I agree with Wisdom Kaye, that man is the fashion. It’s disappointing not to see him get invited as much to fashion related events. The industry is still heavily racist
He is Hot too..what are the brands doing? I would snatch him asap. He knows fashion, has a lot of people rooting for him. It is like brands have blinders on. Racism like you said.
I think that there’s also a lot of social stigma around “personal style”, because if you really dress how you want every time, people will just consider that weird. So, eventually you’ll just give up and pick the beige jumper.
@ and those are people I hope to be aspired by, I’d love to be REALLY confident enough to do so, which is stupid, I know and no one cares about me, but I’m just too scared, I guess.
Oh absolutely! If you have tried to interact with like FASHION people (or honestly most artists that make "average" or generally "mainstream" art) as someone like me who is just *weird* and so I have to make/customize my own shit, it's not good! There is a way to be creative that people will accept and it's so clear when you don't fit that mold even in circles or people that pride themselves on their uniqueness or nonconformity. I think of my art teacher from highschool and her student assistant who would talk to me and have fun but HATED my art and would frequently put everyone's art up for display other than mine because it was weird! My art teacher was a millennial who loved The Beatles and made realistic portraits of famous people with fun backgrounds and the assistant was a plump butch woman with pride stickers on her laptop. They HATED that I used watercolor without making it opaque or used the texture of colored pencils to add visual interest or that I used a black fine liner to line entire art pieces. They hated my characters and how I turned to surrealism when I found something I couldn't draw. This pumpkin head's sweater opening is too large for a neck? No neck! I wanted to do both pride bowls and craft Mac and cheese in the background, so I did it! And by the end of that year I HATED what they made of my own art, I hated drawing because I couldn't tune out their bad advice. The 'beige sweater' is also sometimes a realistic self portrait and it's WILD. (ack this is so long, forgive me)
Even as a creative, I think I need to apply this to my video making and art making. I try to have too many niches and self identity is hard for someone like me who draws inspo from so many other artists. I need to refocus and make what I identity with, not what would be trendy. Thanks so much Nickyyyy I love u and also love Mina sm too I love that ur a fan of hers too!!
It’s so hard to not get caught up in trying to be everything for everyone, but remember you don’t need to be everything all at once. MANY artists go through different eras of different styles :) I’m glad my video could give you some food for thought!
One phrase that always helps me is "You don't have to be original, but you do have to be authentic." Wherever you draw inspiration, ensure it genuinely resonates with you :)
What I love about Wisdom is that the man IS fashion. You can tell he's someone who lives it, breathes it, and most importantly gives it its own life. His outfits are works of art. The attention to detail, the styling, the references, and the fact that he can do all of that with a specific focus and his own personal touch is amazing. The fashion industry needs to give that man his flowers because if they want innovation, he's it. I've consumed so much fashion content on UA-cam and can say with confidence that no one does it like he does.
thank u for this!!! ive been trying to “rebrand” myself lately bc im growing out of things and i kept trying to dress more “plain” but at the end of the day i still find myself gravitating towards to novelty items and it just goes to prove style is truly personal and how “great” personal style comes over time! and especially now it feels like we’re in a recession since there’s been a more felt bias towards conventionally attractive people 😅
the best quote i heard during my fashion history degree was “Fashion is a response not an island.” fashion and how we interact with it changes based on our political, social, cultural environment and it is not an isolated entity of fabric on bodies. the lack of personal style is a response to media and the desire to appear like those we see on our phones, just as actively engaging in fashion as an art or self expression is a response to those who follow trends basically
I’ve been a Mina watcher for years and recently my algorithm has been feeding me your content, which obviously was a smart move because I’ve been really into yours recently as well. This crossover episode is well done, thanks for giving Mina her flowers!! Hope to see you do a joint video or podcast soon
Yeah I feel like people are forgetting that models are meant to be blank canvas for brands. They don't want your creativity, they want to sell their own vision..
This is true in a sense but in the 90s Naomi and Kate were really known for their individual styles. I can't think of any model now who has good personal style tbh.
There is so much freedom in realizing that trends are an endless chase. Usually we follow trends out of some aspiration to be cool or hot or whatever, but when I think of the people in my life who are genuinely awesome/aspirational (even in a purely aesthetic way), they’re not worried about what the latest fashion trend is. It’s just a money pit.
