Beyond Vanilla Girl: 19 Monochromatic Spice-Inspired Looks

The TikTok Vanilla Girl trend has been creating a creamy stir lately — and, according to some, a very homogenized one, at that. The aesthetic focuses on a monochromatic style with shades of cream, off-white, and beige. It's a minimalist look that includes silhouettes that are soft yet demure. So, overall, an entirely lovely look, no argument there. But the trend has come under fire, with many flagging concerns that it encourages preferential ethnicity divisions since most of the influencers promoting the aesthetic are thin, white, and blond.

Vanilla Girl has divided public opinion and prompted countless reactions — all of which are far from the neutral tones the aesthetic is known for. With this in mind, reaction posts generate criticism, like that within TikTok influencer Daring Darling's video opinion post. One commenter was quick to point out that the divisive trend isn't limited to race; they said, " Welp, I'm a Jewish redhead. Guess I'm out." While another echoed one of the trend's most significant criticisms, which is that "... only certain kinds of women can be the vanilla girl. Unlike the other aesthetics."

But the debate isn't centered on monochromatic styling — a chic look coordinated from complementary shades of a single color — but rather on the whiteness of Vanilla Girl. So, if you're looking to steer clear of vanilla and lean into the beauty of the full array of natural spice hues, here are 19 inspirational looks.

TikTok influencer Aysha Harun proves that feeling blue isn't always a sign that you need to binge Hallmark movies. Instead, she finds inspiration in shades of gray-blue, similar to smoked blue salt. Harun is known for her cool-yet-modest Muslim-centric looks; this all-blue look is classy and effortless. And followers love its versatility, with one commenting, "You're amazing, and it's definitely something a non-Muslim can also comfortably try ... absolutely gorgeous." Case in point, her Amazon store features the top worn here, available in the featured dusty blue, plus six other colors.

Saffron is an expensive red spice that has a unique origin story linked to the crocus flower. This flower, as it were, has three deeply hued red stigmas — that little exclamation point that sticks out of the center of a flower. So, these three ruby red whisps are collected to create the luxe saffron used in cooking. But that luxurious vibe also lends itself to firey monochromatic looks, like this satin saffron dress paired with a pair of Chinese Laundry patchwork suede boots.

When we think of pink peppercorns, we imagine a spice that's a little sassy, perhaps, even a little coquettish. So, this all-pink Trina Turk style is channeling that and more with its ultra-feminine lace. It's also a low-key feisty way to pull off a monochromatic look in a matching short set, and we're here for it. But we're not alone, of course. One Instagram fan commented, "This is the BEST 'on Wednesdays we wear pink' way to wear pink."

You're not alone if you've been thinking that the velour tracksuit is poised to make a comeback. Beyonce is clearly, on-board with this cyclical trend, which keeps popping up. First in the 1970s and again in the 90s, the matching velour sweatsuit trend is a classic mono-inspired fashion staple. You can grab similar looks from the Adidas x Ivy Park collection or lean into the return of the much-loved Y2K-style Juicy Couture tracksuit.

Sometimes beige is misunderstood, and people get a bit salty, calling it boring. But if you think about beige in its ultimate spice-inspiration form — coriander — all of a sudden, you realize beige is insanely beautiful. Take, for instance, this Express workwear look that was put together by TikTok influencer @naomiboyer. Are we partial to a faux leather monochromatic moment? Admittedly, yes. But it's on-trend and chic AF, so we stand by it. Plus, you can rock this coriander style just about anywhere.

This paprika-inspired look was created by Calgary fashion stylist @effie.asante, and it's as close to straight-fire as a spice can get. Not only is it a hot look, but it proves there are so many to play with monochromatic styling. For example, you can mix and match similar hues or keep each piece in the look in absolute harmony. Here, she styles a same-hue sheath dress, knee-high boots, and jacket but swoops in with a slight variation of the same color for the handbag. And it's brilliant.

It's as if the stylists at LA Relaxed snuck a peek at our favorite mood board because this scene is an absolute dream. The red-on-red look of this saffron-infused look pulls together the coziness of an all-books, no-burdens day with a hint of romance. Both pieces are velvet and can be sourced from the brand's online store; the wide-leg pants and bat-wing raglan top together are velvety reminders that stay-at-home-monochrome deserves its place in the trend as well.

Sumac is an intense red-brown Mediterranean spice, but before we regale you with its in-vogue credentials, there's one thing to clear up. There is a common plant called poison sumac — and, yes, you should not eat it — but the cooking spice, sumac, is a gorgeous and 100% edible delight. Moreover, its color has subtle hints of plum and rust, as seen in this matching set from Rebdolls. So, if you're looking for a universally flattering riff on monochromatic spice-inspired looks, sumac is your new go-to.

A quick stroll through the TikTok posts of @janesha.moore is just about all you need to know about pulling off a spice-inspired monochromatic look. Though she certainly has pops of color confetti sprinkled about, one of her signature looks is seamless, one-color styles, and she often posts warm hues like cinnamon and coriander. Here she curates a nutmeg look and captions it with, "always monochrome for the win!" It's an easy-to-follow example of how elegant the trend is, especially with a matching boot.