Fashion and Online Trends: Do they Help or Hurt?
Have you ever looked at someone wearing something and thought, “Omg I wish my outfit looked like theirs” or even “What went through their mind when they got dressed today?”
Fashion trends, styles, and “aesthetics” are everywhere nowadays. Whether you’re wearing an alternative outfit with studs and safety pins, or a coquette outfit with bows and frills, you can’t ignore that trends have a huge impact on fashion everywhere.
Trends can be different in different cities or countries, but no matter where you are, there will always be trends and new “in” styles. However, is this a good thing? Can these trendy items or ideas actually harm people’s creativity and sense of self?
I think that trends can be super fun and a great way to express yourself! However, from what I’ve seen and learned, when someone’s clothes don’t match a current trend or whose style is seen as niche or uncool, it often ends in the person getting made fun of and wanting to dress more “normal” to appeal to other people.
Dressing “trendy” could be seen as “cringe” or like you’re trying too hard. That’s the problem with things like this.
An example of this, given to me by student Lea, was a comment made on their outfit choice for their senior photos. When they were showing photo examples of the outfit they wanted to wear, which was similar to how their style has always been, the student was told, “I would go in more traditional clothes, hair, and makeup. No flashy super trendy things that will make you look cringe in a year when you look at it.”
Their outfit choice is loosely inspired by the Lolita style (which does NOT have anything to do with the book by Vladimir Nabokov). This style originated, and is popular in Japan, and takes a lot of inspiration from the French Rococo period and people like Marie Antoinette.
This shows a big problem with things being deemed as “trendy” or “cringe.” It doesn’t allow some people to express themselves and wear what makes them happy, rather pushes them into boxes in order to look “normal” or please other people.
Another example is that if you are buying all these “trendy” clothes, accessories, and even makeup or skincare items, not only could they just not work for you, but trends go in and out like crazy and often it’s a huge waste of money.
Say you buy a whole new wardrobe based on trendy styles, brands, and the like. Well maybe a year later you’ll be stuck with a bunch of items that not only don’t match your style and what you like wearing, but it could just be seen as “uncool,” “outdated” or “so last year.”
Along with this, say a certain skincare or makeup line or item is super trendy. Everyone has it, and if you have it, you’re considered cool. Oftentimes things such as the $22 Summer Fridays lipgloss, a $50 Charlotte Tilbury foundation, or even a $200 perfume are out of a lot of people’s price ranges.
Of course I understand a product being super good and going viral, but sometimes things just go viral because of the brand or famous people using them, and they aren’t actually that great. It could also depend on what looks good or works for you.
With a rise of fashion and makeup influencers, trends and viral products have been getting more expensive. Sure amazing drugstore makeup and cheap Amazon finds have gone viral, but along with that luxury clothing, makeup, skincare, and electronics have been in the spotlight.
While yes, it is fun to watch your favorite celebrities review products, a lot of people will never be able to participate in these trends due to the price range.
However, fashion and online trends aren’t all bad, really it’s the culture surrounding them.
They give you a way to connect with a wider community if it’s something you genuinely enjoy. Through fashion, your squishmallow collection, your favorite music artist, or new makeup styles, trends are a great way to connect with people.
With a very wide range of styles, aesthetics, and range of creativity, trends can be a great way to express yourself.
Trends aren’t all bad and if you genuinely like something, why worry about what people think? No matter what, everyone should be able to freely express themselves however they choose.
In conclusion, fashion and online trends can be limiting to self creativity and can be very expensive.
However if they’re something you enjoy there’s no harm in participating. Self expression is very important.
As long as you enjoy what you’re doing, and expressing yourself for who you are, not who society wants you to be, trends can be healthy.
However you want to dress, do your hair, makeup, whatever, as long as you’re happy, that’s the most important thing.
