The INs of Fashion

In an age where we are bombarded with information, with choices, with images, are we inspired by what we see, or are we influenced by it? Does it matter?

Let’s start by stating the obvious: the clothes we wear represent how we choose to introduce ourselves to the world. They are the very first thing the people around us notice. They tell the story of who we are and what we like. In short, they are a huge part of one’s personality, and that is an undeniable fact. Like every other person who’s interested in fashion, I follow designers, models, fashion magazines; I find it interesting to inspect the trends in the latest collections. And as algorithms do, mine has picked up on this and started feeding me more and more content. It is natural, I think, to try to recreate the things one likes, to try to incorporate them into one’s personal style.

Gláucia Melo photographed by Élio Nogueira for Vogue Portugal, July/August 2021. Via KaracterAgency.

But every time I put on an outfit, a question pops up: how much of this is really me? Do the things I see around me influence me, or do they inspire me? These are two quite similar terms, but the principles on which they operate are what differentiate them. The way in which I distinguish between them is this: to be influenced is passive, while to be inspired is active. If you are influenced by something, then it will change or shape your behavior, perhaps without you even fully realizing it—think about how advertising works, for example. You have little to no agency in it, as you are pushed toward a specific decision. On the other hand, if you are inspired by something, you get creative: let’s say you play with Balenciaga-style silhouettes, add some texture, experiment with a Valentino pink or a cool print—all the while inserting that little something that makes you, you. Within inspiration, there is a genuine and conscious desire to explore and evolve, starting from a reflection of one’s own emotions and personality.

The extent to which an individual can truly explore style and evolve on their own is, however, open to debate. It could, of course, be argued that it is rather limited, due to the fact that the great majority of people have access to the same sources of inspiration (or, let’s say, influencing factors): the same celebrities, the same influencers, the same brands, etc. Following this train of thought, the notion of a personal style becomes a complicated one in the present social climate. In an environment where even established subcultures get sucked into the mainstream and feed into the interminable push toward consumption, by becoming aesthetics devoid of their background (indie sleaze, grunge, goth, punk, to name just a few), can we even talk about crafting an authentic sense of style? Naturally, this falls under the discussion of how fashion functions in a capitalist society, but I am more so interested here in how this affects the individual when it comes to day-to-day fashion choices. The reason behind this lies in the line I opened with: the clothes we wear represent how we choose to introduce ourselves to the world. What a person chooses to wear on a day-to-day basis is central to who they are; it is a peek into their personality, interests, beliefs. There is definitely tension there between being influenced and being inspired, and being able to tell whether you are one or the other is crucial. Even the slightest bit of agency and rebellion, no matter how small, is important in this day and age.

How do you achieve that? I would say it all comes down to mindful consumption. I believe there is a certain sense of doom in thinking that you cannot escape the endless stream of trends and aesthetics that has taken over social media, but even if you were to get off online platforms, the people around you would still reflect those very aesthetics in one way or another. While trying to think through this problem, I stumbled upon a simple fact: one cannot exist outside the cultural zeitgeist. Whether we like it or not, we cannot escape the times we live in, and coming to terms with this is somehow freeing. In the end, we are all faced with the same choices, the same images, the same trends, but the way in which we experiment with them, the way in which we interpret them, the spin we put on things will never be the exact same. So our styles may be similar, yes, but not identical. The key to this is then to actively stop every time you see a new style, trend, or piece that you like and ask yourself, does this fit in with what I know to be true about myself? Mindful consumption makes it possible to achieve that authenticity that is inherent to rebellion. Now go get inspired!