Hamptons-Inspired 'Coastal Grandmother' Aesthetic Takes Over TikTok

Grab a straw hat and a cashmere cardigan — because summer 2022 is a coastal grandmother summer.

The term “coastal grandmother” was started on TikTok, describing a fashion aesthetic inspired by coastal looks and the looks of mature women in movies like “Something’s Gotta Give,” the 2003 Nancy Meyers film starring Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson, filmed largely at a Sagaponack mansion.

The coastal grandmother aesthetic is focused on comfort, with a relaxed vibe that is chic and timeless, with a light color scheme with lots of neutrals and light blue.

The term was coined by Lex Nicoleta, a TikTok creator with 126,000 followers — she’s known as “The Coastal Grandmother” and started posting about this look in March, inviting her followers to “gran together.”

Nicoleta said she was inspired by a lifetime of watching Nancy Meyers movies.

“It’s really a lifestyle and aesthetic, more than a trend, I would say, because it’s very classic by nature,” said Nicoleta. “It’s very traditional, and it’s just embodying these elements of coastal living, and homemaking, and making a beautiful life for yourself.”

The coastal grandmother look is inspired by the vibe in Northeast coastal towns like Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket — and, of course, the Hamptons. This aesthetic is perfect for Westhampton to Montauk, and the look can go from a morning walk by the water to an afternoon wine tasting, flawlessly.

Shelby Vanhoy, a New York City-based blogger with 66,000 followers on TikTok, has created a great deal of summer-inspired coastal grandmother content, posing with her friends under oversized straw hats and dancing in navy blue sweaters with Southampton embroidered in white.

Her looks both in the city and when weekending in the Hamptons have always had coastal grandmother inspiration, even before the trend had a name.

“The term is a trend, but I think the style itself has always been there — it’s just having a moment,” Vanhoy said.

Because of the timeless nature of the aesthetic, pieces can be found in a variety of sources, from vintage shops to specialty clothing stores on Jobs Lane in Southampton Village.

Nicoleta favors pieces from H&M. Vanhoy said she has sourced pieces for her looks from everywhere — some were found at flea markets.

Anastasia Gerrans, a Seattle-based TikToker with 767,000 followers, creates styling based content and loves the aesthetic, since she trends to dress maturely, even at 20 years old.

When she styles coastal grandmother-inspired looks, she focuses on colors, fabric and prints, like stripes or anything nautical inspired.

“I feel like white and light blue and more pastel colors and neutrals are the main way to achieve this look and make it look obvious,” Gerrans said.

Gerrans said the vibe of this style connects her to the peace of the aspirational lifestyle of coastal grandmothers whenever she wears it.

She added that this aesthetic is a “polar opposite” to some of the biggest trends right now in fashion, with vintage inspiration from the darkness of the 1990s and the big colors of Y2K.

Gerrans’s coastal grandmother must-haves are a white button-down with blue stripes, straight-legged linen pants, a cardigan tied around the shoulders, and espadrilles, with a basket bag to tie the look together with beach vibes.

Vanhoy embraces femininity through her coastal grandmother styling, recommending styling a white maxi dress with floral embroidery with a linen shirt, and slip-on sandals comfortable for shopping on Jobs Lane, walks on Coopers Beach or shopping at a farm stand.

Vanhoy said her ideal coastal grandmother capsule wardrobe would be one set of linen pants with an oversized button-up shirt — the shirt could then be layered in other looks to add dimension — and a thick knit cardigan to add coziness to looks.

To create a coastal grandmother look, start with a pair of linen pants and a comfortable sandal — comfort is key in coastal grandmother. Then layer a light blue button-down over a basic white T-shirt. Add a straw hat to accessorize.

While a lot of the social media attention that this trend has gotten is focused on styling, it’s also been widely described as a lifestyle, with coastal grandmother food and wine recommendations popping up on the app as well.

Ultimately, there’s no question that coastal grandmother defines a lifestyle, and Nicoleta recommends finding “little pockets of happiness” to embrace the aspirational aspects of the coastal grandmother lifestyle.

The lifestyle and aesthetic is meant to be inclusive according to Nicoleta — it’s not only meant for women who live in the Hamptons or Nantucket. She describes it as a lifestyle for anyone, “male, female, other.”

For example, she is based in the Central Valley in California and is only 26, making her neither coastal nor a grandmother.

“Everyone can join in on this lifestyle,” said Nicoleta.