Goblincore is an aesthetic based on the appreciation of aspects of nature not typically regarded as beautiful, such as frogs, snails, moss, mud, plants, and fungi such as mushrooms. It is named after the goblin, a creature from European folklore, but in Goblincore, the goblin represents a carefree infatuation with nature's "ugliness" and unpredictability.

In Celtic mythology, the fae folk are often divided into two courts: the Seelie Court, which is generally considered benevolent and associated with beauty and light, and the Unseelie Court, which is often seen as malevolent or mischievous and associated with darkness and wildness.

Goblincore is popular in the LGBTQ+ community, especially among non-binary and transmasculine people. Practitioners often collect and hoard small, shiny objects, referred to as "shinies." Many are also involved in adjacent movements such as Cottagecore , Crowcore , and Vulture Culture .

Goblincore fashion can involve any clothing that is suitable for adventure, but many Goblincore fans like outfits with several clashing patterns/colors. Lots of the clothing is worn-out or second-hand for a more comfortable feel. Most Goblincore fans enjoy getting dirty, and their clothes often reflect this. Cozy oversized sweaters, lived-in jeans and overalls, and unique socks are staples in Goblincore fashion, as are worn converse and boots. Most fans of the aesthetic like to wander around the woods and collect random objects that pique their interest. Since they love nature so much, they often wear earth tones such as green and brown.

The fragrance of Goblincore is mainly tied to the scents of nature.

Goblincore has been accused of and criticized for being antisemitic, or judeomisic more specifically. This is because Goblins, especially when depicted as ugly, thieving or greedy creatures obsessed with shiny things, have sometimes been used as an antisemitic or judeomisic caricature.

People have suggested alternatives to the name, calling it Gremlincore instead of Goblincore, or using other terms which evokes the idea of being attracted to shiny objects (such as Crowcore), or terms which evokes great greed (such as Dragoncore), or other aesthetics similar to Goblincore. There are Jewish people who disapprove of Goblincore, but also those who do not.

One explanation of why Goblincore is not essentially judeomisic:

However, as another user on the same thread pointed out, unconscious stereotyping and bigotry are very much a part of human nature, and not everyone may be able to distinguish between ancient folkloric traditions and more recent anti-Jewish propaganda. Some tropes that carry heavy Judeomisic baggage are goblins as greedy and power hungry, ugly goblins--especially featuring warty, hooked noses and/or green skin--and goblins as both depraved and contagious.

One Jewish blogger's advice for avoiding Judeomisia in Goblincore:

Goblincore has also been accused of excessively cross-tagging in the Witchblr community, something taken very seriously on the website Tumblr.