‘Guava girl summer’: Why food is the ultimate status symbol in the wellness and fashion sector

Balance explores why consumerist culture has taken a cornerstone of human existence – the access to fresh food – and turned it into an unattainable lifestyle through skincare and fashion trends.

It didn’t feel that long ago when the internet named ‘Tomato Girl Summer’ as the new ‘it’ girl aesthetic. And it wasn’t that long ago – it was literally last year. Characterised by a relaxed, Mediterranean-inspired style, it focused on linen, crochet, and lace fashion, borrowing muted greens and ruby reds, and favouring a deep auburn blush on the face and a sunkissed glow. It was fashion meets food in its rawest form, promoting a slow, luxurious lifestyle inspired by Italian summers, encouraging people to spend time outdoors, indulge in local markets, and savour simple and sustainable meals. 

Its preceding aesthetics included ‘Vanilla Girl’, ‘Cherry Girl’, and ‘Strawberry Girl’, all of whom – you guessed it – were identifiable through a particular food. The mother of all of these foodie sub-branches is the ‘That Girl’ aesthetic, which was a holistic umbrella term that emphasised an individual who prioritised wellness, self-care, and a clean, minimalist approach to fashion, beauty, and their lifestyle.

Whilst these trends began as a fun and approachable way to bring leisure activities and fashion together, it is an indicator of so much more that is happening in the wellness sphere. This year, ‘Guava Girl Summer’ is slowly on the rise, probably prompting the question (and quick Google search) as to what a guava actually is.

The tropical fruit, well-known for its unique flavour profile and sweet aroma, is a light green on the outside and pink or white in the flesh. Its sweet flavour profile has a slight tartness, and it has risen in popularity by being used in juices, smoothies, and jams. They are found predominantly in regions like Mexico, the Caribbean, and South America, and are not native to the UK (but can be imported). 

The fashion and beauty of a ‘Guava Girl’ is a coral, light green, and fresh white colour scheme, glazed with glowing skin like you have just stepped off the plane from your tropical holiday. It’s tangy pinks and citrus fresh scents should see you stand out from the oh-so-last-year musky ‘Tomato Girls’; and usher in a new wave of clean, garden-fresh living. 

The difference, for us, between the tomato and the guava trend is that the next fruit or vegetable that is the muse for summer style is getting more and more exclusive. Naturally, we should have maybe seen a ‘Cucumber Girl Summer’, or even perhaps a ‘Watercress Girl Summer’ – readily available natural produce you can grow yourself in the UK. But instead, we are getting more niche, opting for the imported tropical fruits to go in our skincare, scents, and influence the new heaps of clothes we must buy.
This could be pinned down to the good ol’ tried and tested marketing campaign strategies that marry fashion and food culture to convey an attitude of luxury around their products, engaging shoppers by putting food in their imagery. Health-conscious consumption, like grow-your-own dinner trends and farmers markets, means consumers are actively seeking healthier options in all parts of their lives. 

The ‘health is wealth’ philosophy, which is the idea that good health is one’s most valuable asset, is at an all-time high. Access to healthy foods and lifestyle choices can feel more valuable than owning designer clothes or the latest sports car at the moment, showcasing an individual's access to premium, aspirational health options. It is also a distinct signifier of socioeconomic status, though admittedly this has been the case since medieval banquets. It’s just now, with the world at our fingertips in social media, it can be used as a tool of self-expression, social connection, and even for making up for other limitations in a person's life.

Fresh foods are seemingly akin to the latest designer bag, or gold-infused scientific skincare, emerging the trends as the ultimate status symbol. Dystopian as it may seem, brands like Jacquemus created a baguette bag that looked like a piece of bread from the corner shop, and Loewe went viral with their fruit and vegetable accessories that looked exactly like – you guessed it – a tomato on the produce aisle of Tesco. Now, it has trickled down to the masses who are engaging with ‘aspirational’ foods in their everyday. 

With the cost of living crisis, fresh produce is becoming a luxury. Brands are inadvertently implying that food is now a status symbol, from naming grocery stores like Erewohn as the trendiest destinations, to aestheticising indulgence by transforming fruits and vegetables into a prop to be admired, but not necessarily consumed. 

So why can’t we consume this status symbol that we are being told to indulge in throughout all aspects of our lifestyle? Well, because the wellness side of the digital world is also pushing weight-loss drugs like Ozempic, and the fashion industry is returning to the ‘90s era of extreme thinness on runways. So whilst women’s bodies are being controlled, so is the consumerism surrounding food as a status symbol. Wear what you can’t eat, in essence.  Ironic, huh? 

This consumption in both food and nutrition in the wellness sphere, and aesthetics in the beauty and fashion world, is paradoxical by nature. But food is a cornerstone of human existence, and something we should not see as a status symbol. Though lucky we may be to have food on the table, big corporations fuelling the wellness and fashion ecosystems by exploiting the ever-changing and ever-more-expensive landscape of ‘health’ is unfair. Health can be accessible, and it just requires knowledge around nutrition and how you can approach food to make it so. 
Instead of promoting the ‘health is wealth’ philosophy through brands playing into these trends, perhaps those performative schemes could be flipped, and we could share what it means to have a ‘Guava Girl’ or ‘Tomato Girl’ summer. This could be planting your own tomatoes in the community garden, or getting outside with friends for that natural guava-esque glow. Either way, as fun as these trends are, the more we see the promotion of foods as a status symbol, the more divided we become throughout all sectors. And we all deserve to indulge in wellness, regardless of how luxurious we begin to market the humble fruits and vegetables.