Postfeminism and Effortless Beauty on TikTok: The Example of the ‘Clean Girl’

Öz

Purpose: This study aims to examine the ‘Clean Girl’ trend that has become popular on TikTok within the framework of representations of femininity and postfeminist sensibilities. Design/methodology/approach: Using feminist critical discourse analysis, the meanings and social practices constructed by TikTok videos have been deciphered. The analysis identified three main discourses: ‘Purification and Moral Superiority’, ‘The Myth of Naturalness, Personal Care Performance, and Hyper-Care’, and ‘Aestheticized Domestic Labor and Consumption-Based Well-being’. Findings: The study reveals that the ‘Clean Girl’ figure constructs women as a project, romanticizes domestic labor to re-invite women into the private sphere, and transforms feminist gains into an individual consumption performance. In this process, it is seen that feminist rhetoric has evolved from ‘Girl Power’ to ‘Clean Girl’ and that the private sphere is managed like a content production studio, presenting traditional female roles as neoliberal criteria for success. Research limitations/implications: The study is limited to 15 top-viewed TikTok videos (#CleanGirlAesthetic) collected before November 18, 2025. This small sample size, necessitated by the detailed requirements of discourse analysis, and the specific timeframe limit the generalizability of the findings. Practical implications: This research draws attention to the fact that this aesthetic commercializes intimate and everyday moments while trapping women in an intense practice of self-control and discipline. Originality/value: In summary, it is concluded that this trend, by reproducing normative ideals of beauty, creates a disciplinary and exclusionary representation of femininity that is far from inclusive.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Clean Girl
• Postfeminism
• Discourse Analysis
• Woman Studies
• TikTok

Kaynakça

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