From the perfect foliage photo to the benefits of basic, a guide to fall from Christian Girl Autumn

It’s finally that time of year. The air feels colder, the leaves begin to change colour, and the grocery store shelves are stocked with just about pumpkin-flavoured everything. There’s something about fall that makes people everywhere want to curl up with a good book and break out their chunkiest sweaters. But nobody does fall like “Christian Girl Autumn” herself, Caitlin Covington.

Christian Girl Autumn - which was dubbed by trans creator Isabella Markel - is an internet trend that describes the stereotypical basic woman who enjoys pumpkin spice lattes, and posting photos of herself in oversized scarves and knee-high brown leather boots. Covington rose to internet stardom when she became the subject of the viral meme in 2019.

“Hot Girl Summer is coming to an end, get ready for Christian Girl Autumn,” tweeted Markel at the time, alongside a photo of Covington and fellow blogger Emily Gemma. With her hair perfectly curled and her cosy green scarf on full display, Covington accidentally became the face of the seasonal meme… and she quickly leaned into all things fall.

The 33-year-old influencer already had a large social media following with her blog, Southern Curls and Pearls, when she was dubbed the face of Christian Girl Autumn. Of course, Covington’s newfound internet fame also came with loads of assumptions from people online - mainly, that she was the type of white woman who asks to speak to the manager.

“This picture just asked for my regional manager’s phone number and customer service number,” one person replied to the meme. “This picture asked me not to kiss another man in public and if I could please leave the restaurant,” another person said.

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In response, Covington quickly dispelled the misconceptions that had become associated with the meme when she clarified that she’s not a Republican and believes love is love. One year later, when the Christian Girl Autumn meme resurfaced just in time for fall, Covington donated $500 to Markel’s GoFundMe to help cover the cost of transitioning.

“I think people hear the word Christian and they might assume I am conservative or they might think I’m close-minded, but that is not the case at all,” Covington tells The Independent. “I actually am a Christian, but I really want people to know that I love and accept all people.”

Each year, Covington makes her annual pilgrimage to the northeastern United States - where leaf-peeping is at its finest - for a week-long fall photoshoot. This year’s trip was even announced by popular celebrity gossip account Pop Crave, akin to a royal family diplomatic tour or the president flying Air Force One: “Christian Girl Autumn influencer Caitlin Covington has landed in Vermont for her annual fall photoshoot.”

“The eagle has landed,” replied one user, while another emphatic fan wrote: “The planet is healing.”

The Independent caught up with Covington just one hour after she touched down in Vermont, where she will spend the next week coordinating neutral-toned outfit changes, filming Instagram Reels in apple orchards, and monitoring foliage. Plus, when you get the chance to speak with Christian Girl Autumn herself, you don’t pass up the opportunity to ask her some of her fall-themed hot takes.

Fall is officially here, and I’ve caught you at the perfect time. You’re taking your annual fall photos in Vermont. How’s it going so far?

We actually arrived in Vermont about an hour ago. We filmed half of a Reel at the airport, and we’re going to film the rest of it this evening before dinner, if the lighting is good.

How much planning goes into your annual fall photoshoot?

We have planned everything out. We’ve planned out all of our outfits. We have reservations for lunch, dinner. We have apple orchards picked out. A ton of planning has gone into this trip, every minute is accounted for.

When do you start planning for your trip?

Probably six months before the trip, because this is definitely my favourite time of year. I feel like people get so excited for this trip that we want to make it better every year, so we start planning way ahead of time. We look at hotels, we look at towns, we look all over New England. We really like to stay in New England because the leaves are just so beautiful and vibrant.

As it gets a little bit closer, we’ll monitor the foliage and make sure that we’re picking the right week, because it varies a little bit. Foliage can peak one week earlier, two weeks later, you never really know.

Then we book the trip and order a lot of outfits. This year, we’re coordinating outfits for four people because my husband came on the trip - which is new for him - and I have a new baby who’s going to be in the photos too. Coordinating outfits for four people is not easy, and that’s probably what we spent the most time on this year.

There’s more planning that goes into the actual photo ideas and videos because we want them to be original and creative, so way more planning than people probably think.

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People look forward to your photos every year. Does this add an extra amount of pressure to your fall-themed content?

Not really. If anything, I feel like I get a boost of energy from it. It just makes it so much more exciting. I don’t mind it at all, I don’t think it adds extra pressure. I think that it helps inspire me and keep me on my toes and wanting to be creative every year.

Each year, people on the internet celebrate the return of “Christian Girl Autumn”. How has your life changed ever since you became a viral meme in 2019?

I started blogging in 2011 and I started my Instagram in 2012, so I had been ‘influencing’ for nearly a decade when the meme came about. I had almost one million followers on Instagram and I have always posted about how much I loved fall. So, I feel like not much has changed because I’m still doing the same things that I love. Now, there’s more people celebrating with me and there’s more people getting excited, so it’s been really cool.

Of course, the naysayers of the world believe that there’s many elements to fall - specifically, pumpkin spice lattes - that they would consider to be basic. What are your thoughts on the word “basic”?

When it comes to fall, I don’t mind being called basic because I truly am basic. I love pumpkins, pumpkin spice lattes, cardigans, and all the creature comforts of fall. I embrace it, I’m all about it. If most people really examined their heart, they probably love fall too. Everyone’s basic in some way.

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What is it about fall that you love so much? Why do you think people look forward to this season every year?

I think there’s a few different reasons. I think it goes back to my childhood, and fall was just always such a special time of year. My parents made fall really special for me. I loved going back to school, the leaves changing, my parents would take us to pick out a pumpkin and we would carve it. I have all these memories and every time fall comes around, I just feel nostalgic.

But I also think that it has to do with having anxiety as an adult, because I do struggle with anxiety. In the fall, it’s all about finding comfort in the little things, whether that’s a hot coffee or a really good book or crunchy leaves beneath your feet. That just makes me feel so comforted as someone with anxiety, and I think a lot of people can relate to that as well.

What is your go-to fall drink order?

Well, this is where being basic really comes in; the pumpkin spice latte really is my favourite fall drink. If I had to pick a second one, the maple latte - which I’ve only really seen in the Vermont area. If you ever get a chance, try it. It’s delicious.

How do you achieve the perfect fall photo?

Definitely find some fall foliage. A little bit of colour is great, but I think having a nice camera really helps too. I have an iPhone but I don’t really use it to post pictures on Instagram. We have a Canon Mark III, and that’s what we take all of our pictures with. Having a nice camera really makes the leaves pop and makes the picture look so nice and crisp.

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Favourite fall movie?

Halloweentown, if that’s considered a fall movie. I force my husband to watch it every year.

Apple picking vs pumpkin picking. Which do you prefer?

I’m going to say pumpkin picking, because you can find apples all year long. When you go look for a pumpkin, that just automatically makes it special and it’s not as much work. When I’ve gone apple picking before, there’s so many fields to go through and sometimes you have to get up on ladders. It’s just a lot of work, so I prefer to go pumpkin picking.

What do you look for when finding the quintessential cosy fall sweater?

Something really soft and oversized, usually. This year, I’m really loving cable knit. Those are my three things: soft, oversized, and cable knit.

What’s your favorite fall recipe to cook with the whole family?

We love making chili in the crockpot, but my husband likes it really spicy, so my daughters can’t actually eat it. They would hate it. Let’s see, something for the whole family. Pumpkin bread! We made that the other day and my daughter, who’s two and a half, ate almost the entire loaf by herself.

Finally, let’s settle this debate. Is candy corn a Halloween classic or downright disgusting?

Definitely a Halloween classic. I love candy corn!