The Outdoor Aesthetic

Jasmine Bullwinkle
Mar 16, 2024
4 min read

What is an aesthetic

We have all fallen victim to an aesthetic at one time or another. Forming parts of our outward appearance or energy to a ‘thing’, whether it was a sport, or a clique to feel some sort of acceptance. The definition of aesthetic according to Britannica, “is the study of beauty and taste”. Aesthetics as a concept explores what those tastes should mean to you dictating to you what is beautiful and what is ugly. One of the main branches of aesthetics as a philosophy is rooted in the study of fine art… Now the nature of aesthetics has broadened itself from the white gallery walls of TATE to the gilded white squares of Instagram.

Social media’s grip on taste influence

In recent times I have had to remove apps like Instagram from my phone to get a tighter grip on reality. I often look into the abundance of squares and see only what I lack. Looking at the surge of “I’m just giving it a go” influencers, who are looking more like professionals than actual pros, has often left me feeling like I am unprepared to start. For example, there has been a massive spike in Instagram content creators who are sharing their 0-Hero Marathon, and Ironman journeys. They are presented to be novices but as you scroll through their content feeling somewhat inspired you are met with a brand new triathlon bike, fully kitted out head to toe in MAAP or Rapha, the latest Hoka’s or Nike pegasus shoes, topped off with training swimwear all of which would set you back in the thousands. Now feeling very unprepared I observe my modest gear that isn’t in the Aesthetic shade of sage and think better of it.

Why do we put so much value on the aesthetic of the outdoors as opposed to the actual act of being outdoors? We will always be influenced by the current taste of the generation but we must all be mindful of WHO set that standard. More often than not these tastes are generated in the wealthy circles, that most of us are not privy to. These tastes are targeted to us through inescapable algorithms and targeted advertising.

Performance and performance

Now it begs the question do we need all that gear to go with that aesthetic? Now in the context of the 0- Hero influencer who are decked out in all the gear and gizmos, could it be possible that it is entirely unnecessary and entirely for the outward image? Hear me out… I used to work in a climbing wall and when novices would come in we would give them rental shoes. Pretty flat in shape and not very aggressive, when they then wanted to go and buy their own I would recommend the Decathlon owns and La Sportiva Tarantulas. A comfortable all-round shoe that they could get lots of wear out of before investing in a higher-performance shoe. Appropriate gear for the appropriate level.

On social media it is hard to deconstruct each post to work out what is for the online aesthetic performance and what is for the athletic performance.

Expense and Exercise

Being in the outdoors is EXPENSIVE there are no two ways about it. Whether you're into your bikes, boards, or trad racks things will start adding up. So having to combat the influence of taste and aesthetics can increase those costs. Most of the time what you have or what you can borrow is more than enough to get started. The outdoors doesn’t have to be as expensive as you think. There is plenty of (Non safety-critical) gear you can buy secondhand and borrow or hire what you can to see if it’s your thing before investing.

Cost to the Planet

It’s not new news that our trend based world is having a detrimental effect on the planet. Our shopping habits are being fueled by marketing teams, housed in our favorite outdoor conglomerates, wrapped up in an aesthetic short form video. It’s up to us to look deeper into what we are consuming. It’s up to us to remember that that jacket or that new set might not affect our outdoor experience like the tiny square is suggesting. Outdoor Fashion brands like North Face and Arc'teryx are making huge moves into the 2024 trending space as Gorpcore Aesthetic rises to the heights of popularity. so now more than ever have your witts about you. More ethical and sustainable ways to use gear;

Use what you already own
Borrow or Hire
Use Second hand sites like Vinted, Ebay and Depop
Buy from brands who openly share their sustainability reports

To conclude

Fundamentally exercise and the outdoors shouldn’t come down to how we view it, it’s how we do it and how we feel about it. The outdoors is a space for everyone to enjoy and use regardless of how we look when we do. Let's check ourselves when we use that rose tinted aesthetic lens we have installed from the overuse of Social Media. let’s be stoked for everyone in their, all the gear no idea setups and the folks who are modest pros and the casual but cool crushers.

Ignoring the blinding aesthetics could come down to one of two things. The first, having the confidence to embrace what you like as opposed to the general taste. The second is having the knowledge to decipher what you genuinely need to keep you adventuring. These are both challenging feats when you are starting something new.