On the networks, Catholicism is not just a religion. It is also an “aesthetic » that Internet users appropriate, between candles bearing the image of Christ, cherubs and rosaries set with precious stones (in toc). Under the hashtags #catholicaesthetic And #catholiccore, these images scroll on TikTok. There are tips for matching a Catholic-inspired outfit, draw the Virgin on her false nails, and decorate your interior by scattering Bibles and vials of holy water. On Instagram, it is also possible to retouch your photos with Jesus filters Or Renaissance. And remember the recent Cannes Film Festival, during which Dominican actress Massiel Taveras walked up the steps in a long white dress, signed Giannina Azar, on which we could see the XL face of Christ. Quickly invited to pack up her 5 meter train, Massiel Tavares did not appreciate the lack of compassion for her look catholiccore.
“Since I discovered this aesthetic, I changed the entire decor of my room. Before, I had a style cottagecore, wicker basket, old china, all that. But the catholiccore suits me better, it’s more sophisticated, deeper”confesses Laurène (the first names have been changed at the request of those interviewed), 15 years old, high school student in Rouen. Coming from an atheist family, she was never baptized. Julie, 23, a physics chemistry student in Nantes, confides: “What I like is the offbeat side, both wise and intellectual, but also picturesque. It’s quite cinematic. When I put on my crosses, I have the impression of being the widow of a prince of France, there is a flashy side. The style is very rich, you can play with it endlessly. » Just like Laurène, the young woman is not a believer.
“The success of aesthetics results from the secularization of religious iconography, which is the subject of intellectual (re)appropriation. We no longer really believe, we no longer practice much, but the images linked to spirituality and devotion which circulate online have a vintage side which flatters a certain nostalgic inclination”explains historian Joël Schnapp.
Fashion and religion, a duo that works
Here a young woman parades, dressed in a tight black dress, a corset and a lace veil. There a teenager reproduces the style of a “priest’s daughter”, angelic pout and cross on the shirt collar. For Internet users, it’s an opportunity to strike a pose, the air lived in and a little lymphatic. It’s no coincidence that one of the keywords often associated with the trend is “ flirtatious “. No need to be an expert in theology or rigorous in the reproduction of Catholic iconography, it is a question of tailoring a heterogeneous universe. Julie draws as well from the heritage of the Eastern Orthodox Church as from that of the communities of Protestant sisters with refined clothes (more niche, this aesthetic is found under the #conventcore).
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