Loved the video. I'm also a Mina Le fan. I think the "disease" that started the death of personal style is the rich dressing falsely accessible, in a move to make more money. The brands creating the mirage of minimalism through basic pieces of clothes which will always take a tried eye to distinguish between a well made t-shirt and a rag, will eventually lead you into believing that wearing a spaghetti top (I'm quoting Charlie XCX recipe for looking brat) will make you look/be/feel/act like the hotter celebrity. As you said, it's about emotional validation, but only for us, the common people. When I look at how people dress, I can already guess which Insta accounts and digital tribes they follow. And as all good things, good personal choice is and will remain something rare, because it is a practice, a choice, an education in taste, experiment, critical thinking. And that's ok. But it is sad that in the past, many women fought for basic comfort while wearing clothes, like having a shorter skirt for more freedom of movement, being allowed to wear pants, not being forced to wear pumps as a flight attendant. Now, nobody seems to want to move forward, and if they do, it has to be all about higher social status, and democratic sex-appeal. Especially when fast fashion killed what sits at the foundation of any lasting style: fabrics, proportions, durable workmanship. And so, we adopt endless one-day-only esthetics, because we know that actually being rich is almost an impossible dream. We are still medieval peasants in a way. We want socialism, while loving the perks of capitalism. So it's death by the pursuit of quick validation.
I went to school for art and worked in fashion (as a millennial starting work around the time of early fashion blogging) and I miss the SUPER early fashion bloggers and how fashion houses treated these creators. I’m thinking like…. back to like 2008-2010 Rumi Neeley and her blog fashiontoast. During this time fashion houses were discovering how to partner with these bloggers but the WAY they did it was so much more authentic- the brands would align with the creator that captured the mood and style of the brand and then and would invite them to collaborate or create outfits from their collections. That way the influencer was much more aligned with the brands style and would style it in a way that was authentic to their own personal style. The audience who followed the creator would then develop an interest in the brand because this felt like a partnership that made sense. I remember Rumis collaboration with Ungaro and it was so neat and just fit who she was. Nowadays it seems like brands just cash grab and want the Charli demelio or Alix Earle and they will dress them so the creator is more of a “mannequin” but there’s no authenticity there to how the fashion brand fits with the creator other than the big paycheck they give to the creator. I don’t even think a lot of the influencers audience would wear the pieces or even care about or be able to purchase items from that designer. If brands stopped flocking to the beige boring influencer who has the highest follower count and look for smaller influencers who fit their aesthetic more, I bet the audience would be so much more into the brand and there would be so much more of an ROI of interest and most likely purchases by the influencers fans.
Ayo Wisdom Kaye being referred - the man is IMMACULATE. Great taste and creativity. Same for Mina Le, she has a great sense of style that truly suits her.
I love your quote at the beginning! I’m totally fascinated by culture too! Which is why I’m in the video game business. Not a dev, not an artist. But have a cultural perspective! “Art shapes culture; culture shapes people; people shape the world” is absolute gold.
i agree! influencer culture is specifically shaped that way, in which we, as an audience, are encouraged to overlook people with a perspective and prioritize the living mannequin types based on brands validation because if we, as consumers, create the habit of reflecting on our consumption, what it means, if it makes sense, it slows it down, it becomes more strict and sets higher standards, and that doesn't align with the business decisions these brands have been making recently
When it comes to personal style and brands I think about Gabriette, not only because of her rather minimalistic yet 90's chic wardrobe but the mark of her sense of overall style. I think it ties back to the "Halloween costume" thing, where you can prove you have an actual sense of personal branding when someone can do a costume of it (think about Chappell Roan with the white face, red lipstick, blue eyes, and giant red hair, or Charli XCX and the whole brat mania). I think it can be applied to Gabriette, her makeup is very distinct: super thin eyebrows, heavy contour, overlined brown lips, white eyelids with black eyeliner, and her iconic eyebags, all with cold tones; and for the clothes you can think of boots, giant fur jackets, and a simple top with a micro mini skirt, even I have drawn some inspo from her looks to my everyday makeup. Loved the video !!
