined in their houses. It was a time of complete chaos surrounded by a bleak misery of death and disease, and in the middle of it all – people started going back to their roots. All of us realized how our fast-paced lifestyle broke the world, how it made us so dependent on technology and how it ultimately led to a disaster. People started moving back to the age old practices of ent – be it baking, knitting, gardening or reading. But most of all, we spent time with people around us rather than people we barely knew, and we realized that is where true happiness lies.
 
Taylor Swift’s Cardigan from ‘Folklore’ music video
Thus, this period saw an explosion of content around ‘The Cottagecore Aesthetic’ making it a global trend. In July 2020, Taylor Swift released her album ‘Folklore’, abandoning her energetic pop in favor of romantic and calm walks, along with a clip shot in an old house in the countryside. Since then, online platforms like Tumblr, TikTok and Instagram saw a sky-rocket in posts associated with Cottagecore aesthetic and Google reported an increase in the number of consumers searching for products tied to Cottagecore. From fashion, to food or interiors to daily activities – cottagecore culture was everywhere, and it is till date, expanding.
 
And the reason behind this is not just rooted in the trend cycle, it is deeply connected to human emotions. At a time when everything was moving too fast, Cottagecore came as a shield against anxiety and fear. We, as humans, need balance in our lives. And when our lives became so unpredictable, when everything around us was changing, we decided to take the pendulum swing and move to the ways we were certain about – the life we knew was a better, happier and safer than the one we had created. With ample time on our hands during quarantine days, we began to seek fulfillment and purpose outside of monetary potential. And Cottagecore thus, became the vehicle that drove us to activities like baking, knitting and home-gardening.

 

And today, it is not just a single aesthetic, movement or community – it is a trend that people are adopting consciously and rapidly. Everyone is striving for a simple, sustainable and meaningful lifestyle by taking a slower approach in everyday life and consuming only what is needed. And it includes a large variety of practices like:

  •       Carrying personal cloth and plastic bags everywhere with a complete refrain from single-use plastics.
  •       Technology and content detox by staying away from all gadgets and social media for allocated time periods
  •       Decluttering of home interiors from bohemian maximalism to minimal multi-purpose open spaces.
  •       Mindful eating with an increased population moving towards veganism and even more people expressing their desire to do the same.
  •       Meditation, exercise and screen time apps installed in all our phones that monitor the quality of our life.
  •       Changing work cultures from full calendars to focusing on the tasks that yield results while eliminating all the unnecessary protocols.
  •       Narrowing down travel itineraries and focusing on immersing yourself in a location and its culture.
  •       Habits like journaling, meditation and yoga that help escape from the spiral for dwelling on the past or anticipating the future.
  •       Building communities in locality and nurturing relationships that add value to real life.
  •       Rediscovering the art of conversing with a stranger.
  •       Indulging in play like old school games in the park, board games and phone-free gatherings with friends.
  •       Replacing retail therapy with time-less, lasting and conscious purchases that add value to life in the long run.
  •       Moving away from symbols of luxury and status to purchasing from local and small businesses and brands.
  •       A shift to organic and sustainable products that are simple and useful over high-tech cluttered design.

It is this shift in a lifestyle that brings us a beacon of hope. It tells us that we are moving in the right direction. After two years of uncertainty, we are now, finally able to see a small ray of light. In changing our lifestyle, we can have faith that the world will heal for the better, and we will step into a place that is completely different from the one we grew up in. We are actively and consciously changing the world around us, and building the heaven that we all desire. 

It is this hope that inspires us, the dream of tomorrow that motivates us to keep going and do our part in building the new world. With our organic cottons, natural dyes, coconut shell buttons and plastic-free practices, we are one of the few fashion brands that have succeeded in making ourselves 100% sustainable. And we keep moving forward, with a hope in our heart and a determination in our mind - we pledge to do even better, we strive to make a difference and we at Moborr, promise to work for the greater good that realises our dream of tomorrow – a heavenly abode built with slow living.
 
Image Sources:
Elizabeth Bennet, Pride and Prejudice, movie still: https://in.pinterest.com/pin/115756652895255411/
Thomas Kinkade Cottage Painting https://www.artistsnetwork.com/artist-profiles/thomas-kinkade-art-we-love-to-hate/
Taylor Swift’s Cardigan from ‘Folklore’ music video
https://www.lifeandstylemag.com/posts/taylor-swift-cardigan-lyrics-meaning-is-the-video-about-joe-alwyn/
Abigail Janine: 
https://in.pinterest.com/pin/296674694207451713/





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