Beauty & Style

How to Plan an Instagram Aesthetic for Your It-Girl Era

May 14, 2025

When you’re looking for a space to create a mood board of your life, odds are you’re curating it on Instagram. This social media platform is super aesthetic heavy, making it ideal for building a brand identity and defining your vibe. But at the same time, Instagram is kind of intimidating!

Sure, people followed you for your morning matcha pics and daily OOTDs, but… now what? The truth is, planning an Instagram aesthetic isn’t just about making your grid layout pretty (though that does matter). You need to be strategic, plan things out, and make everything look perfectly curated. Trust us, there’s a method to the madness.

Wanna know where to start? We put together a no-stress guide on how to plan an Instagram aesthetic that actually reflects your vibe. Whether you’re building a brand or want your feed to feel like a living Pinterest board, this one’s for you!

How to Plan an Instagram Aesthetic for Your It-Girl Era

Before we talk about the how, we’ve gotta talk about the what. Like, what is an Instagram aesthetic? How do you know if you even have a specific aesthetic yourself? Understanding the vibe and why it matters will help everything fall into place. Plus, once you get the gist of what an aesthetic Instagram feed is, it becomes waayyy less overwhelming and a lot more fun.

What Is Instagram Aesthetic?

At its core, an Instagram aesthetic is all about how your posts, stories, and overall feed feel. We’re talkin’ color scheme, editing style, layout, what type of content you post the whole nine. It doesn’t matter what kind of vibe you’re on; you just want a cohesive Instagram aesthetic so people can get an overall sense of who you are (or what your brand’s identity is).

Think of your Instagram profile as a digital first impression. When someone lands on your page whether it’s their first time or their fiftieth what kind of energy are you giving? You want your Instagram content to feel recognizable, personable, and easy to connect with. How else are you supposed to stand out in a scroll-happy world?

Still not totally sure what your Instagram aesthetic is? Let’s look at a few simple ways to determine what your feed is serving and how to make it truly feel like you.

How To Find Your Instagram Aesthetic

So, you’ll want to think of this stage as your “discovery era.” Before you begin planning how to create your aesthetic, you have to do the work to figure out what your aesthetic is.

Start with your personal vibe.

First things first, you need to figure out what you naturally gravitate towards. We talked about this topic in the “How to Create a Fashion Mood Board” post, and it’s coming full circle here. It’s time for you to dive deeeep into micro-trends and niche aesthetics check out this episode of Girls Gotta Eat for some help.

Do you lean more toward a clean and curated cool girl look? Are you neutral and cozy? Maybe a little dark and edgy? Whatever it is, your aesthetic should feel like an extension of your personality. Staying true to yourself is ESSENTIAL; there are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Ditch jumping onto trends and master your personal style.

Pick a color palette.

Playing off of the last tip, your color palette will go hand in hand with your vibe. You don’t have to stick to the same colors forever, but having a general palette will help your feed flow better. So, on that note, figure out what shades speak to you.

Are you seeing any themes as you scroll down your feed? Bright colors and lots of saturation? Black-and-white tones with cool grays here and there? We know we’re overloading you with questions, but these are the things you have to figure out! Your go-to color palette is what will help your Instagram posts become recognizable.

Define your go-to content types.

If there’s one thing we love Instagram for, it’s the versatility. No matter what kind of content you’re looking to subscribe to, there’s someone out there making it. Outfit inspo, travel guides, motivational and manifestation tips, foodie content there’s a niche for everything.

So ask yourself this: what do YOU love posting? If you need a helpful headstart on this topic, check out this episode of She’s So Lucky. You don’t have to pick just one type of content, but you should have a few main types to help your aesthetic feel consistent. Think of this scenario like an umbrella and raindrops. Let your overall niche be the “umbrella,” and consider all your related topics as “raindrops.” A cute visual and helpful inspo? You’re welcome!

Choose your editing style.

Figure out your favorite editing style and follow it all the way home. Using the same filter, preset, or editing process keeps everything cohesive and visually appealing. This doesn’t mean all of your Instagram stories or feed posts should look the exact same that can get stale.

