From the suffocating corsets of the early twentieth century to the skin tight flare jeans of the 1970s, fashion trends have existed in every time period. Trends in clothing and style are a sign of the times. They reflect the values, politics and economy of a population. Today, trends come and go faster than ever. But the language that influencers use when discussing these trends has harmful effects on users and the environment.
I, too, have bought clothing items I did not love or need. Before each season, I fervently browsed social media and read fashion articles to determine what I “needed” to add to my wardrobe. This stunted my personal style and left me with a nagging sense of unfulfillment. I always felt like I was missing the “next big thing.”
Fashion influencers start their videos with rhetoric such as “Here is what all the cool girls are wearing this season!” Many creators of these videos use their pages to discuss trends. The “cool girl” of 2024 stays up to date with trends. She wears animal print, underground designer clothing, fur accessories and maximalist blends of silver and gold jewelry. She leads a fun lifestyle, trotting around her big city in colorful Adidas or pointed kitten heels. In the evening, she sports motorcycle boots and micro shorts as she grabs drinks at her favorite dive bar.
The rhetorical method “second persona,” birthed by rhetorician Edwin Black in his 1970 essay “The Second Persona,” employs “you” statements to persuade an audience to adopt a shared identity or action.
Fashion influencers use “you” statements to encourage their viewers to participate in trends. Fashion content creator Rebeca Oksana, in her video titled “Cool Girl Fashion Guide,” establishes an identity that her largely female and Generation Z audience should strive for. She provides a list of current and upcoming fall trends such as cowhide pieces, bloomer shorts and capri pants. Oksana addresses the audience with “you” statements, giving examples of how these trends can be styled and telling viewers where to find them. The video received 230,000 views. Oksana is not the only creator spreading this rhetoric. The Tiktok hashtag, “coolgirl,” has 3.1 million posts of the same type. While there is nothing wrong with these trends, labeling them as what the “cool girls are wearing” poses dangers to consumers and the environment.
This type of rhetoric perpetuates classism. To buy the hottest trends every few months is a privilege. For people who are struggling financially, these videos can feel stressful because even if they do want these items, the likelihood of them getting them before the trend has reached saturation is very low. For some, they may spend the money they do have on clothing or accessories which keeps them trapped in financial insecurity. These people are not any less cool because they cannot afford a pair of cowhide boots from Acne Studios, a brand whose shoe prices range from $300 to $1,300. The cowhide boot referenced in Oksana’s video has completely sold out on the site.
Assigning a cool girl label removes the joy of personal style, and leaves people feeling discontent with their closets. While participating in a trend can help us identify different ways of styling things that we like, the internet telling people that their style is uncool is toxic and can have serious impacts on users’ mental health.
The phenomenon “enclothed cognition” is defined by the American Psychological Association as “the systematic influence that clothes have on the wearer’s psychological processes.” We even have a catch phrase for it, “You look good, you feel good.” Fashion should be a fun mode of self expression, not dictated by labels of what makes us cool or uncool.
Beyond how these discussions impact users, they also have grave environmental detriments. By pushing the idea that you need a specific look to fit in, these influencers are promoting microtrends and overconsumption. The fashion industry is responsible for ten percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, more than airplanes and ships combined. It is also responsible for “35% of the plastic microfibers released in oceans, and 20% of industrial water pollution,” according to the climate change advocacy group Climate Seed. As these videos circulate, clothing manufacturers will continue producing at a dangerous rate.
Rather than throwing out a piece because it is not what the internet thinks is cool, upcycling with a sewing machine or simple decorations is an option. I often wear my long sleeves as tube tops, my dresses as skirts, and my shirts upside down to achieve new looks.
The rhetoric that we need to buy and discard to find self worth is harmful and needs to be assessed critically by the audiences who are exposed. The “Cool Girl” is sustainable and does not allow videos to influence her into trading the health of the environment for a new pair of shoes. She establishes her own identity and her own sense of fashion. She wears her clothes until they are unwearable or she has grown out of them for reasons other than trends. It is time to stop falling for consumerist ideology and allow ourselves to be confident in our own personal sense of styles and dress however we want, without buying a new trending item each month.
Editor-in-Chief: Jordan Premmer, Chief Copy Editor: Sophia McCrackin, Managing Editor: Jordan DelFiugo, News Editor: Phebe Bridges, Sports Editor: John Lindroos
