The Death of Personal Style (and How to Resurrect It)

From the Y2K obsession with low-rise, leopard print, Blumarine, and Paris Hilton, to the current 2010’s craze of micro shorts, high boots, Isabel Marant, and ‘indie-sleeze,’ we commodify fashion decades with increasingly shorter cycles. In fact, I’ve already been seeing ‘2019-style’ nostalgia edits on my TikTok For You page.

The resulting consumer culture creates an overarching lack of individuality in personal style; what was once authentic has been forced into our subconscious through social media, and before that, editorial.

So how can we summon the ghost of personal style? It starts with ending parasocial relationships with influencers, increasing media literacy, and flipping the script from ‘what do others want to wear’ to 'what do I want to wear.’

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Before understanding how to revitalize individuality, we must consider why we buy the things we buy. I’ll admit that TikTok has sold me on several items of clothing, with my Tankair dupe coming to mind, however it’s important to understand that a lot of what we see recommended to us is manipulation disguised as genuinity. Brands rely more than ever on influencer marketing. According to the Digital Marketing Institute, a whopping 76% of users intended to purchase solely based off of a social media post, with around 75% of consumers depending on social media for purchasing advice. To put this into a financial perspective, influencer marketing campaigns statistically earn $5.78 for every dollar spent, so these are proven to be economically effective, and corporations are banking off of parasocial relationships consumers have with their trusted influencers.

The Alix jeans in flaunt. (Courtesy of Frame Jeans)

If you’re still uncertain of the sky rocketing impact that influencers have on consumer behavior, you must not have heard of the ‘Alix Earle jeans’ anecdote from TikTok user @whreyakolluri. In sum, the popular influencer, Alix Earle posted a casual video of herself mentioning that she went to the airport in a pair of jeans from Frame Brand. A viewer loved the jeans so much that she walked into the store asking specifically for the jeans from Earle’s video. As the woman was checking out her newly purchased denim, she witnessed another customer coming in asking for the same jeans that Earle posted. The employee then made a comment on how now the jeans would be selling out, as if it was inevitable. What’s more is that all of this commodity commotion happened within the span of a day out from Earl’s original video. Now, the brand has collaborated with Earle creating “The Alix” jeans, which sold out within 24 hours of their initial launch.

Brands are no longer deeply relying on celebrity endorsements, and they’re actually less effective than standard influencer endorsements, with 45% of European Gen-Zers feeling more inclined to purchase fashion they’ve seen on influencers than traditional celebrities. To be more specific, an influencer would be someone who gained notoriety through social media, which is their main domain. A celebrity, while still possibly having a large social media presence, is more fluid, defined by and famous for other careers, like music, acting, modeling, etc. Something that instantly comes to mind is Fashion Nova, an affordable fast fashion retailer, marketed primarily towards women aged 18-35. The brand has had huge success with influencer marketing in a multi-tier approach that employs thousands of influencers, of all following sizes. They want to represent different body types with the tactic of mirroring, not modeling, so that all women are represented. However, major celebrity, Kylie Jenner, has accepted sponsorships from the brand. The publics’ reaction to the latter is mostly confusion, as people found it inauthentic that someone who owns a $400,000 Birkin, a personal stylist, and custom made outfits would choose to wear a brand that is criticized for poor labor practices, bad quality clothing, and even for copying clothing from Kardashian family members, like Khloé Kardashian’s “Good American.”

The attainability and relatability really shines through— a ‘get ready with me’ video by your favorite influencer who talks to you like a facetime call can casually slip in that the new Zara drop is perfect for summer and no one would bat an eye, yet if someone like Olivia Rodrigo went on social media and started raving about the new line, there would be instant skepticism of her authenticity. Gen Z absolutely has media literacy, but when it comes to the psychology of influencers, that skill can fall short. This issue is the abundance of sponsored content which makes deciphering strategic persuasion from genuine taste confusing.

Your Closet, Curated by Strangers

So how does this deteriorate personal style? Let’s look at the heuristics, a.k.a, the mental short-cuts that videos like influencer ‘get-ready-with-me’s’ create.