Your videos are so well put-together and well thought-out. And the way you articulate your thoughts is top notch. I love these videos. Please keep them coming.
Saying the quiet part out loud 32:58 👏👏👏 I think it’s also important to talk about how the two POC women that were discussed are light skin women. This all reminds me of that piece of news that came out at the start of Tik Toks popularity in the U.S. that described how the Tik Tok algorithm was pushing videos of pretty white girls and showing almost no one videos of black creators. Did that ever get fixed or did we move on to the next major news story? I would like to explore more into how this might be contributing to the revival of white conspiracy rhetoric. Also, this is my first time watching one of your videos and I loved it! Hitting subscribe!
I feel like this started with the kardasions (butchered that Ik), now if you look at them they’ve gone back to being white and so has a lot of people in their groups. TikTok hasn’t gotten much better imo
You and Mina Le literally perfectly explained this whole discourse pertaining to personal style and where the fashion industry is at. I hope Wisdom (personal fan of his) and other POC creators get the light shined on them cause honestly if we keep on this path fashion is only going to get more boring. And this is actually homework for all of us like we could do a better job seeking out smaller brands and fashion brands that mean something and aren’t just making it clothes to make money
Emma loves fashion at its core and that’s the difference with her vs someone “just hot” like Alix or Hailey. Emma navigating her personal style through the ups and downs of fame, ad contracts etc has been fascinating to watch
The Root issue is that the Paradigm the industry is rooted in upholds tenets of Supremacy whose pillars are Uniformity & Mediocrity. It’s why a Wisdom Kaye has to be 10x as Excellent and Unique to be offered just 1/10 the opportunity of a Hailey Bieber
your mentioning of how fashion often signals an in-group reminded me of CJ the X's video on Jordan Peterson's suits! i highly recommend their video, they touch on so many of these same ideas and how a lot of modern fashion is about the body that wears it rather than the clothes themselves. loved hearing your thoughts!
I was practically levitating out of my seat with excitement watching this video. I decided this year to dive even deeper into my self-expression, and fashion has always been an area I was fearful of fully committing to. My socials are centered around knit and crochet fashion, in large part because I first fell in love with the personal styles that emerged from those communities. The power to create your own wardrobe is so powerful, and in my own practice and purchasing choices I want to not only love how I look, but also be mindful of how I can use clothing to love my body fully.
Music and fashion are two of the biggest art forms we interact with but dont discount all the visual art you see on a daily basis. Everything you see on your phone has had a graphic designer, photographer, or artists touch behind it.
As an artist i will say, art was always about getting inspiration from everything in the world. From culture to literature to fashion to mix them, creating their own style. Liking a specific genre or aesthetic is definitely not bad, but i will admit that it's ridiculous how many put labels in everything.
I agree that people who are involved in fashion usually doesn't get the credit or the audience they deserve but the thing saying "personal style is dead" is unnecessary in my opinion. So many people are busy with their life goals, life struggles or their personal life and in this case you can't expect people to build a very unique fashion style. For myself I use a micro wardrobe for my daily life because my routine starts at the early hours of the day and I don't have that much time to make a look. Even if I don't make spectacular looks, I like learning about fashion and have a sense of what is nice and what is dissapointing and I am TIRED of hearing basicness is boring or basicness have no personality crap. You really didn't have to talk about this case cus I see no point of doing it
His exemple mentionned influencers, not a 21yo american girl that's studying medecine. If you're a popular influencer that's showing how they're gonna dress, you should be able to try things that are different.
@@MISSMADISONMEDIA the oversized one with the bra or crop top underneath? usually in all neutral colors? it's like a bad take on the 80's. oh then they pair that with...athleisure bottoms...like ..leggings or..bike shorts.. LOL
Although I mostly agree with what you say, we have to shout out creators like Quenlin Blackwell, Nailea Devora, Orion Carloto and Enya Umanzor who are all POC influencers with not much previous knowledge of fashion who are getting huge opportunities with luxury brands. Are they thin and conventionally attractive? Sure, but they don't particularly follow the traditional wife type of content output and three of the four I just mentioned are also queer.
