Decoding the Soft Boy Aesthetic

You've heard the term soft boy, but what does this viral aesthetic really mean? These 11 celebrities are here to show you.

Recent years have seen a resurgence in the soft boy aesthetic, but it goes beyond just style. As the name suggests, soft boys are male-identifying individuals that display more tender traits, from how they act to how they dress, that are stereotypically associated with the feminine. In touch with their emotions and often outfitted in a cardigan or vintage tee, soft boys challenge toxic masculinity. If you use the word "beautiful" to describe him, he's probably a soft boy.

The soft boy has been re-popularized on TikTok, with accounts that embrace the aesthetic skyrocketing to Internet fame and gaining an array of dedicated followers. Soft boys share style similarities with e-boy fashion, characterized by traditionally feminine shapes, painted nails, and typically a floppy haircut. Much of the fashion associated with soft boys can be traced to K-pop boyband aesthetics, as they explore more androgynous modes of expression.

BTS wearing light wash jeans ans pastel shirts

K-pop group BTS.

In the fashion world, any recent designer runway features soft boy equivalents–Celine's Spring/Summer 2021 men's collection had hoodies and flannels galore, while both Kim Jones' tenure at Dior Men and A lessandro Michele's direction for Gucci's men's collections have been marked by designs that skirt the boundaries of the masculine and feminine. Reacting to today's progressive ideals, designers are encouraging men to explore a less rigid sense of what it means to dress like a man. Fashion has never been more fluid, and the soft boy style is a manifestation of this.

If you're still having trouble picturing what a soft boy looks like, plenty of celebrities fit the bill. Think Timothée Chalamet or Harry Styles. Something else that might differentiate a celebrity soft boy is that they’re actually softies. Styles once sent fans awaiting his Saturday Night Live performance pizza and bagels, and more recently, fed a fan's fish and left a handwritten note for her after stopping at her house when his car broke down.

Here, L'OFFICIEL rounds up some of the most endearing and stylish celebrity soft boys.

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Paul Rudd is the original soft boy, making audiences fall in love since his "Clueless" days.

Harry Styles wearing a cardigan and pearl necklace

Harry Styles often incorporates traditionally feminine elements into his fashion. Here, he pairs high waisted trousers with a cardigan, pearl necklace, and painted nails.

Frank Ocean wearing a striped t-shirt with a pink buzzcut

Frank Ocean's ‘Blonde’ is a widely accepted soft boy soundtrack, so naturally, the artist himself exemplifies the aesthetic.

Timothee Chalamet wearing pink corduroy pants and a stack of bracelets

Playing up his waif-like look, Timothée Chalamet embodies the soft boy persona with pastel pants, a stack of bracelets, and floppy hair.

Jaden smith wearing a paisley print button up shirt and a layered necklaces

From his emotionally wrought tweets to his mix of streetwear and soft boy style, Jaden Smith owns the aesthetic.

Evan Peters wearing a sherpa jacket and skinny jeans

Don’t let the frown fool you, the skinny jeans and sherpa jacket prove Evan Peters’ softie status.

Cole Sprouse wearing a sherpa lined denim jacket, matching jeans and converse

With witty Instagram captions that sometimes remark on toxic masculinity, Cole Sprouse is the perfect example of the cerebral soft boy, playing on sarcasm to reel you in.