We’ve all been there—scrolling through Instagram or watching a YouTube haul, admiring the perfectly curated wardrobe of our favourite fashion influencer. Their outfits seem so effortlessly stylish that, before you know it, your online cart is full of things you’re convinced you need.
But then your order arrives, and... the clothes don’t look quite right on you. They don’t match the rest of your wardrobe, and you struggle to put together an outfit you actually want to wear.
Fashion influencers can be a great source of inspiration, but they're also experts at convincing us to buy what they're wearing—so they can earn money through their affiliate links! Those curated outfit photos, taken in well-lit rooms using gifted items they were paid to promote is all an illusion—an effective one, but still, an illusion.
It’s totally natural to want to fit in with the people we admire. So, when we find an influencer whose style we love, we start following unspoken rules about what to buy and how to wear it, hoping it'll improve our own wardrobe.
But personal style is so much more than copying an outfit.
When your social feeds are full of identical looks, worn by content creators whose style you admire, it's hard not to feel influenced. Suddenly, you find yourself buying clothes that don't really suit your style, simply because you've seen them worn by others so often.
This pressure to follow the crowd can eat away at your confidence when it comes to making your own fashion choices. You start second-guessing the outfits you love to wear, just because they don't match the “influencer-approved” aesthetic.
Next thing you know, you’re dressing like everyone else.
It’s easy to forget that influencers are walking advertisements. They look so good and feel so authentic in their posed photos under proper lighting, but that doesn't mean those outfits are right for your daily life.
Whether it’s a "Ganni girl" style or an "Instagram baddie" look, dressing like everyone else might give you that quick validation that your outfit’s a hit. But true personal style? That comes from taking risks. It’s about wearing outfits that reflect you, even if it means sometimes not “getting it right.”
If you’re always chasing someone else’s style, how will you ever discover your own?
The only way to develop your own personal style is to break free from the influence of influencers, and start wearing what makes you happy—regardless of what's trending.
Fast fashion thrives on the endless cycle of new trends, and influencers earn their money by encouraging us to keep buying, discarding, and repeating. This isn’t just unsustainable for your wallet and the planet, it also stops you from really figuring out what your personal style is.
Authentic personal style is about expressing who you are—not just copying what someone else is wearing. Instead of focusing on influencer “must-haves,” look for inspiration elsewhere—street style, thrifted finds, films, books, or even art.
When you start unfollowing accounts that make you feel like you constantly need to buy something new, and instead focus on wearing outfits that make you happy—regardless of trends or aesthetics—you’ll begin to build a wardrobe that genuinely feels like yours.
Discovering Your Personal Style
If you want to avoid falling into the trap of following trends and develop your personal style, it starts with stepping away from fast fashion influencers. Following these tips will help you to build a unique wardrobe:
- Spend less time scrolling: Unfollow influencers who are constantly sharing hauls and encouraging you to shop for new items each season. When you’re always looking for external approval, you’ll never truly know what you like.
- Explore what you already have: Think about your favourite clothes to wear and why you love wearing them. Understanding why you love certain outfits will give you clues about your personal style.
- Experiment without expectations: Play dress up with your current wardrobe and try styling your clothes in new ways. Personal style is having fun with fashion, not about getting it “right” every time.
- Shop with intention: Buy clothes you can see yourself wearing again and again—regardless of the trends or the season. This is the only way to build a wardrobe that reflects your personality, rather than someone else’s.