Watched Mina's video the other day, so ofc I clicked this. lol (Omg thank you for bringing up the supermodel.) 🙌 I really do think the "death" of personal style--or rather, the murder of it--has been due to a struggle WITH individualism, not FOR it. American society has an individualistic approach to everything--own your own car, your own house, get your career all on your own without any help, etc... Y'know, the "self-made person." This becomes dysfunctional rather quickly, as it takes away the importance of community and sense of belonging and purpose. I think people, now more than ever, wear trends and titles as a way to be a beacon for others who are "unique" like them; to identify their community. I see a deep-seeded sadness and isolation in it, and it attracts a cult mentality of wearing a uniform, and socially performing to feel included. (Now, I'm not against uniforms in general, or their functionality in certain places. But it feels like there is a toxicity at the source of these "trend/aesthetic uniforms" and all the buzzwords created for them.) I think the pandemic really supercharged this loneliness for many. But it also supercharged the influencer (among other digital careers), as well as the branding and selling of yourself in a very capitalistic (and semi-fascist) country out of necessity to survive financially and socially, and to hopefully feel purpose. Everyone wants oversimplification to get to the point of identity but lose the reason and description for the thing we oversimplify, thus we get this overuse of terms and trends to the point of meaninglessness. And that refuels the loneliness. At least that's what I've observed. imo, it's not about the clothes you wear, it's how you wear them. That's personal style to me. If you can't afford everything you want to wear, what do you make of what you have? That's what makes someone's style interesting--not being a walking advertisement for a trend or hashtag. Great video! Really enjoyed all the things you covered. I appreciated you highlighting a few great examples of actual fashion-minded people who display personal style well, and the meaning behind it. :}
I disagree I think we engage with and consume a lot more art forms on a daily basis. Architecture, advertising, design, photography, long form video essays, drawing, writing, much, fashion.
I think see and engage with are different things. Many people are bombarded with ads and watch videos but don’t stop to reflect on them or what they mean.
Architecture definitely came to mind when he voiced that statement over shots of New York and its distinct architecture 😂😂 but I think his point still stands, it's just worded weirdly. Fashion is the only art form that we consistently engage with on a daily basis as *a form of self expression* Architecture doesn't intersect much with the common person's self expression and creativity. Photography, writing, drawing, and film/video are also not part of everyone's toolset for self expression. But clothes, styling and fashion are.
respectfully disagree, we don’t see a bunch of brand new buildings everyday, but we see brand new outfits everyday, most people don’t wear the same outfit everyday and there’s definitely more humans then buildings at any spot, same thing with designs and art, EVERY person will wear an outfit everyday, but not everyone will make a design or write a paper or make a video.
I think what has also contributed to this is the loss of the fashion dictators of the 90s and 2000s; the fashion critics that would tear apart basic or boring fashion even when it’s in style if it didn’t fit their view. Like things were more visceral and it was more amusing cause fashion was more in its raw element and now it feels so tamed and manufactured
Great video, Nicky! Thank you for mentioning Drew Joiner and Wisdom Kaye. I've never heard of them before but now I have! If only most men's fashion is as interesting as theirs. For me, my fashion is influenced by my taste in music. I am influenced by 60s fashion and alternative styles. One issue with fashion is that being trendy and looking good is sometimes just inaccessible. But I think the bottomline of personal style is that YOU get to decide how YOU look! You don't have to buy the most expensive dress to stay in style, start DIY-ing what you have to spice up your wardrobe! Fashion is the easiest way to get creative, because you don't exactly have to be talented to participate in this art form.
I really have problems connecting the general concept of personal style and subculture trends to the fashion industry critique. Don't get me wrong, it sucks that the industry prefers influencers without a bold personal style, but what does that have to do with subculture fashion from the past? What does personal style of an influencer or other famous person have to do with the personal style of regular people? When did regular people (as a whole) ever have a super unique style? Of course there are excempts from it, but in a regular ass town you'll get the stink eye if you look too out there.
I just wanna say I thoroughly enjoyed this video essay. a lot of good points were raised as well as great one liners that seems very natural. also, i love the conviction whenever you're pinpointing an idea (the finger snapping) makes us actually feel like we're conversing with you and not just u talking. the difference about you and other creators that do the same is that it dont feel like we're sitting on a class presentation which is a good thing tbh. 10/10 hope u reached the 50k goal or more cause it's deserved.