When someone is constantly enforcing to their audience which brands are cool, which patterns are in, and which silhouettes to search for, the consumer becomes accustomed to not having to really think for themselves when it comes to their style choices. Critical thinking takes a step back, bringing impulse buying and trend chasing to the forefront.

The conflict is that trend cycles, as previously touched on, change at such a frequent pace that micro trends and fast fashion waste accelerate. Who has time to discover what their personal taste is when they're busy trying to decide if they should trade their Miu Miu ballet flats in for Isabel Marant sneakers? Plus, the financial investment that comes with finding your style through trial and error is real, only now thanks to trends, many are investing those expenses elsewhere.

How to Dress Like Yourself Again

Now onto the resurrection of individuality, which unsurprisingly has to begin with unsubscribing from trends (figuratively, but literally, too). Start by venturing away from mainstream influencers who are more likely to promote mass trends and focus more on niche, micro-influencers who have a clear personal style that resonates with you. When a style “resonates,” that’s not identical to simply liking the style of someone else or being influenced to buy into the trend through external sources. So how can you tell if your aesthetic preferences are truly based on your personal taste?

First, start by removing the social reward from style. Ask yourself if you would still want to own something even if no one could see you wear it. Even keeping a log of aesthetics or styles (maybe through a Pinterest board) that you’re into before seeing them constantly pop up as online trends is helpful for this so that you can get to know what you like. If your entire list of preferences shifts when a new influencer-driven trend pops up, this is a red flag that algorithm repetition is taking over your style.

Additionally, it can be difficult to decide if you like something because it looks good on someone else, or because you could see it fitting in perfectly with your wardrobe and values. We all have different aesthetics, body types, and features, so genuine fashion isn’t copy and paste. See if you can imagine a piece with three or more outfits you already own, that way you know if it’s really worth the investment. Remember, personal style shouldn’t feel like playing dress up, it should make you feel more like yourself.

Through this experience, it’s common that the more niche the style, the more likely it’s not fast fashion. Educating yourself on advertising tactics can make you less susceptible to stealth marketing tactics. Unique and specially catered pieces tend to be thrifted, vintage, archival, or from small businesses. If you’re noticing that your social media likes are filled with big influencers, you may be in a style echo chamber. Following people who aren’t there to sell, but to display, like designers, vintage collectors, and artists is a great start for garnering inspiration and auditing your personal feed.

Some of my personal favorite fashion creators are Jessica Lee and Bella Romic. I discovered Lee and instantly fell in love with her effortless street style and her experimental fashion through her modeling journey. Romic is a University student, however, she brings fashion into every aspect of her daily life to the point where it’s a clear visual representation of her identity. She often pulls inspo from icons like Chloe Sevigny and Sharon Tate, and curates incredible pinterest boards showcasing her style favorites on her account @babybells111. And yes, I hear the irony since I just went on a tangent about how influencers dictate style, but I think that finding people who are truly on social media because they are passionate about their style and just want an outlet to share their aesthetic comes across as more of an artistic expression rather than advertising. That being said, we all have different styles, so style influencers that I enjoy may be totally off base for you. Ultimately, task yourself with some inward introspection and ask yourself: if the algorithm is defining your aesthetic, or is it you?

The Mirchi Tank and Zella skirt. (Courtesy of Mirchi by Kim)

Next, it’s integral to shop with intention. A wardrobe catered to one’s personal tastes isn’t built overnight. Gathering meaningful pieces takes time, whether that means sorting through bins at the thrift or saving up to spend a little more on a high quality hand-made piece. This process of selecting close encourages the consumer to think more intuitively about shopping, hence shaping personal style.

Trends come and go, influencers rise and fall, and brands gain and lose hype. So much of the fashion industry is fickle and unpredictable, so why try to follow a rapid stream instead of floating in a steady pond? Style is a reflection of personal identity in many ways, and it’s important to have an understanding of your own person. Inspiration is always embedded in style, but mirroring completely can take away the thoughtfulness and genuine fun from fashion. This is your sign to plug into your personal style and step away from whichever micro trend comes next.

The Death of Personal Style (and How to Resurrect It)