Oversized T-Shirt
Scrunchie on her wrist
Hydro flask in hand
This may seem like a random list of items, but collectively, this list comprises what is the definition of a VSCO girl. She has an instagram aesthetic with pictures so brightly saturated with filters to emphasize that natural golden hour glow that you need sunglasses just to view it. (I never understood how looking like a cheeto was considered natural but that’s beside the point). She’s probably at the beach or a trendy brunch spot. She’s never looking directly at the camera because she’s constantly “caught off guard”. And she must be friends with the greatest comedians of all time- why else would she be laughing in every single picture she posts with her friends? Someone sign me up for this type of living!
I apologize for the sarcasm, it’s a direct result of growing up in New York. So I apologize if I’ve offended any VSCO girl currently reading this. The truth is, VSCO girls are some of the most economical, philanthropic, and business-oriented group of girls we can find nowadays.
You read that right. No sarcasm intended.
Laugh if you want, but let’s look at the facts. Every year the average American spends about $1400 on plastic water bottles. While the cost of that VSCO Girl’s Hydro flask is about $40. That’s $1360 more in her bank account than the average American. Try calculating THAT Return on Investment.
Not only are those trendy bottles economical, they’re better for the environment. The purchase of one Hydroflask bottle eliminates the 167 plastic water bottles the average person uses each year. When you calculate how many teenage girls are using hydroflasks instead of single-use plastic bottles, it adds up. While it may only be a fraction of the amount of plastic that is currently in our ocean, every little bit counts. VSCO girls are implementing the action plans environmental activists are always promoting and saving our environment, one hydro flask bottle and metal straw at a time.
Not only have VSCO girls proven themselves to be both economically and environmentally savvy, they have also literally created a brand for themselves. When you hear the term, “VSCO girl”, a distinct image immediately comes to mind. News flash: most major corporations are striving to do the exact same thing! Isn’t the purpose of any marketing department to create a brand for that company? The ultimate goal of marketing in any business is to target an audience and design a brand that appeals to that audience. This is exactly what VSCO girls are doing every time they post a picture- for free, I might add. How many millions of dollars do companies spend on marketing to achieve that same goal?
So the next time you want to sit and laugh at the feed of a VSCO girl, maybe reconsider your preconceived notions of the stereotype and see it from a new perspective. If the result of this movement is a generation of female entrepreneurs and a plastic-free environment, I’ll click the like button on the overly saturated pictures.
Photo Credit: https://unsplash.com/photos/UZgpMBSrmig
