Everyone Is Dressing Like a "Desert Aunt" This Summer—Inside the Viral Aesthetic

I wouldn't blame you if you just rolled your eyes at the thought of yet another fashion aesthetic the internet pulled out from nowhere (looking at you, "mob wife" and "garden girl"). Lately, it seems like these aesthetics and their seemingly AI-generated monikers are a manufactured way the fashion and beauty industries can sell you more things. But if you stay with me for just a moment, I'm going to explain why the latest of the bunch has been something that's quietly brewed for months and is just now being identified and talked about.

I'm talking about a new look called the "chic desert aunt." Coined by stylist Allison Bornstein in a now-viral TikTok video, the aesthetic and its key pieces are taking off this summer. "She's wearing suede, earth tones, and natural fabrics," Bornstein explains of this persona. In a follow-up video, Bornstein posits that it may not even be about one single outfit combination or silhouette. What ties all these "desert aunt" looks together actually boils down to a single accessory: the pendant necklace.

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♬ original sound - Allison Bornstein

We've seen quirky cord pendant necklaces pop up from last summer, but with the impact that the fall runways made, pendant necklaces on the whole are going to be trending for next season and these looks Bornstein is describing are giving us a preview into how everyone will wear them, i.e. with languid maxi dresses and relaxed tunics and trousers. Now, the artsy necklace taking off once again. Lyst reports that searches for "chunky necklace" and "pendant" have risen 42% and 69% week-on-week, with the most interest in styles from COS and Tiffany & Co., two brands whose necklaces are leading the pack.

It makes sense why this trend may be happening right now. We've been seeing the early signs of a boho style renaissance with Chloé's fall runway and several of the looks that Daisy Edgar-Jones sported throughout her Twisters press tour. So the arrival of this "chic desert aunt" vibe is only just the beginning of what we're predicting will be a full-blown boho revival this fall. Ahead, see the "chic desert aunt" in action on Instagram and on the spring/summer 2024 runways and, of course, shop the best pendant-necklace picks.

Shop the best pendant necklaces:

Monikh Dale is an expert in dressing for this aesthetic, and she proves how a flowy maxi dress makes for the perfect backdrop for a long pendant necklace.

Styling-wise, it's all about marrying the long necklaces with plunging necklines that showcase the accessory, like this Valentino runway look that's very desert-aunt coded.

Her wardrobe is made up of timeless staples which she wears in a relaxed way. That means plenty of loose linen shirts, easy trousers, and big oversize handbags, which she'll likely be adorning with a bag charm or two.

On Carven's spring runway, nearly every model sported a singular pendant necklace that lent an artsy feel to the otherwise elegant, well-tailored collection.

Though this aesthetic leans bohemian, minimalists are dabbling in the trend, too, by styling a singular pendant with clean lines and neutrals to let it pop.

At Chanel, models layered on the necklaces, lending the flowy dresses and pretty prints an even more artsy feel.

When a chic desert aunt goes on vacation, she's definitely wearing her pendant necklaces with billowy printed caftans that she no doubt has a closet full of.

Chloé's take on the look is more elegant and refined, involving a white maxi dress and sculptural gold pendant.

As Anouk Yve proves here, tapping into the desert aunt look can be as easy as adding a single necklace to your everyday looks.

If you bought one of those corded pendant necklaces that were everywhere last summer, repurpose it by wearing it at its longest length for an artsier spin.