But it does mean that if you typically post with a grainy filter, keep it that way! If you’re known for your sharp and colorful style, don’t switch that up. When you stay consistent with your posts, people will automatically know who it is when it hits their screens. Bonus points if your editing style is also consistent with your profile picture!

Focus on what inspires you.

Look around your life and find what motivates and makes you happy. Your aesthetically pleasing space, favorite coffee shop, one-of-a-kind outfits every tiny, unique thing you can think of. Once you have a handful of things that inspire you, let that spill into your content!

Nothing helps build your aesthetic more than what your life is like outside of your Instagram page. Your target audience wants to get to know you that’s why they followed you in the first place! Authenticity and relatability are more important than following every random trend that pops up once every few weeks (seriously, we almost can’t keep up).

Let things evolve naturally.

We know we’re REALLY driving this whole “figure out your aesthetic and stick with it” point home, but don’t feel like you’re locked in forever. Obviously, you’re going to change, grow, and evolve over time. So what does that mean? You can experiment, explore, and shift as your taste or content changes. And you SHOULD! This episode of Transform reminds us of that.

What we’re getting at here is that you need to let your aesthetic evolve naturally. The best aesthetics feel real, and that means adapting over time. It would honestly feel more disingenuous if you didn’t change, right?

Take inspiration from others.

Scroll through your following and take note of some of your favorite creators. What are they doing with their feed to draw you in? Is it how they edit their pictures? The mood they create in the community? Do you love how they do a monthly photo dump to show off what they’ve been up to?

Use that inspo to figure out what you’re into. Of course, don’t copy what they’re doing verbatim, but it’s totally fine to remix things in a way that feels authentic to you.

Think about the feeling you want to create.

Aesthetics aren’t just about visuals they’re about the vibes! Just think about all of the different aesthetics we have here at Dear Media… different platforms to discuss all things from pop culture to self-help to self-care, but stick with us. Soul On Fire is alllll about that spirituality. And when do we listen to her? When we want to feel inspired and motivated.

We Met At Acme, on the other hand, is known as our OG dating podcast for a reason. We go to them to learn about attachment styles, red flags, and no-BS dating rules. Two totally different feelings, but they’re both INCREDIBLE platforms in their own way! What do you want people to feel when they check out your page?

Analyze your current feed.

Biggest. Tip. Ever. If you haven’t gone through and audited your own feed yet, WYD? As you grow your brand and identity, some of your old posts just naturally don’t work. Like that picture of you from 10 years ago at a college bonfire? 100% cute, 100% sentimental, 100% gonna throw off the vibe.

It’s okay to archive posts that don’t fit where you’re at in life now! It’s the best way to clean things up and start fresh. Trust us, your aesthetic is allowed to glow up.

Ask those around you.

When in doubt, ask your friends for advice. If you’re totally stuck and unsure of where you fit in, who better to tell you than your friends? Not only will they give you an outside perspective, but it’s easy to forget that your friends see the best parts of you that sometimes even you can’t see.

Maybe you always have a knack for picking the perfect restaurants. Or, maybe you’re the go-to stylist for your friends’ night-out looks. And we can guarantee that whatever it is, you don’t give yourself enough credit for it. Use that feedback to your advantage! Oh, and listen to this episode of House Guest for more on the importance of friendships.

How To Develop An Instagram Aesthetic Plan

Alright, this is where strategy comes into play. Take everything you’ve learned from above and put it into action. It’s time to lock in and get serious which steps will you take to elevate your Instagram aesthetic?

Step 1: Define your goals.

When you post on Instagram, you need to figure out your overall goal. Are you building a brand? Trying to grow a small business? Want to advertise a new blog post each week? Or, maybe your only goal is to make your feed look more organized and put together.

Whatever you’re trying to achieve, get clear on why you’re trying to achieve it. Once you know the purpose of your aesthetic, it can help shape all of your decisions moving forward. Listen to this episode of House Guest if you’re still trying to nail down your passion.

