We are all familiar with the never-ending cycle of trends. But what we may not realize is the harm that it causes to our mental health and our individual self-expression.
As I walked into Brandy Melville on Black Friday, I was instantly overwhelmed by the crowd of young girls scattered about every inch of the store. As I made my way to the first display at the front, I was cut off by a group of teenage girls that were wearing trendy clothes I had seen all over TikTok and Instagram. These items included Aritzia crop tops, Brandy Melville sweatpants, and the famously trending Ugg minis. I moved past them to a table with a few items that caught my eye. Every one of Brandy Melville’s products are “one size only” and I knew there were certain things I would not fit into, such as their pants, belts, tank tops, and skirts. I made my way toward the back of the store, grabbing items that had tags labeled “oversized fit” and shirts that looked baggier. I waited in line for the fitting rooms, watching girls with stacks of clothes also make their way to try on their items. As I stood there and began to think, I realized we all had something in common: we were all trying to fit into the “perfect girl” mold society has taught us to believe in.
I am no longer torn up by the fact that I do not fit into one of the most popular trendy stores because of its false proclamation of “one size fits all”. I have learned to love and accept my body; I am proud of my curves and have begun to embrace my insecurities. But the damage that mainstream media causes many young girls makes me realize how big the problem is with this world.
Every day we spend hours upon hours scrolling on apps such as TikTok, Instagram, and Youtube. We see influencers showing off their daily lifestyles that include their expensive set of trending makeup brands and skincare products, their closet full of jeans that seem to fit them perfectly, shoes that look great with every outfit, and shirts and hoodies that everyone wishes they had in their closets. We see them getting ready for the gym and choosing which of their 40 Lululemon workout sets they want to wear on that particular day. And as we continue to watch video after video of this same lifestyle with the same products, we start to want everything they have. We start accumulating the shoes that are trending, the matching workout set that everyone wants. The clothes, the skincare, the makeup, the accessories. We start to build up this facade of someone we are not until suddenly the trends change and the things we just got are ‘out’, and the cycle continues.
Social media is obviously fake, and these influencers are following the same cycle that everyone else is. But why are we women killing ourselves to meet a standard that is not there? When are we going to stop the consumption of things that won’t be trendy anymore after a few short weeks? And what are we teaching young girls about expressing their true selves instead of chasing after the unattainable image that society wants from them?
Life is about so much more than focusing on how you are perceived by other people. You lose the joy in life when you are trying to strive for an unreachable standard. You also lose the enjoyment of expressing yourself when you only buy things because they are trending. Why are we pushing ourselves to achieve these standards when maybe these trends and expectations are not truly who we are, and do not align with how we want to live our lives? The next time you start to fall into the cycle again, ask yourself if this is really what you want and catch yourself before you let the cycle repeat. You are worthy of living the life that best suits you, not a life that suits somebody else.