I was in elementary school when I got my first AOL screen name. Naturally, my digital identity was a combination of my favorite clothing store and my birthday. The moment my parents gave me access to the World Wide Web, everything changed.
At first, AOL was mostly a way to communicate with—and, occasionally, be mercilessly bullied by—my elementary school peers. But before long, the internet became a creative outlet. My earliest introduction to fashion happened almost entirely online. I’d spend hours printing photos from websites to create collages of outfits, trends, and dream purchases I imagined my future adult self carrying and wearing.
In fact, my first discovery of the Louis Vuitton Speedy came through the now-defunct luxury retailer eLuxury. I was just 10 years old when the site launched, and I can still vividly remember printing its product images for the mock fashion editorials I obsessively put together. Looking back, it feels like an early version of what platforms like Instagram and, before that, Tumblr would eventually become: endless sources of inspiration, aspiration, and influence.
I came of age right on the cusp of social media’s rise. Facebook launched while I was in high school, though before that, there was Myspace. It’s strange to think that I can barely remember life before being constantly connected.
Are We Shopping for Ourselves Anymore?
As much as I’d love to say my purchases, outfits, and trend participation are shaped entirely by my own independent taste, that wouldn’t be entirely true. Like just about everyone living in a hyperconnected world, I’m influenced by digital media—whether I realize it or not.
We’re constantly being shown what to want, what to like, and what to buy. The sheer volume of imagery and messaging we absorb every day makes it nearly impossible not to be affected by what appears on our screens.
Have you ever stopped to wonder why you gravitated toward a particular bag? Or why that skincare product suddenly felt impossible to resist?
There are plenty of times I’ve purchased something only to realize later that I’d likely seen it circulating online weeks before. Was it sitting somewhere in my subconscious, quietly shaping my decision? Or would I have wanted it regardless?
In fact, 74% of consumers report purchasing a product because it was highly recommended by an influencer. And that only accounts for the influence people were consciously aware of. The reality is that the number of people influenced, knowingly or unknowingly, is likely far greater.
Of course, brands have been shaping consumer behavior for as long as advertising has existed. What’s changed is the immediacy and intimacy of that influence. Marketing no longer arrives in clearly defined spaces like magazine pages or television commercials—it’s woven directly into the content we consume every day.
Even when a purchase feels like it came from a trusted recommendation from a friend or family member, there’s a good chance that recommendation was shaped by something they encountered online. In many cases, social media’s influence is simply one step removed.
How Social Media Reshaped the Way We Shop
Sometimes, I think about what this means for personal style. There’s a part of me that worries we’re inching toward a world where individual taste becomes increasingly diluted, where we all end up chasing the same pieces and aesthetic cues.
Working in fashion media has made me especially mindful of this. I think carefully about the opinions I share, but I’m equally conscious of the opinions constantly surrounding me. While I don’t necessarily mind being inspired by something I’ve seen online, I’ve become intentional about checking in with myself before making a purchase.
Just because something is everywhere doesn’t mean it belongs in my closet—or yours.
Social media has undeniably changed the way we shop, but I think the real challenge is learning how to separate inspiration from influence and trends from personal taste.
Has social media changed the way you shop? And how do you filter through the constant noise to stay true to your own style?
I’m too old and set in my style to follow and adopt trends. Never got into so-called quiet luxury or having a closet full of neutral clothes. No version of the Alaia east-west bag with that ridiculously long strap. The Row? YAWN.
Social media has not changed the way I shop. I can easily say, “I like this, but I’m not going to ever wear it.” I’m good with admiring things from afar.
For sure I have come to realize how social media influence quietly shapes what I like. Though it seems like my own personal choice, all of a sudden I will start gravitating towards a silhouette or color or texture that I didn’t like in the past.
But I think we have to remember that influence has always worked with way in fashion, long before the internet. Before it was queens whose style choices trickled down to the noblewomen and then the masses. Then the rich women of society, and over time magazines and films and television. Social media has just made the cycle infinitely faster.
You’re so right – great point!!
Hmmm, while I agree that social media can introduce items I have yet to find on my own or a way to wear something, I by no means like everything I see. There have been many trends come and go, if they are not me I do not care who or how they wear it I am not interested. I like what I like period.
I think the point being made here is that what we like is inherently and unconsciously shaped by what we see/consume in our digital and real lives. “I like what I like” doesn’t acknowledge that what you like is in part the result of other people (marketing experts, designers, corporations) making choices for us upstream).
Exactly, and I like what I like hits differently when you’re making choices from a subset of trends, products ect that were actually chosen for you.
Of course what you purchase is based off of someone’s inspiration, I am not making my own bags/shoes/clothing. My point is just because the masses think something is a must have doesn’t mean I think so, I decide on what I want to purchase regardless of hype or lack of.
Some of you need to rewatch the blue sweater scene from Devil Wears Prada.
Ha! This gave me a good laugh 🙂
Random question: do you have a preference between embracing trends versus counteracting them actively, and why?
One thing that I find interesting – I’m very likely to be influenced on things I don’t care about.
Looking for a snack box for a road trip – three “reviews” later, and I’ve got a couple GoBe in my cart.
But I like purses. So the minute I see the second influencer review, I am turned off and disgusted
I’m the same, I can see something I love on an online store but seeing it on someone I’m not keen on puts me off buying.
I agree social media can help in promoting products you may not have considered before. However, nothing beats seeing the actual product in-person. I find I get a better sense of whether I actually like a product when I try it on in store. I have also seen items that I was not super interested in online, but when getting a true scale of the items and feeling the material in-person, it made me appreciate the items much better. I would always recommend if someone is on the fence about buying a luxury product to see it in-person first, as the item may not actually be as good as it seems to be.
Regarding personal style, I honestly don’t think it’s bad to have the same style as others in public. Sometimes I am perfectly happy going out in a T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers and not having to worry about my outfit. The fun of fashion does come from mixing and matching things together. I tend to use social media as a consultant if there is a very specific aesthetic I want to try out, but otherwise I defer to what works best for my body type and personal interests.
My partner and I choose what suits us without being influenced by social media at all. It doesn’t mean if their style or selection of items would change our look.
Perhaps it’s good for people who can’t make decisions on their own?
Some of you need to rewatch the blue sweater scene from Devil Wears Prada.