It's time to kick off Christian Girl Autumn 2025 From the irony of Twitter to a lifestyle that celebrates slowness, comfort, and the freedom to be yourself

On this sad and rainy September 16, it is time to face the facts: Hot Girl Summer (or even Girl Summer for the introvert team) is now far behind us. But let’s not cry too quickly over our tan lines and strawberry Daiquiri with diabetes-flavored sweetness, because the replacement for the summer of all possibilities is on its way: the Christian Girl Autumn. Born from a viral Twitter meme in 2019 targeting the stereotype of the white straight Christian woman losing her mind in Walmart aisles over cinnamon-scented candles, Christian Girl Autumn wraps and enfolds with both arms the idea of a lifestyle filled with Pumpkin Spice Latte, pumpkin hunting and unlimited binge-watching of Gilmore Girls without limit or guilt. A lifestyle suited for those who have time and money, you might say. Yet while it is criticized today for the idea of overconsumption, superficiality and performativity it conveys, represented by women who smell of anti-progressivism and privilege, Christian Girl Autumn is nonetheless far more liberating and open than it seems.

The history of Christian Girl Autumn

In 2019, a photo of North Carolina creator Caitlin Covington, a large scarf around her neck and a Phantom bag by Phoebe Philo for Celine in the crook of her arm, was reposted by a user on Twitter, who sarcastically declared “Hot Girl summer is coming to an end, prepare yourself for Christian Girl Autumn”. Before even finishing her pumpkin syrup coffee, Covington found herself the ambassador of a new trend that quickly became a lifestyle, symbolizing slow living, introspection, reconnection to oneself, to God and to nature. Various autumnal contents featuring forest walks and endless preparations of comforting pies began to flood the profiles of North American Karens and reached Europe through platforms such as Pinterest, Tumblr, and Instagram. By its aesthetic and flawless staging, one might find in Christian Girls Autumn similarities with the Clean Girl trend. Yet among the orange leaves crunching under the suede boots of our Christian Girls autumn after autumn, the fascist and conservative ideas found behind the clean girl movement have no place.

Caitlin Covington and her political views

Covington’s social media profiles are not limited to posts of cozy thick socks and pajama photos in front of When Harry Met Sally. On her Twitter (now X) in particular, there are posts urging her followers to vote, especially for female politicians, others supporting the Black Lives Matter movement or trans people, and @bananabby in particular, the user behind the Christian Girl Autumn meme, who in 2022 launched a crowdfunding campaign to afford transition surgery. A crowdfunding not only reshared by Covington, but also generously funded.

So what's the essence of the trend ? 

For Covington, Christian Girl Autumn is therefore not a way to stage oneself and present autumn under the spectrum of perfection. It is above all a way of fully being oneself (even if you yourself resemble everyone else), of accepting others in their most authentic form, and of embracing her basic White girl side, who in the end doesn’t worry much about what people think of her, as long as she is happy in her Harry Potter pajamas and matching blanket. For Caitlin Covington, accepting who you are fully is good, but highlighting it, playing with it and even laughing about it, is better. More than just a meme, Christian Girl Autumn reminds us that internet trends are mirrors of our contradictions: between a desire for comfort, a need for belonging and a rejection of judgment. And what if, in the end, the perfect autumn was simply the one we live in our own way?