The Strive for Effortless Perfection: Aspirational Identity Performance and The Clean Girl Aesthetic on TikTok
(2025) BUSN39 20251Department of Business Administration
- Abstract
- Research question: "How do young women construct and perform aspirational identities
through the Clean Girl aesthetic on digital platforms?"
Purpose: The purpose of this study is to expand the understanding of how trendy aesthetics on
digital platforms like TikTok shape users’ identity construction and self-performance.
Theoretical perspective: Two main theoretical fields, aspirational class and identity
performance, have been combined into a new perspective of aspirational identity performance, in
order to gain new insights in these areas.
Method: To answer the research question, a qualitative approach has been used, involving a
netnography consisting of 6 content creators on TikTok, observing 515 individual posts. The
... (More) - Research question: "How do young women construct and perform aspirational identities
through the Clean Girl aesthetic on digital platforms?"
Purpose: The purpose of this study is to expand the understanding of how trendy aesthetics on
digital platforms like TikTok shape users’ identity construction and self-performance.
Theoretical perspective: Two main theoretical fields, aspirational class and identity
performance, have been combined into a new perspective of aspirational identity performance, in
order to gain new insights in these areas.
Method: To answer the research question, a qualitative approach has been used, involving a
netnography consisting of 6 content creators on TikTok, observing 515 individual posts. The
study is grounded in a social constructionist perspective and has an abductive approach.
Empirical results: Key findings indicate that the performance of perfection is influenced by
aesthetic curation, minimalism as well as luxury and class signaling. Secondly, there is a
consistent use of hyper-feminine aesthetic codes while romanticizing girlhood and youthfulness.
Lastly, the empirical results suggest that there is extensive labor behind the Clean Girl’s polished
appearance, meaning the performance consists of two parts: the labor displayed in the video as
well as the hidden labor behind the camera.
Conclusion: The study finds that aspirational identity in the Clean Girl aesthetic is performed
through disciplined routines and aesthetic control, signaled via subtle luxury, a (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9206477
- author
- Abrahamson, Hilla LU and Olsson, Sissy LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- BUSN39 20251
- year
- 2025
- type
- H1 - Master's Degree (One Year)
- subject
- keywords
- Aspirational class, luxury consumption, identity performance, digital platforms
- language
- English
- id
- 9206477
- date added to LUP
- 2025-06-30 12:08:06
- date last changed
- 2025-06-30 12:08:06
@misc{9206477,
abstract = {{Research question: "How do young women construct and perform aspirational identities
through the Clean Girl aesthetic on digital platforms?"
Purpose: The purpose of this study is to expand the understanding of how trendy aesthetics on
digital platforms like TikTok shape users’ identity construction and self-performance.
Theoretical perspective: Two main theoretical fields, aspirational class and identity
performance, have been combined into a new perspective of aspirational identity performance, in
order to gain new insights in these areas.
Method: To answer the research question, a qualitative approach has been used, involving a
netnography consisting of 6 content creators on TikTok, observing 515 individual posts. The
study is grounded in a social constructionist perspective and has an abductive approach.
Empirical results: Key findings indicate that the performance of perfection is influenced by
aesthetic curation, minimalism as well as luxury and class signaling. Secondly, there is a
consistent use of hyper-feminine aesthetic codes while romanticizing girlhood and youthfulness.
Lastly, the empirical results suggest that there is extensive labor behind the Clean Girl’s polished
appearance, meaning the performance consists of two parts: the labor displayed in the video as
well as the hidden labor behind the camera.
Conclusion: The study finds that aspirational identity in the Clean Girl aesthetic is performed
through disciplined routines and aesthetic control, signaled via subtle luxury, a}},
author = {{Abrahamson, Hilla and Olsson, Sissy}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{The Strive for Effortless Perfection: Aspirational Identity Performance and The Clean Girl Aesthetic on TikTok}},
year = {{2025}},
}