Jools Lebron's 'Demure' trend goes viral: How TikTok fame helped fund her gender transition

Beauty influencer Jools Lebron, who has recently sparked a surge in the use of the word "demure" across social media, shared an update on TikTok about how the platform has transformed her life.

Encouraging her followers to create their own TikTok videos, Jools, a transgender woman, reflected on her journey, stating, “One day, I was playing cashier and making videos on my break, and now I’m flying across countries to host events, and I’m gonna be able to finance the rest of my transition.”

The “demure” trend has rapidly spread across TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), and other platforms, with many attributing its viral success to a video Lebron posted on August 5, where she discussed the importance of presenting oneself modestly and respectfully in the workplace.

In the video that started the trend, she emphasizes, “I don’t look like a clown when I go to work. I don’t do too much, I’m very mindful at work. See how I look very presentable? The way I came to the interview is the way I go to the job. A lot of you girls go to the interview looking like Marge Simpson and go to the job looking like Patty and Selma.”

As the video gained traction, Lebron continued creating content for her audience, offering tips on how to maintain a “demure” attitude in various everyday situations, such as boarding a plane, interacting with hotel staff, or straightening one’s hair.

With her rise in popularity, she now boasts 1.5 million TikTok followers and nearly 100 million likes on her videos. The trend has grown beyond Lebron, with other creators joining in, tagging all sorts of activities as “demure” or “not demure.”

The concept of being “demure” has evolved into more of a lifestyle than a literal interpretation of the word, with some online communities dubbing the upcoming season “demure fall,” a stark contrast to the party-centric “brat summer,” inspired by Charli XCX’s album “Brat.”

While the exact definition of “demure” is elusive, embodying qualities like mindfulness, classiness, and cuteness—without wearing bold makeup to a job interview—seems to be the key to achieving “demure” status.