Step 2: Plan your content categories.

This goes back to what we discussed earlier, but you need to pick 2-3 content categories and stick to them. For example, OOTDs, Day in the Life videos, and “Matcha Monday” posts. Or travel guides, packing lists, and restaurant recs. See how everything works cohesively? We could go on all day, but we think you get the vibe.

Step 3: Create a mood board.

Go on Pinterest, save inspo on Instagram, keep track of your favorite TikToks, and head to Canva to make the ultimate aesthetic mood board. Not only is it super easy to make (and you can pretty much do everything you need for free), but it’s also fun!

This step may feel like the hard part, but you finally get to see your goals and inspo come to life. Struggling to get this step done? This episode of Let’s Try This Again and this post are all the inspo you need. Once you lay it all out and add everything together, you’ll be able to see a pattern emerge. Helloooo, that’s your aesthetic taking shape!

Step 4: Now, set the mood.

We’re big believers that music and the right caption can completely change the vibe of what you post. Think about it it’s basically like full-sensory storytelling. Plus, posting one of your favorite songs and a fun caption is a little extra insight into your personality! Check out: “How to Find Trending Audio on Instagram” if you need a little extra inspo!

Step 5: Schedule and stay consistent.

Have a handful of posts you want to upload but don’t know if they’ll fit your feed? Easyyy fix use UNUM! It’s a digital database that allows you to essentially visualize what each post will look like before you post it. It’s like hitting the Instagram aesthetic jackpot.

This tool also allows you to schedule your IG posts ahead of time so you can stay on a strict schedule and not fall behind. It’s basically your virtual social media manager! If you need a little inspo for staying consistent, check out this episode of The Bossticks!

How to Make an Aesthetic Instagram Story

Instagram stories are all the rage right now, and for good reason! It lets people feel like they’re seeing beyond the curated collection of pictures and, instead, getting a little peek behind the curtain. But that doesn’t mean you can’t make your Instagram story aesthetic! Here are our top tips for doing this:

Choose a Consistent Editing Style

Rule #1: keep it consistent. Use the same filter, brightness, contrast, or grain across all of your stories. Not only does it keep things cohesive, but consistency also makes your content instantly recognizable! Think of it as adding a little personal anecdote to your aesthetic. Even if you’re posting about different things, people will see the edit and instantly know who posted it.

Mix Photos, Videos, and Graphics

Posting a cute selfie to your Instagram story will always be a hit. But if you want to keep people interested, switch things up! Post a candid picture, add in a video of what you’re doing next, and even toss in a few relatable graphics from time to time. It adds the perfect amount of visual variety without disrupting your overall aesthetic.

Keep Text Clean and Minimal

Instagram stories aren’t the place to write long blocks of text, use super chunky font, or blend your words into the background of photos. So, first things first, if you’re adding text to your whatever you post on your story, keep it short, sweet, and clean. Use easy-to-read fonts, don’t bore people with paragraphs, and leave as much negative space as possible. This gives your IG stories that elevated, editorial feel.

Save Best Stories as Highlights

Your best, most aesthetically-pleasing Instagram stories deserve a spot in your highlights. This lets new followers click through, get a feel of your vibe, and get to know the you behind the perfectly-poised feed pics. Even better, organize them by category! For example, create a “Travel” highlight, “Selfies” highlight, “Food” highlight, “Fashion” highlight—we think you get the vibe.

What to Put in Instagram Bio

Your Instagram bio is generally one of the first things people check when scrolling onto your page. Think of it as a quick about me section! But here’s the fun part: rules don’t exist when it comes to creating it. Sooo technically, your “about me” can be literally anything you want.

Here are a few ways to match your Instagram bio to your Instagram aesthetic:

Write one clear sentence about yourself.

Not feeling the fluff? No problem. Just add one short and sweet sentence about yourself. You don’t have to go into depth about your hobbies, deepest fears, and what you like to do on a first date. (AKA, this isn’t Tinder! But you can find more of that kind of info in our guide, “Apps for Hooking Up.”) Instead, just summarize who you are and what people can expect from your account!