As someone who isn't super isn't fashion in the first place, I LOVE seeing people who are, and their creativity. It's sad seeing that most everything now is how much money you can flaunt :(
So glad I decided to check out your video, I'm also a big Mina le fan and love your opinions on this topic, you bring up good points and it really makes me want to rethink some fashion decisions
great video. I watched Mina's original and appreciate you expounding on it. I do want to mention that a key detail left out of the Nara Smith and Gabbriette piece, is that they are literally models. For that reason, I do feel that the trad wife content is irrelevant to this conversation, other than Nara's cooking videos helping her go viral. But, Ballerinafarm isn't sitting front row at the shows, as far as I know. It wouldn't be on brand for her as an actual tradwife despite being this thin, white and blond ideal. Whereas the other two are models that just happen to also be creators/influencers. As you pointed out, you could argue that they wouldn't even be as popular if they weren't already model hot.
I think I left the same comment on Mina’s video. I feel like any discussion of Nara just doesn’t lead to anything productive because Nara’s online identity is carefully curated. She’s not a homesteader, she’s literally a model- meaning she had a fucking job and isn’t trad. I want to just pick Nara out of every conversation about fashion with a pair of tweezers because I’m so so tired of hearing about this fakey marketing scheme tiktok woman 😭 Nothing she does is real
I think Wicked is jumpstarting the comeback of 2008-10 "Ozcore/alicecore" ( fluffy tulle cocktail dresses, cupcake and taffeta cupcake skirts, candy colors, etc). This is sad because I was always a 2008 core lass due to a lost tweenagehood and my style has been uncool until likely soon.
If true, I'm excited for it to come back -- I did not have my own income when Betsey Johnson esque fashions were The Thing and I want them to come back. (I would also have been like 11-12, and much too insecure to wear them given I was a chubby preteen)
I’m from Australia’s fashion capital, Melbourne. Where so many embrace personal style, and when I moved to the UK I got so much hate for just dressing as myself
i think the fashion industry is speedrunning the gilded age. no one wants clothes for the artisanal skill it takes to craft them, but the social capital that accompanies the clothes. it is aspirational to sell large quantities of products instead of creating and enhancing the trade of making and styling clothes. the result is a generation of young people making a name for themselves by flattering powerful brands and ignoring or overshadowing the women and poc, primarily from the global south, who labor to make the brands they wear and discard.
CORRECTION: Marsha did not throw the first brick at Stonewall. Marsha was not present when the riots started. He didn't get there until 2am. Also, he identified as a gay man not a TW
i loveeee your videos, i’m a subscriber & love that you do soooo much research 😍 your videos always teach me something new! but i’d like to add, i’ve attended London Fashion Week many times & also recently New York Fashion Week, & they do actually have interesting fashion people, stylists & unique dressing people attending these shows, i think maybe because you only follow the big celebs & influencers you don’t actually see that these types of people do get invited, there’s always innovative brands & people expressing fashion with a unique perspective in crazy ways at fashion events/shows when i go… maybe because you don’t follow the right fashion blogs/pages or brands or creators that do post about expressing fashion in unique ways that’s why you don’t see it… i get soooo inspired whenever i attend fashion week & see what people are wearing, i always see things i’ve never seen before… of course prada & those specific luxury brands will dress famous people in their clothes because they want to promote their brand (that’s obvious) but just wanted to let you know that legit fashion people who express themselves uniquely do actually get invited to these fashion events, but obvs for business purposes big brands also need to invite people who have a huge audience to promote their collections to as many eyes as possible… p.s. i don’t know if you’ve heard of the brand ‘Casa Blanca’ but i LOVE them & their shows/collections are always so creatively insane & have a unique perspective on fashion, as well as ‘Diesel’, they’re always pushing the boundaries; i attended the ‘Chet Lo’ show at london fashion week, check them out too their collections are very exciting; also recently ‘Louis Vuitton’ since having Pharrell Williams as the creative director he’s definitely steered the direction to make the brand stand out - i think it’s okay for some brands to be plain & simple, not everyone lives a life where they need to or want to stand out, most people aren’t attending these big events, they’re just living their normal lives so some brands need to cater for normal people too 🥰
I wasn’t trying to say they invite ZERO people who have knowledge in fashion by any means! Just that the majority of the BIGGG opportunities and money goes towards these creators or celebrities that I wouldn’t even say are really rooted in fashion.
