This page describes the photographic aesthetic popular on Tumblr in the early 2010s. The aesthetic, which is unnamed, depicts the world of teenaged girls, but one that utilizes vintage, ethereal visuals which emphasizes femininity but in a manner that aims to be real and intimate, rather than polished. This perspective originates from Rookie magazine and the photographer Petra Collins, but its look derives from older films and music subcultures and is influenced by the renewed interest in emotional authenticity and artistic look associated with 2010 Hipster and Twee perspectives.

While the descriptor of "dreamy" and iconography of girlhood doesn't belong to a single source, the popularity and rise of the aesthetic can be tied to Rookie , an online magazine founded in 2011 "for and by teenagers. " It included articles about subjects that would appeal to teenaged girls, such as essays on the start of school, poems about heartbreak, and DIY fashion. It is here that Petra Collins began her career, being the resident photographer for the magazine at the age of sixteen.

As described by Lizzie Widdicombe of The New Yorker, "Collins is the poster girl for an aesthetic that has taken hold in the fashion world and some quarters of Instagram—a dreamy, hyper-feminine approach that sometimes appears under the headline 'the female gaze.' Her Instagram account, which has three hundred and eighty-six thousand followers, is full of portraits of young women that seem to allude to the fact that they were created by a young woman. The subjects are seen in moody, inward moments that emphasize their interiority and hint at a larger narrative. They could be stills from a vintage movie—an impression heightened by the fact that Collins often shoots on film instead of with digital cameras. The light is warm and diffuse. Girly totems abound: flowers, stickers, glittery nail polish, the color pink."

These images became viral on Tumblr, which was the de-facto space for teenagers and aesthetic content during the early 2010s, where Petra Collins also posted her work. Unlike today's aesthetic landscape, photos were tagged with adjectives such as "dreamy," "pastel," and "grunge" (not referencing Seattle grunge), rather than a set name for a community.

In Japan, Larme magazine in its earlier issues in the also took on a dreamy, vintage feel, with much of the fashion being of the same pastel and floaty quality. Because of the popularity of J-fashion on that platform, many photos also gained virality there.

Like the name suggests, the primary look of the aesthetic is dreamy, which comes from hazy photography that also bears resemblance to vintage cameras. Color palette-wise, this aesthetic utilizes all the colors of the rainbow, as rainbow items and random assortments of objects are common. Because of the haziness and washed out style of the photography, these would be pastel .

Because of this aesthetic being an outlet for teenage girls' creativity, much of the images incorporates elements of collage, DIY, and found objects. Photos would often incorporate stickers (both digital and physical) overlaid on top of the original photo, like the butterflies and frame in the corner of the infobox image. It was also common for users in the aesthetic to create collages with magazine cut-outs and keep mementos (concert tickets, birthday cards, childhood toys, etc.)

Much of the photos revolve around light and reflection . Glitter, shiny stickers, light reflected off of water, bubbles, colored glass, and sunshine coming through tree leaves are common motifs.

In these photos, the setting is often based on teenagehood, trending towards suburban and without markers of wealth or poverty. For example, high school, teenage bedrooms, birthday/slumber parties, parks/fields, and occasionally fairs, were the setting of these photo shoots.

These bedrooms are one of the most primary visuals of the aesthetic. In common with other teenage-focused aesthetics, their rooms are the primary outlet for holding their items that represent their identity. In this aesthetic, their rooms tend to be on the more cluttered side, with a variety of textures, posters, cosmetics, and found objects that decorate their walls and dressers. These pull from multiple design eras and aesthetics. For example, a grunge poster, antique perfume, 2000s flip phones, etc. could be trinkets that share a common space.

Motifs of childhood are also common, often with it being seen through a more melancholy or reflective lens. Toys, playgrounds, childhood photos, girly costumes, etc. are some examples of photos, but they would be accompanied by a caption or writing on the photo itself such as "I miss this..."

The fashion in this aesthetic is an extension of the vintage, feminine, and DIY elements, but they are often combined with clothes that a more typical teenager would wear.

The media listed in this section are the sources of multiple images and GIFs posted on Tumblr.