Add a Few Personality Markers

Adding a few key details about yourself into your IG bio is the best way to give followers a taste of what to expect. Think: hometown, favorite hobby, profession, interest, or even a fun fact. You’re not giving EVERYTHING away. You’re just letting people into the details that make your account interesting and follow-worthy.

Include a Clear Call-to-Action

If you have a business, podcast, or other social media platform you’re trying to promote, take your Instagram bio as an opportunity to promote it. You can literally just say something as simple as “Find me (here).” You could also make it catchy, intriguing, and maybe even a little clickbait-y. Ultimately, the decision is yours! But know that adding your brand into your bio will catch more attention that a pinned post ever will.

Speaking of having a brand… check out these podcasts about entrepreneurship! If you didn’t have a brand before, tuning into these shows will definitely inspire you to create one. (And they’ll tell you exactly how to do it!)

Update It Regularly

If you’ve had the same Instagram bio since you were in high school, it’s time to give it the TLC it deserves. A frequent refresh keeps things fun, engaging, and your followers interested. (Bonus points if it’s something people can interact with, like a joke or question.) This can make people want to interact with your profile—and eventually, it helps rack up the followers.

How to Make an Aesthetic IG Profile

Pick an Overall Vibe

Are you leaning light and coastal or dark and moody? Take a second, think about how you want to appear to other people, and define your vibe. Ultimately, though, this is a big decision. By picking an overall vibe, you’re essentially defining how you want to show up to other people. And don’t worry, we’re not saying you can’t ever stray away from it. (AKA, you don’t have to try and figure out how to post a moody pic on the beach.) But a majority of your content show naturally flow together.

Create a Cohesive Color Palette

Do you ever go to someone’s Instagram profile whose color aesthetic instantly flows together? That’s the vibe we’re going for. Use the same filter style, editing format, and picture size each time you post. If you start blending aesthetics, things just start to look a little disconnected. In other words, avoid posting a beachy pic with borders from April 3rd just to follow it up with an up-close-and-personal black and white pic on April 10th. It’s just not as cohesive as it could be—and people coming to your profile notice.

Balance Different Types of Content

You’ll never find us saying that you should cut back on the selfies. (Remember that whole “#MakeIGCasualAgain” movement? We’re big fans.) However, blending content types helps your profile feel interesting. Just like we mentioned with IG stories, try and incorporate videos, landscape pictures, OOTDds, or even relatable graphics. It breaks things up, making it feel intentionally curated rather than “I’ve taken the same kind of selfie with different backgrounds back-to-back… to back.”

Stay Consistent Without Chasing Perfection

Fortunately, we’re in an era where people want to see the real. They don’t always want Photoshopped or Facetuned candids, perfectly portioned charcuterie boards, or Pinterest-worthy sunset pictures. They want to know who YOU are beyond your highlight reel. So while you do work hard at creating your Instagram aesthetic, remember never to work SO hard that you totally get rid of your personality.

Post that carousal with a dog pic, spilled coffee on your brand-new white comforter, and picture with your gfs downtown at your local dive bar. Being authentic is the best Instagram aesthetic you can have. If you need a friendly reminder on why this is important, check out our post, “Joshua Rothman on Why Human Connection—Not AI—is the Heart of Culture.”

**Now that you know how to reinvent yourself, what will your new Instagram aesthetic look like?**

Congratulations, you’ve officially created an Instagram aesthetic that fits your vibe and personality perfectly! Whether you’re trying to launch a career as a content creator or simply just elevate an already existing brand, follow these tips and you’re golden.

If you still want more Instagram-related inspo, check out these posts:

Check out the Dear Media blog for anything from the latest pop culture updates to essential relationship advice. And, don’t forget to check out the DM shop for tons of must-have products! This “At Least I’m Cute” hat would look perfect in a new Instagram post, don’t ya think?