What is an e-girl? Simply explained

The term e-girl is often used in today’s youth language. Older people in particular wonder what an e-girl even is. They can recognise such women by certain characteristics.

What an e-girl is: That’s what’s behind the term

E-Girl is a word that came into being through Generation Z. It thus only gained popularity at the end of the 2010s. The term appears especially in social networks.

• The E in E-Girl is an abbreviation for Electronic. The term therefore stands for women who have an internet presence and pursue hobbies such as gaming. Computer games are normally stereotypically assigned to men.

• The term is also often used pejoratively and sexistly, on the grounds that these women are only faking their interest in the video games and the like to get men interested.

• E girls usually have a very specific style that is meant to convey a sense of aesthetics. Typical are fashion elements from skater culture, cosplay, K-pop, emo and much more. Their hair is often strikingly coloured and they often use a lot of make-up.

• Completely mainstream, e-girls arrived in the wake of TikTok around 2019. The rising relevance correlates with the increasing success of K-pop groups like BTS, who embodied a similar style.

• One of the first successful e-girls is Belle Delphine, who gained notoriety on Instagram and YouTube from 2018. She embodies the typical style of dress mainly in the form of cosplays, pink hair and lots of make-up.

The male version of e-girls: e-boys

In addition to e-girls, there is also the term e-boy. Even though both terms have the same origin, e-boys are defined by different characteristics.

• E-Boys derive their style more from emo and scene culture. There is always a so-called “soft boy aesthetic” – an impression of sensitivity and vulnerability.

• Thus, e-boys represent an antithesis to the traditional image of the man, which is characterised by self-confidence, extroversion and emotional stability.

• E-boy fashion is also characterised by make-up. Typical, as with e-girls, are nail polish, oversized clothing, long hairstyles and dyed hair.