The catchy “boots and slicked-back bun” song has gone viral on TikTok, with groups of friends making videos promoting each other’s outfits.
Sure, you’ll probably be singing that song in your head every time you put on a new outfit, but the trend also offers a healthy perspective on friendship.
The trend has become so popular that even celebrities like Amy Poehler have made videos singing the song, but what does the “boots and slicked back bun” trend actually mean, and where did it come from?
Where did the “boots and slicked back hair bun” come from?
Three friends from London, Maisie Selwood, Amelia Gregorian and Eloise Lord, were on their way out for drinks when one of the girls was wearing exactly that and started chanting “boots and a slicked-back bun.”
The songs then evolved and they began to sing to the same melody but with different lyrics to suit what each person was dressed in. Later, songs came to include “cowboy boots and punks” and “samba and little red bags”.
What started as a joke among a group of friends garnered more than six million views in the two days after it was posted on June 29, and has since seen other groups of friends pick up on the trend to get each other pumped before a night out.
The trend has now been adopted by many, including restaurant workers in Boston, nursing home residents in Colorado and animal rescue staff in Arizona, who have made the meme resemble pets at the shelter, saying “Cute face, curly tail, cute face, curly tail.”
SNL star Amy Poehler also got in on the trend, showing off outfits she, Rashida Jones and Rachel Dratch wore during a day out in New York City. Seth Meyers also makes a cameo in the video, singing, “Cashmere shirts and ponies, cashmere shirts and ponies.”
What does “boots and slicked back hair in a bun” mean?
While it may not actually mean anything, the trend has created a healthy movement on TikTok. The trend is reminiscent of the “Hi, Barbie” trend that took off in 2023 after the release of the Barbie movie starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. In that trend, women greeted each other with “Hi, Barbie!” as a way for girl groups to show off their strong female friendships.
Commenters on these viral videos seemed to identify with this trend as well, comparing the girls in the original videos to the “Powerpuff Girls.”
“We are women who essentially and organically root for each other,” Ms. Selwood told The New York Times in the original video.
In the re-enactment of the video, everyone tags themselves and describes themselves as wearing a specific outfit, with one person saying, “‘Boots and statement pants’ is me in the winter,” while another added, “Tag yourself. I’m a dad in sneakers and a cropped white t-shirt.”
This fun and catchy trend has been catching on among TikTok users, who are using it as both fashion inspiration and a way to spice up their friends, so hopefully it never goes out of style.
This is just one of the fun trends making the rounds on TikTok. Have you ever thought about having a Ben Affleck summer?
