Why the "Sad Beige Aesthetic" has taken over the Internet

"Colors, like features, follow the changes of the emotions." - Pablo Picasso

The internet has become a Softy:

Somebody painted it beige.

From fashion to interior design, from TikTok to Pinterest, this minimalist, neutral-toned shade has become the silent ruler of the online world.

Now don’t get me wrong, I actually like this color.

My favorite handbag is beige, as well as my living room curtains.

Beige is a great color because it blends in so beautifully and naturally with other colors, leaving space to be filled with brighter tones.

Imagine this:

A living room entirely decorated with beige furniture and ornaments, in it's center an old school royal blue armchair.

Or a fully beige outfit: pants, blouse, and coat, with crimson red high heels.

Sounds amazing, right?

But here’s the thing: in today’s "beige aesthetic" — or as some like to call it, the “sad beige aesthetic” — there’s just no color to speak of.

It’s all beige, everywhere.

Now, picture the same living room and outfit.

Take out the blue armchair and the red heels.

Can you feel it?

It’s dull, monotonous, it's missing something.

And that’s exactly what we’re seeing online.

It's not just an aesthetic; it has become a whole way of living.

There are even so-called "sad beige moms", known for dressing their kids entirely in sandy colors.

And again: I get it! I'm a Mom, too.

Fun fact: My son says I only buy "the boring stuff".

That's because I prefer him wearing the soft brown linen shirt over the Paw Patrol T-Shirt with the bright print, too.

But the super colorful T-Shirt makes him happy.

And that's what's really important, at the end of the day.

This overwhelming Beigeness takes me back to the poignant fantasy novel Momo by author Michael Ende, where a whole city gradually loses its vibrancy and fades to grey.

In the story, the "Men in Grey" persuade people to cut out leisure and emotional connections in the name of saving time, pushing them to rush through life, obsessed with efficiency and productivity.

Our “Ladies in Beige” seem to want the opposite:

tranquility, peace and stability.

Yet, they end up doing the exact same thing —

draping everything in fifty shades of the same color.

I think they - I think we all - long for peacefulness and reliability, especially after having experienced the COVID years.

Beige represents calmness and coziness and is in no way stimulating or agitating.

When we cover our wardrobes, kids and homes in off-white, fawn and ecru, we wrap up everything in predictability.

And this feels good, right?

 But that's not how life really is:

Life will knock you down, only to lift you back up again.

Love will surprise you when you least expected it, and happiness will be waiting just around the corner.

Sometimes, life will be peaceful and relaxing, and you'll find yourself in fleeting, luxurious moments, while other times, it will completely throw you off guard.

Life is not black and white and it’s certainly not beige.

Which moments would beige represent anyway? The boring ones?

Maybe that’s the deeper reason behind all the beige.

Life being just too overwhelming and us needing a break from it, especially within the comfort of our own homes.

But let’s not let this be the reason for disguising everything in a veil of colorlessness.

Let's cut right here.

Give me some color, please.

Ahhh, much better.

By bringing back colors, we bring back life.

We show the world that we're embracing life's chaos and unpredictability.

Because, it's not just the tough moments, but often the most beautiful ones, that surprise us when we least expect them.

So let's bring back bursts of colors and joyful hues!

Let's combine them with the neutrals, let's wear them and decorate our houses with them.

Let's buy our kid's some "exciting stuff".

And most importantly:

Let’s ask our children for their advice - after all, they're the representation of life itself.

Have the most colorful day ever, my Darlings.

Always with love,