For me last Mina Le's video was depressing, not gonna lie. She kinda dismissed the very thing that made her unique in the first place and caught our eye to stop and listen, seemingly considering it "too shallow" now that she considers herself "a serious writer". I don't know, it seemed rather self-congratulatory for me.
It just kinda sounded like she’s personally going through some kind of emotional crisis and ended up like projecting that out on everybody else around instead of acknowledging that maybe she should just take a couple of breaths and step back a little bit to try and reframe her perspective Like are you okay Mina???
But why does her uniqueness have to be based off of what she wears. She's still her making the same content but for r some reason u're basing her identify on what clothing she wears. Clothes don't matter to some ppl they're just objects in the end
Yeah she talked about very specific influencer and fashion industry specific problems. I did not get how that was supposed to connect to regular people and subculture styles. Subcultures are not the fashion industry. @@phoenixfritzinger9185
Maybe let’s not assume things like this and she is still the same person but because you’re shallow enough to just base someone’s personality on their clothing ..it sounds just really sad that’s that your perspective on these things..let’s not encourage this please , some people don’t like dressing up so extravagantly because they’re tired and busy , so if she’s going to be a writer there’s no point all dressed up sitting at a desk if she doesn’t like that.
1:21 I LOVE THIS GUY. I follow him on Instagram I love his style, and he's also a model too. I'm a fashion freak I love it I'm obsessed with it ,and I follow a lot of creators who have a really unique style but are not known a lot. I really hate that the celebrities who have a lot of money to experiment and give us great unique outfits don't do it a lot even on red carpets and daily outfits too I understand it's normal where ,but still give me something unique, bold, different it's just basic styles.
2:07 you have so many subs and I stg I know you from somewhere else 😂 but I’m really happy to see someone else loving Mina Le’s work! I’ve been watching her for a few years now, she’s so cool
Im in the fine art camp. This also happens there. People that have time and money to invest in networking are like 80% of who makes it. My psychological issues make me want to peel the skin off my face at the thought of making progress videos and other stuff to promote my page and my art. A part time assistant would be ideal but im disabled and depending on support from the government. I just want to paint and draw all day in baggy clothes and olay with my cats ❤
When you said it's not fashion they're just hot reminds me of that trend a few years back on fashion commentary channels: is it an outfit or is she just skinny? What does this have to say? Is it a coherent style? Is it even interesting to look at or is she just skinny? And because she's skinny we think it works
the gym i go to is Planet Fitnesss, where they have no mirrors. I couldn't have been happier with that decision. I dress comfy and I focus on my workout. The clothes are an afterthought.
You sold me with this video (liked & subscribed ;v;) I actually saw this come up on my suggested videos and it reminded me to watch Mina Le's video, so I watched hers and then I watched yours. GREAT VIDEO TO FOLLOW UP AFTER HERS. Just a fantastic video in general. Thank you for the yapping. I LOVE talking about fashion and watching videos on people's actual deep thoughts on the art form, the industry, etc. c:
(I have a point i prommy, read to the end) I used to dress for myself and my style a lot more than I do now. I would bleach one eyebrow, I'd wear crazy eyeliner, but no other makeup cause that wasn't fun to do. I'd wear super weird layers and dye everything black and put safety pins everywhere. My hair was colored at random, and I'd shave it all off on a whim, and I was happy with it every time. I had fun with it. Then covid and a job that killed my confidence happened, and although i still dress in all black, it's so toned down, and my hair isn't shaved or a weird color. I dont even do any makeup, but I'll vaguely up keep my brows. The thing is, although I miss expressing myself the way I want I am treated soooooooo much nicer. I dont get ladies on buses yelling about how I'm satanic (nope, and i dont appropriate other people's religion in my clothing, ever) and how I'm going to hell. I dont have guys following me around both at night and during the day, broad day light fully stalking me (I walked around the same block 3 times, he was there with me the entire time). Guys yelling things at me across the street. Thats all gone. My face hasnt changed much, my weight is the same, all i changed was being to depressed to try so od copy those around me (still in black) and now im scared to go back to that. The thing with personal style, and why I said all of this, is that i dont think people don't WANT a personal style, it's that they see how others are treated when they do and dont want to put themselves front and center.
