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Hot Girl Summer Is Out. Rot Girl Winter Is In.

if you need me, I’ll be under a blanket

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rot girl winter
AleksandarNakic/getty images

Back in 2019, Megan Thee Stallion topped the music charts with “Hot Girl Summer.” Though the term had already begun making waves on social media when the song—featuring Nicki Minaj and Ty Dolla $ign—was released, it was officially cemented as a Trend, capital T. According to Hot Girl Meg, hot girl summer is about “just being you, just having fun. It’s turning up, driving the boat and not giving a damn about what nobody’s saying.” It's a celebration of confidence and living your best life, saying yes to plans and living it up with friends. It’s a fabulous concept when it’s beautiful outside and it stays light until after 9 p.m. In January, when it gets dark at, like, 4:15, you’re forced into your puffiest puffer jackets and your brain is full of nothing but dreams of a beach vacation? Not so much. That’s where rot girl winter comes into play.

There's no one creator of the term rot girl winter, it just seems to be a seasonal answer to hot girl summer combined with bed rotting, yet another Gen Z-lead trend that basically just means staying in bed all day by choice, thereby “rotting.” On social media, some folks have shared their own takes on rot girl winter, including this curated book list from user @proseandconsreads.

Whereas hot girl summer is about being outside, rot girl winter means staying in and living your coziest, at-home life. It’s about wearing clothes that feel like a warm hug, lazing days away with a little help from Netflix and basically just staying out of the cold, gross winter weather. How you choose to live your best rot girl winter life is entirely up to you, but it could look like:

  • Canceling all weekend plans, choosing a TV show you’ve always wanted to see and committing to bingeing it from start to finish before Monday morning.
  • Taking multiple naps in a single day.
  • Uber Eats-ing your meals instead of cooking.
  • Not changing out of pajamas for days at a time.

To get your wheels turning, I’ve rounded up a few rot girl winter basics below.

rot girl winter mug heater
amazon

When the goal is to stay in one comfortable spot for large stretches of time, the last thing you want to do is keep getting up to re-warm your coffee, tea or hot chocolate. That’s where this handy mug warmer set comes in. It keeps your bevvie at the right temperature all day long—no trip to the microwave necessary.

rot girl winter barefoot dreams
revolve

I have it on good authority (from Senior Editor Dana Dickey) that this cult-favorite Barefoot Dreams throw is an absolute cold-weather must-have. As she shared in a full review, “Unlike throws I’d picked up at Home Goods or been gifted myself, the Barefoot Dreams blanket was generously proportioned, at 54 x 72 inches. And its knit fabrication has just enough give to seem like it’s hugging you (I know, it sounds corny but that’s the sensation you get when you wrap it around your shoulders on a chilly morning Zoom call).”

rot girl winter brodo
brodo

Don’t let the word ‘rot’ fool you: Rot girl winter doesn’t mean exclusively eating junk food (though if that speaks to you, who am I to judge?). One of my favorite things about winter is that it’s soup season, baby. And sure, I could spend hours making my own concoction, but if I’m trying to lean into lazy vibes while still satisfying my soup cravings, I’m a huge fan of Brodo’s bone broths (particularly this sampler box, which features a number of different flavors). They’re absolutely delicious and they heat up in the microwave in no time—a lazy, rotting girl’s dream.

rot girl winter jenni kayne
jenni kayne

This perennial fan favorite cardigan will elevate your bed rotting experience to previously uncharted levels. Shoppers and PureWow editors alike are obsessed with the soft feel, slightly oversize fit and chic look. It’s a splurge, for sure, but considering it’s racked up a whopping 2,457 glowing reviews, it might just be worth it.  

rot girl winter nodpod
amazon

This eye mask ​​is dubbed by the brand as a “weighted blanket for your eyes,” and it was designed with nine ounces of gentle pressure to help fight migraines, calm overactive minds and relieve anxiety. Per one reviewer, “The weight is perfect—enough to be relaxing, but not so much that it’s annoying. Falling asleep is so much easier without light reaching my eyes.”

rot girl winter mini projector
amazon

This pocket projector is basically the size of a 3-by-3-inch Post It note, so you can easily watch movies anywhere. PureWow Executive Editor Candace Davison wrote in a review, “You can take it anywhere, turning just about any room of your house—or stretch of fence in a backyard—into a makeshift movie theater…It’s way more enjoyable than trying to binge Manifest on your phone or laptop—and the quick-start guide walks you through connecting it to Wi-Fi and streaming videos.” At-home movie nights have never sounded more appealing.



sarah stiefvater

Wellness Director

  • Oversees wellness content
  • PureWow's resident book reviewer
  • Has worked in lifestyle media for 11 years