What’s The Coastal Grandmother Trend? And How Do You Become One?

Picture this: You’re relaxing on the porch of your beachside home, enjoying the cool, salty breeze while your blueberry scones finish baking in the oven. You spent the morning clipping hydrangeas to fill the vase on your kitchen table. Later, you’ll head to the local farmers’ market to stock your tote bag with seasonal produce for this evening’s meal. This is what we call a coastal grandma. Her vibes and home are immaculate.

Here’s How To Put More Fish On Your Dish For Nutritious Noshing

Perhaps you’ve always felt an affinity to Natasha Richardon’s portrayal of the glamorous mom in The Parent Trap—if so, you may be a coastal grandmother. Maybe you find yourself cooking roast chicken with a cable knit sweater tied around your shoulders—that’s coastal grandmother material.

Sounds pretty amazing, right? Maybe that’s why videos related to the coastal grandmother trend have more than 1 billion views on TikTok and why stars like Anne Hathaway and Diane Keaton have publicly given the trend their stamp of approval.

@lexnicoleta

GRAN EXPLAINED #coastalgrandmother

♬ This Will Be (An Everlasting Love) [From “Bride Wars”] – Soundtrack Studio Band

The Coastal Grandmother aesthetic has been coined as the ultimate vibe for the summer—in an unexpected turn of events, you’re going to want to raid your grandma’s closet. If you’re currently raising an eyebrow or two, we totally get it.  Dressing like a grandma has not always been at the top of our fashion to-do list. But hear us out: This trend is classic, nostalgic, and it basically represents a state of mind we want to live in all summer long. After all, what’s a better vibe than being an old widow taking a beach walk at dusk while wearing a cashmere cardigan? We rest our case.

So, how do I become a coastal grandmother at the ripe age of 30? 

What is the coastal grandma aesthetic?

The trending term follows a laid-back, fresh-from-the-garden lifestyle that is refreshingly anything but trendy. The coastal grandmother aesthetic is rooted in classic ocean-side minimalism but isn’t overly preppy. Luckily, none of the signature traits of a coastal grandmother actually require having grandchildren so the aesthetic is entirely achievable (even if you don’t live on the coast). All you need to do is lean into high-quality simplicity. 

How to nail it:

Here’s a list of 10 things a coastal grandmother would do: 

1. Steal her lover’s work button-down and wear it with worn-in jeans to dinner 
2. Keep a pocket notebook to write poetic phrases when inspiration strikes 
3. Pick fresh peonies from her garden (and just tend to a garden in general) 
4. Exclusively use Le Labo laundry detergent 
5. Open a bottle of red wine at 4 pm 
6. Take long walks on the beach (either solo or with her beloved dog) 
7. Wear a signature stack of gold jewelry, curated over time from flea markets 
8. Swear by a capsule wardrobe—white, tan and shades of blue and green only 
9. Invite her friends over every week for afternoon tea 
10. Show up to every occasion in a straw hat

Shop our coastal gran picks:

If you’re eager to add a little coastal grandmother to your life, we’ve found the items you’ll need to achieve the look.