How influencers influence everything.
Have you guys seen the movie “Ingrid Goes West”? If not, watch it. It’s a wildly amusing and absurd commentary on influencer culture starring Aubrey Plaza and Elizabeth Olsen- how we follow our favorite celebrities and copy them. The scene that sticks out to me is: Ingrid buying a cheetah clutch just because this Instagram queen, Taylor, has one. It gets more intense after that to say the least. The movie takes it to the extreme (no spoilers from me, just watch it), but sometimes our following is more subtle.
Now, you don’t have to be completely stalking someone to copy their style. I’ve spared a passing glance at some bloggers and tried to be trendy in the same way. But remember when everyone wore tiny paper airplane necklaces just because Harry Styles and Taylor Swift did? Or perhaps you remember when Gwenyth Paltrow steamed her vagina and told the world about it, causing a not quite healthy trend. We could talk about how Kylie Jenner’s self named Kylie Cosmetics sells out within minutes or hours every time a new set of lip kits is released or how Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty debuted a little under three months ago and already made $72 million in earned media value. Even the Royal Family causes trends among their followers, with nearly every item Kate Middleton wears at a lower price point selling out instantaneously. Even sports culture is technically influencer culture (but I probably wouldn’t call it in fashion)- you wear a jersey because your team or your favorite player wears them. You want to be like them, feel close to them, win with them.
Do you realize how you are being affected by the trending people around you?
I’ve been writing this post both in my head and in draft for about two weeks now. As my fashion sense has been adjusting to this new stage of life, I’ve been noting how my interests influence what I’m wearing. Looking back over the years it is easy for me to pinpoint what fandoms defined my fashion. Sometimes they were subtle as I copied style, but then there are also the more distinct exact pieces or merchandise from influencers I loved.
Basically, this post is about to expose all the “weird” interests I have/had and how they play into what I’ve worn and am wearing.
As you peer through my fashion timeline, I invite you to take a look at who changed your style and why they are so important to you. Each of us has unique interests and personalities, which is what makes the world so wonderful and creative. As long as your favorites are creating a positive impact on you and on the planet around them, there’s no shame in having more niche interests.
My earliest memory of following a certain fashion is being into pop punk in early high school. I had too many pairs of brightly colored jeans and enough band tees to last a few weeks. I wasn’t seen in anything but t-shirts because they were my favorite thing in the world, a show of support to the music I listened to and a memory of the concerts I had been to. I think I had the most shirts from The Maine and to this day I think they’re the band I’ve seen the most live (and yes, they are still making great music). I also wore a lot of tees made by brands that were created for or by bands such as Glamour Kills and Drop Dead.
After that I headed towards the fashion industry, I started reading Lucky Magazine religiously and that’s where my interest began. I very clearly remember reading the first letter from new editor in chief Eva Chen in 2013 and for some reason I was drawn to her style and personality. She’s a bright force in the industry, creating a fun new energy wherever she goes. Yes, I’ve talked about her several times already on this blog as she’s been such a huge influence on my fashion sense and drive. I started accessorizing my outfits, wearing brighter colors, mixing patterns, testing out different styles and really becoming interested in fashion.
(and yes, I still loved stripes)
I also started following fashion bloggers around this time. They keep me up to date on the latest trends and I enjoy seeing stylish snapshots on Instagram as well as featured in their blog posts. In particular I am thinking of Danielle Bernstein, of blog WeWoreWhat, who had such a huge phase with overalls that she started her own brand, Second Skin Overalls. I got my own pair of overalls around that time and wore them everywhere (even writing this I didn’t realize how much I wore them until I pulled all these pictures from Instagram).
In the past year my style has been influenced more by minimalist and menswear trends. It’s not that I don’t enjoy dressing up in heels and skirts, but I’ve definitely been more partial to more comfortable, casual styles. Last fall I got into watching a lot of YouTube, particularly some British stars such as Dan Howell, Phil Lester, Zoe (Zoella) and Joe Sugg, Alfie Deyes, Louise Pentland, Conor Maynard, and a handful of others. I had watched a few of these YouTubers when I was younger but I came more interested in their influencer lifestyles in college. They all have their own particular style, but I was drawn to Dan because he’s lowkey emo and funny (like me, we have a very similar inner head voice) and Conor because of his really incredible singing voice. Thus, I had some very 20-year-old british boy (for lack of a better gender neutral definition) looks when headed to class.
Recently, as I am sure some of you have noticed from my post on BTS, I have gotten into KPOP. And let me tell you, I am loving their style. I would cite the casual neutral outfits from the Save Me music video as a very similar style to my own (when I’m not working). But not only are their outfits by stylists great, so are their every day looks so often seen when going to and from the airport. They’re often wearing multiple tiny asymmetric hoops on each ear and ripped black jeans, which are both essentials to my aesthetic right now. When you find music you love, paired with style that inspires you, you know you might be in too deep.
As you can see, there have been a variety of fandoms that have influenced my fashion sense over the years. These people get me excited about being creative and about expressing my style. It’s so important that you find people that resonate with you and make you smile, whether it be through music, movies, blogs, or even sports. Influencers will influence your life, even if you don’t notice it, so it’s important that you surround yourself with the right ones.
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