Usually I found that in real life when I dress in a more “out there” personal way I get compliments, I also get stares but people never come to me to insult me in real life. Whereas on the internet when you see a reel of a fashion show (especially a men fashion show) all the comments are making fun of it. Then you open their account and you can see 0 (zero) decent outfits.
It is truly so frustrating how a lot of what passes for personal style online these days is just conspicuous consumption while looking hot. I totally agree that a lot of people being platformed in the fashion space don’t have personal style or a POV on fashion and style. In a way it makes sense, because models have always been living mannequins who are supposed to be malleable, blank slates onto which brands can project themselves. Influencers are an I think inevitable progression of that. The true artists, the creators of fashion and style, are the designers and stylists behind the scenes. I just wish the whole world of fashion and style wasn’t so contingent on selling products. Maybe then it would be a more fun, less scary place.
I've lived off of hand-me-downs my entire life. My family is exclusively female and we're all the same size so I'd say my "personal style" is made up of clothes from my granny, my very cool aunts and my mom 😅😅 I'm just forced to combine them in interesting ways. I know I've done it right when I show up to an event and everyone is asking me where I got my pieces from - YOU. Lol it used to be yours. I'm a full blown adult now, I just find this method to be super sustainable and easy to pull off when your fam is stylish
It’s in the same manner of how the brands suddenly preferred models who look alike, and was giving the same energy. In which that I know that Prada runaway was the reason for that (the tipping point). But the point is, they wanted people to buy the clothes not the overpowering personality of the models.
I think it would be very interesting if you made a video analyzing Ariana Grande's eras within her albums, similarly to your Addidon Rae and Sabrina Carpenter video! I just discored you and I'm obsessed.
I'm only half way through this so far, & I'm liking your takes, but I have to add... I think part of it is also about convenience/reliability/saving time etc - If people perceive a certain brand/company to consistently deliver something they are aiming to acheive, they are more likely to go with that brand (if they have the means to do so), because it saves them time trying to self find whatever they're looking for... If that makes sense? Basically I think part of it is about saving time, & obviously the people that have the luxury to do that are more often wealthier (hence the cycle) I do think that lack of consistency is often also what kills a brand in the eyes of the public - Eg. Someone like Shein very much lacks consistency & is veiwed very poorly - Whereas say a FashionNova has a similar business model/engage in similar practices, but isn't as widely frowned upon because it doesn't lsck that consistency enough... Hope that makes some sense? ❤
I think what has also contributed to this is the loss of the fashion dictators of the 90s and 2000s; the fashion critics that would tear apart basic or boring fashion even when it’s in style if it didn’t fit their view. Like things were more visceral and it was more amusing cause fashion was more in its raw element and now it feels so tamed and manufactured And further point these influencers are the new models, the word mannequin and model are used interchangeably in a lot of languages I mean Nara smith is a model… like independently of her husband. Also models have always been blank slates; fashion critics were never part of the fashion ton they were the outside and that’s missing since as you pointed out is basically bribed to only praise. Also it’s okay to speak ill of the basic mouth pieces in the fashion world they are making money on an unattainable status and we have cease to critique them for it…..
