# Aesthetic / Microtrend

> Tune an AI image or video to an online aesthetic, such as Y2K, Cottagecore, Dark Academia or Balletcore. Pick up to 2 of 42 named aesthetics.

Source: https://nodaro.ai/docs/nodes/creative-controls/aesthetic

The **Aesthetic / Microtrend** picker taps into named visual subcultures and online trends. You choose up to two aesthetics from its catalog — Y2K, Cottagecore, Dark Academia, Balletcore, Old Money / Preppy and more. Nodaro adds their visual signs to the prompt of every node you connect it to: the palette, the props, the places and the fashion. The picker never calls a model, so it costs no credits.

- Found in: Creative Controls › Light & Look
- Output: text
- API type: `aesthetic`

## When to use it
- Make content for an audience that follows a specific online aesthetic.
- Turn a short brief such as "Y2K mall photoshoot" into a coherent look.
- Style a character or a set in one step: Techwear / Gorpcore, Coquette or Streetwear.
- Set a feeling rather than a look, with the Mood group: Main Character Energy, Effortless Cool or Retro 90s.

## How to use it
### Add the picker

Open the node picker and choose **Creative Controls › Light & Look › Aesthetic / Microtrend**.

### Choose up to two aesthetics

Click the node and choose an aesthetic from the list. The aesthetics are grouped into **Mainstream**, **Niche**, **Fashion Era** and **Mood**. Choose a second one to blend them.

### Connect it

Drag from the picker's output to the **Look** input of a [Generate Image](https://nodaro.ai/docs/nodes/image/generate-image) or [Generate Video](https://nodaro.ai/docs/nodes/video/generate-video) node. You can also connect it to a [Text](https://nodaro.ai/docs/nodes/automate/text) or [Prompt](https://nodaro.ai/docs/nodes/automate/prompt) node to use the wording in a longer text.

### Run the image or video node

The aesthetic's wording is added to the end of the prompt when the connected node runs.

Workflow: An aesthetic and a matching era wired into the Look input of Generate Image.

- Text → Generate Image (prompt)
- Aesthetic / Microtrend → Generate Image (look)
- Era / Period → Generate Image (look)

## Settings
| Setting | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| **Aesthetic / Microtrend** | The aesthetics to add. Pick up to 2. A new node starts with **Y2K**. |
| **Custom text (before)** | Your own words, added before the aesthetic's wording, for example `heavily stylized`. |
| **Custom text (after)** | Your own words, added after the aesthetic's wording, for example `with neon accents`. |
| **Prompt hint** | **Full** (default) adds a longer description of each aesthetic. **Compact** adds only the short term. See [Full or Compact](https://nodaro.ai/docs/nodes/creative-controls#full-or-compact). |

To see the exact words the picker will add, switch the node to the **Prompt** or **Both** display mode. The settings panel shows the same text under **Will inject into prompt**.

## Every aesthetic

Filter by group or search by name. The words under each name are the term the picker adds in **Compact** mode.

**Mainstream**

- Y2K
- Cottagecore
- Dark Academia
- Light Academia
- Techwear / Gorpcore: `techwear gorpcore`
- Old Money / Preppy: `old money preppy`
- Streetwear
- Coquette
- Fairycore
- Goblincore
- Normcore
- Balletcore
- E-Girl
- Soft Girl
- Indie Sleaze
- Baddie

**Niche**

- Vacation Dadcore
- Womancore
- Angelcore
- Hikecore
- Mote-Kei
- Kombuchapunk
- Chinapunk
- Karencore
- Candycore
- Babycore
- Catcore
- Weirdcore
- Dreamcore
- Traumacore
- Alt / Alt-Girl: `alt-girl`
- Blokecore
- Y2K Rave / Decora Club-Kid: `y2k rave decora club-kid`

**Fashion Era**

- Minimalism: `minimalist fashion`
- Maximalism: `maximalist fashion`
- Avant-Garde: `avant-garde fashion`
- Old Hollywood Glam: `old hollywood glamour`

**Mood**

- Main Character Energy
- Soft / Easygoing: `soft easygoing mood`
- Casual / Lived-In: `casual lived-in mood`
- Effortless Cool
- Retro 90s

## Tips
- **Double the period.** Pair an aesthetic with a matching decade in [Era / Period](https://nodaro.ai/docs/nodes/creative-controls/era), for example Y2K with 2000s Tabloid / Y2K.
- **Add the colors.** A matching grade in [Color / Look](https://nodaro.ai/docs/nodes/creative-controls/color-look), such as Y2K Saturated, strengthens the aesthetic.
- **Keep the medium separate.** Use [Style](https://nodaro.ai/docs/nodes/creative-controls/style) for the medium, such as Photorealistic or Anime, and this picker for the subculture.

## Frequently asked questions

### What does the Aesthetic / Microtrend picker do?

It adds the visual signs of a named online aesthetic, such as its palette, props, places and fashion, to the prompt of every image or video node it is connected to.

### Does the Aesthetic / Microtrend picker cost credits?

No. Pickers only change the prompt. You pay only for the generation node that uses it.

### Can I combine two aesthetics?

Yes. The picker accepts up to 2 aesthetics, for example Dark Academia with Old Hollywood Glam.

### How do I make a Y2K image feel more authentic?

Pair the Y2K aesthetic with the 2000s Tabloid / Y2K era from the Era / Period picker. The two pickers reinforce each other.