Finding A Personal Uniform
Image Courtesy: Instagram
A few months ago I watched a YouTube video called “the death of personal style” made by creator Mina Le. Mina Le mainly posts video essay content covering a wide range of subjects within popular culture, although she has a penchant for the fashion world. I watch an occasional video of her’s, but this one stuck out to me. In it, she discusses how her own personal style has shifted from loud and experimental outfits to more restrained and classic ones; in other words, wearing a “personal uniform.” Le notes how she feels more confident and secure in her minimalistic sense of dressing, and how the way she used to dress was clearly influenced by online microtrends and fast fashion. While I thought the video was well made and researched, there seemed to be a lot of discourse in the comment section. Some people agreed with Le, while others felt that she was off base. Many users noted that they actually feel more confident and themselves when dressing uniquely, and that Le’s new style could actually be pinned as a microtrend itself, a product of the “clean girl” aesthetic.
A somewhat similar YouTube video was posted around the same time as Le’s. This one was by very popular YouTube blogger and fashionista Emma Chamberlain. This video, titled “i got rid of (almost) everything”, is of Chamberlain trying on all the pieces in her closet for us to see. Chamberlain, who has been posting videos for 7 years and amassed over 12 million subscribers (myself included), has posted several videos focused on clothing hauls and her personal style. Yet in this video, similar to Le’s, there seemed to be a shift. Chamberlain, too, has adopted a more simplistic and restrained style. However, it’s still clearly unique to Chamberlain’s personal taste. She also notes how she has considerably less clothing than before, and how the amount of clothes she used to buy made her feel gross and guilty. After sorting through her closet and getting rid of what she no longer wanted, she felt refreshed. Yet there was still some discourse in the comment section of this video. Some commenters complained that Chamberlain, despite doing a closet cleanout and promoting sustainability, still has a lot of clothes, a majority of them being expensive and upscale. Other commenters came to her defense, saying viewers shouldn’t complain about Chamberlain being privileged when they already knew that she was, and it was her viewers who helped her reach the level of status and wealth she has today.
Image Courtesy: Instagram
While I can understand the perspectives of the commenters who disagreed with both videos, I can also understand the feelings of Le and Chamberlain. I certainly lead a different life than the two of them do, but I do understand the feelings of exhaustion and guilt they express when it comes to hyperconsumerism and microtrends. At times it can feel like the world has turned into a never ending race of trying to get the next thing. Countless TikTok videos encourage users to “run, don’t walk,” to Target, Ross, or wherever to get something that they don’t really need. The allure of buying things, of consistently having something new, can often outweigh the practicality of being satisfied with having what we need. With all this in mind - not to mention the microtrends, microaesthetics, and the culture of fast fashion that have permeated online spaces - I understand wanting to purge your closet and take a back to basics approach. Not only do I understand it, I think we should all strive to consume less and conserve more.
However, when it comes to personal style, I don’t think that being more practical in our consumption means we all have to adopt a “personal uniform”, or that we all have to dress in the chic, classic, muted color palettes that Le and Chamberlain do. (Nor do I think this is what Le and Chamberlain were suggesting). Truthfully, I think finding your personal style is a lot simpler than some discussions on the internet seem to make it. At the end of the day, it’s about what you feel comfortable and confident in. And the influence of others is unavoidable when it comes to personal style; in fact, it’s vital to building your own sense of style. It’s pretty hard to move through the world without noticing the way other people do things, and taking inspiration from others isn’t necessarily a harmful thing. All of this is to say, I think it’s very possible for us to move towards a more sustainable lifestyle while still dressing the way we want to.
Strike Out,
Georgia Witt
Editor: Maya Kayyal & Jaden Rudd
Saint Augustine
Georgia Witt is a writer for Strike Magazine STA and a freshman at Flagler College. She loves thrifting, going to the movies, reading & writing poetry, and riding her bike. You can reach her at georgiawitt3000@gmail.com or on Instagram @twink3rb3ll_
