What Is Tomato Girl Summer? Everything You Should Know About TikTok’s Juicy Fashion Trend

First there was Barbiecore, then there was coastal cowgirl and mermaidcore summer. But if your style radar has room for one more trend to buzz about in the coming months, it’d have to be tomato girl summer. 

The newest fashion craze on TikTok isn’t entirely about dressing up like the seasonal fruit, although lots of red is involved and plenty of tomato-print clothing is welcome, nor is it about turning beet-red from the sweltering heat (but bronzed and blushed sun-kissed makeup is always welcome). It is, however, all about embracing the vibes of a chill, European summer. 

Read ahead to what this new style movement is all about.

What Is the Tomato Girl trend?

The trend is all about embodying the romantic slow-paced living that might pop into your mind when the word “tomato” is brought about: breezy walks on the coast somewhere in Europe, strolls through the farmers market, eating antipasti in cafes, afternoon swims in the ocean — the list can go on.

The category, with 208 million views on TikTok and rising, has grown so big that Airbnb foresees an uptick in travel to cities on the Italian coast, including Amalfi, Florence, and Sorrento, this July 4 holiday.

Its exact origins aren't known, but a few years ago, Vogue announced 2018 the year of fruit prints, shouting out archival collections from Miuccia Prada, Stella McCartney, Wld Heart and Stella Jean as the source of their inspiration. Not much has changed.

How to Dress Like a Tomato Girl — and Where to Shop the Trend

Being a tomato girl calls for a hyper-specific wardrobe too. Must-have pieces include picnic-appropriate dresses, flowy linen pants, head scarves, espadrilles, woven handbags and more. The trend is also big on patterns, whether that be gingham or pinstripe, eyelets or florals and of course, artsy food graphics. 

As observed by Byrdie, the rustic-inspired lifestyle is big on “old-school” aesthetics, whether that comes in the form of vintage jewelry (like watches, which have grown in popularity thanks to quiet luxury dressing) or glowy, barely there makeup. 

Lisa Says Gah, the San Francisco-based retailer known for its fruit, vegetable and pastry-patterned clothes and accessories, is a top spot to help you embody your best tomato girl lifestyle. The brand's Robyn Jean, a pair of white wide-leg covered in restaurant motifs, like green glass bottles and oyster shells, screams tomato girl summer. It's the perfect piece to go with its matching supermarket-style Baby Tote.

Taking it one step further, Lisa Says Gah teamed up with Hunt's (a.k.a. tomato sauce central) on a themed line featuring their Alex baby tee, tomato glass charm earrings, and a market-style tote bag, truly becoming the one-stop shop for every tomato girl out there.

Meanwhile, RHODE offers designs that are more subtle, from the beachy halter-neck Paolo dress to its romantic Pia dress featuring baroque patterns, puff sleeves and a ruched silhouette.

And if you thought ballet flats were out of style, think again. Dolce Vita and For Love & Lemons summer collaboration reintroduced the style with rose-bud straps, a tiny detail that totally encapsulates the Mediterranean-influenced trend.

Celebrities Who've Tried the Trend

The trend isn't just booming online — celebrities like Billie Eilish and Hailey Bieber have given the vibe a try in real life.

The “Happier Than Ever” singer was seen wearing a tomato-y corset from Miaou in 2021. In an outfit photo shared to Instagram that summer, Eilish wears their now sold-out Campbell corset featuring graphics of plump tomatoes. 

More recently, Bieber was in France soaking in the rays on a boat and wearing a red pinstripe shirt and denim cutoff jeans.

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Even Kourtney Kardashian Barker, who wed Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker last April in Portofino, Italy, was all about the tomato girl facade before it even had a name.

The bride and her family — sisters Kim and Khloé Kardashian and Kendall and Kylie Jenner, daughter Penelope Disick and stepdaughters Alabama Barker and Atiana De La Hoya — were all decked out in Dolce & Gabbana, the definition of la-dolce-vita indulgence. 

Needless to say, now's the prime time to stock your closet with kitschy clothes, pack your wicker baskets and have some fun in the sun the tomato girl way.