Cottagecore Outfits for Men...As Worn (Mostly) by Women

IndieYesPls is a blog about indie designers and niche aesthetics. So, I did not talk about cottagecore at length because at this point, it’s not super niche anymore. There’s a post on cottagecore dresses and in traditionally women’s cottagecore fashion, they are the most iconic garment to put on that Victorian country lady vibe.

I wanted to take it a bit more indie style, though.

So, right now I’m going to talk a bit about how you can bring the men’s cottagecore fashion into womenswear, making it look more artistic and stylish.

The reason is that there’s a lot of us women out there who would like to make our wardrobes more romantic - but we feel our best in androgynous outfits.

Ryan Thompson, editor of the men’s style guide Mensflair.com, shared his thoughts, noting how “the cottagecore aesthetic, with its rustic charm and simplicity, is intriguingly being adapted into women’s fashion through male outfits. It’s a celebration of comfort, natural elements, and a nod to a simpler, pastoral lifestyle.”

I think that cottagecore outfits for men might just be the perfect choice to hit the spot.

You are going to learn all about such attire, where these outfits come from, what they mean by it and how did they manage to make them so unique as well as fashionable. These are some of my most favorite pieces in men’s clothing collection which I have been wearing since long time ago. So let us get started…

Men’s Cottagecore Fashion: The Vibe

Cottagecore is a fashion trend that takes the best of Victorian time English countryside styles and blends them together into a modern fashion for a vibe that is both rustic and refined.

Even in menswear, cottagecore is all about soft lines, natural fabrics and muted colors.

That makes for a lot of overlap with other indie easthetics, namely dark academia and grandmacore. But because mens cottagecore roots in Victorian England, there’s a lot of romantic elements in its outfits, just like we see it women’s cottagecore fashion.

Only that in menswear, the romanticism is way understated: You will get the white shirt with an oversized, pointy collar or the shirt with a frill bib, but other than that it’s just jackets and trousers.

I think this is perfect for women who are minimalists at heart but want to dress cottagecore. There must be a way to do cottagecore fashion without a dress, right?

The key parts

This is what an English country gentleman looked like in the 18-19th century. Long trousers, comfortable for walking. The coat developed into the modern three-piece with a jacket and a waistcoat still during 19th century:

How does the above picture translate into ladies fashion in the androgynous style? Here is the waistcoat dress that Elizabeth Bennet wore in the 2005 Pride and Prejudice movie.

This outfit comes off androgynous because of the subtly romantic white shirt that was inspired by menswear of the era.

For the most part this is off topic here, but there’s a whole section for Lizzie Bennet dresses on Etsy, by the way.

The key to pulling off the androgynous cottagecore aesthetic is to choose your statement piece well.

Other parts of your outfit can be basics rather than aesthetic clothes, as long as they are in muted, neutral colours like brown and grey. The finished look should feel both vintage and modern, and it should come off very androgynous - no matter who wears it.

If you feel that the basic model is a bit monotonous, you might as well choose to customize some badges to pin on your clothes or cuffs. Choose some patterns with British country-style elements for customization, which can make your finished look more retro and modern.

In addition, when we want to look fashionable in our outfits, we can also choose to customize some badges to match. For different styles and patterns, it can be customized according to the effect you want. If you want to try it, click Pin Badges Co.

Men’s Cottagecore Outfits #1: The All-in Romantic Version

The first set of cottagecore outfits for men (and minimalists) would be the full on androgynous romantic.

This type of outfit needs a frilly shirt (that’s a feminine element) with a waistcoat over it (that’s what brings in the masculine effect).

Waistcoats for women are available on ASOS on the cheap, or on Etsy. The trousers on the first picture are riding trousers, as would be typical sportswear of that time. You’ll get a close enough match if you look for academia aesthetic clothes, though.

Here’s where to get this look on Etsy. By the way, we list all vendors per aesthetic here.

Etsy: SalamanderShirts, Frill bib shirt from stretchy cotton poplin blend (a good material, this one will be comfy to wear)

Etsy: MaisonLy, Jabot collar blouse

Etsy: GenuineAddict, Victorian ruffle blouse

Etsy: VintageCommode, Women’s waistcoat

Etsy: BerciniFashion, Vintage plaid pants

Men’s Cottagecore Outfits #2: The Elegant Romantic Version

Then there’s another way to do an androgynous cottagecore outfit without any frilly bibs, ruffles or anything too in your face.

The romantic statement in these outfits is the dominant shirt collar or a turtleneck. For spring outfits, you can also just turn the collar of your jacket to keep it standing.

There’s a lot of overlap with academia aesthetics here. It all depends how far you take the romantic element.

These two outfits are from Pinterest and were uncredited, but here’s where you can get similar clothes at Etsy:

Etsy: ASeasonStore, White shirt

Etsy: BerciniFashion, Corduroy pants

Men’s Cottagecore Outfits #3: The Farming Version

And last but not least, your androgynous cottagecore outfit can focus on the farming part of it. There were working people in 19th century too. They dressed in thick, brownish functional materials and heavy knits.

A heavy knit and curduroy trousers would fit into grandmacore too, so head over there or to the list of boutiques that sell grandmacore fashion.

Etsy: KnockKnockLinen, VICTORIA Linen Waistcoat

Etsy: Moonandcottage, Retro knitted sweater

Final words

It’s 2022, folks. Browse through Vogue Runway’s recent reports and you will see models of all genders walking men’s clothing lines. In this post you got exactly that kind of freedom that we can afford now. I’ve picked androgynous cottagecore outfits as worn by men, women or just plain anybody and so can you.

Cottagecore is a fashion aesthetic that embraces comfort and simplicity. It is inspired by the relaxed lifestyle of rural cottage communities, where clothing is meant to be decent-looking and functional.

Stereotypically male cottagecore outfits can be worn by men and women alike, and they are perfect for anyone who wants to feel comfortable but sharply stylish as well.

Basically, do ditch the suit and tie, and give cottagecore a try! You won’t be disappointed. In all likelihood you will discover that there’s more to the masculine look than the normcore suit jacket on white shirt.