With the advent of social media, several terms have gained a place in the English language. Most have an existing equivalent, but a specified context makes them much simpler to understand.
Today, it’s all about flexing to make an impact instead of taking the wholesome route and giving back to society. Take the case of so-called ‘baddies.’
A baddie is described as someone, most likely a woman, who is impeccable in her appearance and stays proud of her lifestyle. She doesn’t back down from her opinions, even if the rational or popular belief stands against her.
Many baddie celebrities have even indulged in immoral and illegal behavior. Although, many people only maintain it as a persona on Instagram.
Throughout this piece, you’ll learn what being a baddie means on social media, the celebrities that have made this trend popular, and what it means for the Gen-Z culture long-term.
What Does It Mean To Be a Baddie?
The term ‘baddie’ is used to identify someone attractive or desirable in their appearance and chooses to behave or pose as someone outside of conventional morals.
Baddies are considered rebels and renegades who stand proud of their beliefs, even if they might propagate a message that proves troublesome to a developing audience.
Plenty of effort goes into maintaining the baddie appearance. Many try out the ‘ghetto’ look with sweatshirts and sneakers.
Some go for the vintage villain aesthetic of the 1990s. You’ll learn more about how to achieve that look in the next section.
A baddie personality on Instagram attracts a lot of attention because of a human social instinct that goes back to the stone age. It was often the most formidable and assertive warriors of a tribe who commanded the most respect, as they could defend the camp from predators or attacks from other tribes.
It is still an attractive trait, though most baddies on Instagram often confuse ego with healthy assertive behavior and rarely possess skills to manage real-life conflicts.
What Builds a Baddie Look?
While you can identify baddies on various scales, a few identifiers remain consistent with all of them. A few notable criteria are listed below.
Criteria #1: Clothing
The baddie aesthetic is heavily influenced by the likes of Kylie Jenner, Kim Kardashian, and several YouTube beauty gurus. The idea is to portray oneself as strong, independent, and assertive.
Thus, their clothing reflects that and includes the following:
- Camo pants
- Tube tops
- Crop tops
- Bodysuits
- Tight jeans
- Sneakers or tennis trainers
- Sweatpants and hoodies
While many people only associate expensive clothing lines with baddies, you should note that most of them are influencers who get paid to promote particular brands.
Therefore, the clothing brand doesn’t hold much relevance so long as it gets you the desired look. You don’t need a revealing dress, either. Any outfit that compliments your curves or muscles is usually enough.
Criteria #2: Hair
The hairstyle of the baddie look can vary widely, especially for women. In the late 2010s, braids with color were rather popular, but curly or wavy wigs can help you nail the look without permanently modifying your hairstyle.
Other prominent styles include barrette, curly hair, ponytails, and waves. If you pull the design right, you can also achieve the baddie look with dark-colored hair scarves.
Criteria #3: Makeup and Eyebrows
Perfect makeup and eyebrows are crucial to nailing the baddie look. To build it, you should carefully consider the foundation, concealer, wing eyeliner, and lip gloss to suit your skin type.
You can try out long falsies with bright color tones if you have short eyebrows to enhance your baddie look. A dewy makeup set will also go a long way if you need a quick swipe instead of spending hours with a makeup artist.
Criteria #4: Accessories
Baddies can get quite creative with accessories. While rings, teeth implants, and chokers are often a go-to, baddies posted photos with stacks of money and movie props.
You can also earn a lot of clout by making bold poses with everyday items. It is not just about flaunting wealth but conveying an attitude.
Celebrities Famous for a Baddie Personality
Thousands of Instagram celebrities have built themselves up by developing the aura of a baddie around them. A few of the most famous ones are mentioned below:
- Anna Nystrom
- Lydia Barakat
- Ana Cheri
- David Dobrik
- Turner Tenney
- Tila Nguyen
Is a Baddie Personality Detrimental to Your Lifestyle?
While there is no harm in developing healthy habits and building an online persona, it can be detrimental when it affects your personal life.
After all, the baddie’s personality is a display, like a lion’s roar or a peacock showing off its feathers. Yet, the addictive pursuit of gaining Instagram likes and followers leads many down a dark path.
The baddie Instagram is vast. So, many have gone to extensive, sometimes immoral, lengths to maintain an enviable lifestyle.
A few unfortunate examples are undergoing harmful surgeries, posing with firearms, consuming drugs, and undertaking criminal activities.
People who devote themselves to their baddie persona often end up in abusive relationships or on the wrong side of the law.
Perhaps the most recent example is Andrew Tate, a former MMA fighter who flaunted his wealth and portrayed himself as a hard-working, no-nonsense baddie.
In reality, much of his wealth was through pyramid schemes that he ran under the guise of a university. Moreover, he was implicated in trafficking numerous European women as camgirls.
Today, he is banned on every social media platform and most likely will see severe legal action for his crimes.
Conclusion
The baddie persona is a quick way to gain plenty of internet clout, as it feeds on the primal instinct of being attracted to the most assertive personality.
Still, it is best only to treat it as an image. Going too far can land you in serious trouble physically, mentally, or legally.
