With the fast pace of social media in the current day and age, fashion trends are becoming a pattern—dictating what we should wear, what is going to be trending in the next season, and of course, what stores should sell so we can follow the trends, and be “in fashion”. That is when we see ourselves buying the same clothes just like anyone else, and end up feeling like we are just in uniforms—wearing the same outfit. Is that really being in fashion?

Victoria Beckham used the statement, “Fashion stole my style”, but I’ll add to this and say that fashion is stealing our sense of individuality. You step on the street and see your neighbour, friends, and even strangers with the same blouse, pants, shoes, and purse as you—even their hair is worn the same. Okay, maybe not all at once, but there’s a strong possibility that you’ll spot those same garments on everyone eventually.

According to the RetailX Global Fashion 2023 report, 52.4% of consumers use Instagram, and 28.1% use TikTok to guide their fashion purchases. There’s even a hashtag #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt with over 9.1M posts with the most varied products. And the influencers play a huge part in that. Internet Retailing states: “Around the world, the majority of consumers in all regions say they are somewhat likely to make purchases recommended by an influencer, with around 40% in all regions doing so.”

With social media influence and the ease of online shopping, fast-fashion guided stores are increasing their production with cheaper materials more affordable for buyers, and fulfilling their desires to be in fashion. This behaviour also drives the rise of micro-trend culture, where a fashion trend can peak and fall out of style in just a few months, like the Ballerina, Barbie Core, Mob Wife, and many more. Not to mention the fatigue from a trend overload. Some fashion trends become so widespread and overexposed that you just get tired of seeing them.

That’s one of the biggest differences between what fashion trends used to be and what they are now. In the early 2000’s, a fashion trend could last years and would adapt itself to have different styles of the same garment. Take skinny jeans as an example. They were a must-have piece in the wardrobe, yet you were able to find them in the most different styles, and not just in one specific pattern or palette colour—which is what happens nowadays.

With all of these fast-paced fashion trends, how do we maintain our personality in our style? That is a challenge I found myself facing. It’s a feeling of wanting to belong and to be in fashion, but I’m also tired of seeing and wearing the same clothes as everyone else. That is when I began my pursuit of stores that sell clothes I truly identify with but that are not necessarily in trend. And that was also the moment I started to worry, which prompted me to open up this discussion.

Quick side note: I live in Brazil, where we have a huge amount of small online Instagram stores that are dictated by what was mentioned above: the fashion trends of social media. These small stores sell the exact same clothes. When I’m scrolling my Instagram stories and receiving the ads, it seems like I’m seeing the same ad in a loop as they are advertising the same piece of clothing. They sell almost the same clothes that big fast-fashion outlets like Zara do, but of course, in a much smaller volume.

So, if both small and big stores are selling the same clothes, how can we find garments that can fit our personality? How can we follow and consume fashion without entering the uniform box? Well, I’m still trying to figure that out, but I am focusing on finding garments that represent me and my style but that have a different cutting and shaping than the pattern ones. Surprisingly, I’m coming across these pieces in Brazilian fast-fashion stores like Renner, and C&A. It hasn’t been easy, but I’m managing to find them.

Given that fast fashion and social media trends are pushing us towards standardisation, the challenge is to find a balance between staying “on trend” and expressing our individuality. It’s a matter of consciously choosing what resonates with you beyond just what’s trending and keeping the essence of your unique style. The key is curating a wardrobe that feels like you—even if it takes some digging. Fashion should be an extension of who we are, not just a reflection of the latest trends. And maybe that’s the real style statement: embracing what makes us stand out in a world of sameness.