In recent weeks, videos on TikTok have been appearing using phrases such as, “very demure” and “very mindful.” Thousands of videos are trending to help better refine our etiquette. 

Although it had started as a satirical idea, poking fun at femininity, it has begun to take on a life of its own. 

So, the question being asked is, what is demure and why has it turned into a trend?

According to Merriam-Webster, in almost the seven centuries that “demure,” has been in use, its meaning has had no significant shift. 

It began as a solely descriptive term for people of quiet modesty and a reserved nature—now, it is being applied for those who don’t draw attention to themselves, whether because of their shy personality or self-control. Also, the term could be used for those whose modesty and reservation are more pretentious than heartfelt. 

Additionally, a cultural and linguistic expert who goes by, Noel Wolf, explains how the word “demure” can date back to the 1600s, and was used in the 1800s to describe younger women as being, “modest and reserved”.

Now, the catch phrase has recently been coined by Chicago-based TikTok content creator, Jools Lebron, who posted on TikTok about her demure work outfit and her mindful make-up. As Lebron stated to her millions of followers, “You see how I do my make-up for work? Very demure, very mindful.”

Lebron used “demure” as a term of endearment to describe herself as she does daily tasks, often adding other words like, “mindful”, and “cutesy”. 

Lebron calmly informs us that when dressing for the office, her shirt”only has a little chi-chi out, not my cho-cho” and she adds that “You should never come to work with a green cut crease”.

Now, after achieving her overnight fame with the recent videos, many creators and celebrities have been joining in on the bandwagon of the trend. 

For example, Penn Badgley who plays Joe Goldberg on the Netflix show, “You,” had posted a TikTok saying, “playing a romantic icon for five seasons, I’m very modest, I’m very mindful”. 

Additionally, the term has begun making its way to our fashion industry with content creator, Ambika Dhir saying that being “demure and mindful in outfits is about well-crafted, quiet luxury, chic outfits and a strong personal style that grabs attention without being shouty”. 

The redefined term of the word, can show how older language can take a new life and meaning at the hands of this younger generation. It’s hard to predict whether a word or phrase will be the next big thing, as TikTok trends move at a rapid pace.