My info bubble was so thick, i truly believed we in the rise of personal style, because i constantly see cool people around, who doesn't look like anybody else And i feel more insecure looking like normie than when i look probably not really good/put together, but true to myself
Obssesed with all the commentary. And completely agree! HOWEVER, mass market will always be mass market… the numbers are always gonna win for (fashion) companies that have to make money at the end of the day… that is the cold, non-romantic truth.. But let’s enjoy little sparks of joy with special, and different fashionistas. 💫🌈🙌🏼
Quick lesson about teenage vs adulthood: when you are a teen you want to find your style and who you are because we all NEED that. But once you become an adult you REALLY don't want all people o know who you are. Not everyone is your friend. If you can control how you are perceived ou allow people o project on you and then manage that image with that person, then you'll be in a position of advantage. Cause every single opinion on you will be based on can illusion and take them take away from your true businesses. and people project onto you tells you a lot about who they are. It's a lot young adults haven't learned that yet. Be nice and reasonable, but don't wear your heart on your sleeve all the time. You are an adult, think like one. You know the world by now. Play better games
@@Horrorbabe4 then you wasted your teen years. Society reduces a lot what teen do cause adults know the differences. An adult behaving in certain ways? that may prevent you from getting certain oportunities. "teens are weird and cinge is homornes and everything", an adult must not, we have bills to pay. It's all about knowing when, where and around whom
This is more situational. It's not like teens don't benefit from looking "neutral" and it's not like adults don't have the need for self-expression. It's a matter of having a safe environment for you to express yourself in. Adulthood doesn't have to be so bleak and cynical by default
I do not have the capability and the finances to dress in fashion I can't afford clothes that represent who I am i buy clothes because I don't want to be naked but definitely not for art I don't have the luxury to do that and it sucks because I feel like The outsider everyone wearing their favorite pieces meanwhile most of my clothes come from the Goodwill the way I dress is giving "boring"and that's super embarrassing!
I feel like this conversation is so important because it’s a clear explanation as to how our world is running right now. The part of brands using a specific type of person to show off their brand is eerily similar to how K-pop companies are hiring 12-17 year olds to debut them as singers because they are a “blank canvas” and won’t come out with “scandals” and can be molded into a shape that can promote their products and how the fact that if a brand is paying you money in exchange of your silence can be reflected on to how right wing creators are putting out their content and shows how easy it is to put out propaganda just for a sponsor (Tim Pool getting sponsored by Russia and doing a 180 by putting out pro-russia content).
this video is so clearly from a white male middle class new yorker perspective lol i do agree that the advent of the internet has definitely made it way harder to be outwardly authentic to the person you are on the inside, but bringing up hippies as like some sort of positive example for how 'important' a style can be in trying to indicate someones actual views is so backwards.. but perhaps it isnt?? the quintessential hippy is probably very similar to the modern new york 'fashionhead', in that they both stand for nothing and use flowery language to gloss over the fact that their mindless overconsumption and desire to be liked and seen as 'in the know' is the exact same as the stuck up people at the top they think theyre opposing somehow
I think it feels like part of the conversation people were having towards the end of the year about Sincerity in art. That was music but I feel like it can extend to this. Very few people want to engage sincerely with the people who have something to say about fashion/music/movies and just want to feed on the bland, generic version for some reason. There's nothing wrong with bland versions but we need to go back to celebrating people who try, people who care. Even if its art you don't like but it should at least make you form an interesting opinion about the medium.
If you wanna hear me yap some more follow me on IG!!! I post on there every day :)
instagram.com/nicky.reardon/
I loved Mina Le's latest video and I'm so glad you're giving your thoughts on it! I'm manifesting a Nicky x Mina Le video in 2025.
You have no idea like that is my literal DREAMMM
@@nicky.reardon i would be so sat for that 😭😭
I agree with Wisdom Kaye, that man is the fashion. It’s disappointing not to see him get invited as much to fashion related events. The industry is still heavily racist
He is Hot too..what are the brands doing? I would snatch him asap. He knows fashion, has a lot of people rooting for him. It is like brands have blinders on. Racism like you said.
I think that there’s also a lot of social stigma around “personal style”, because if you really dress how you want every time, people will just consider that weird. So, eventually you’ll just give up and pick the beige jumper.
I am very proud to say that I haven’t not picked up the beige jumper since I was 12 (I’m turning 17 in January)
Not really. Some people thrive with a personal style and just don't care what others say
@ and those are people I hope to be aspired by, I’d love to be REALLY confident enough to do so, which is stupid, I know and no one cares about me, but I’m just too scared, I guess.
@@gaiamorgosi7181 life is too short to be scared frfr 😖
Oh absolutely! If you have tried to interact with like FASHION people (or honestly most artists that make "average" or generally "mainstream" art) as someone like me who is just *weird* and so I have to make/customize my own shit, it's not good! There is a way to be creative that people will accept and it's so clear when you don't fit that mold even in circles or people that pride themselves on their uniqueness or nonconformity.
I think of my art teacher from highschool and her student assistant who would talk to me and have fun but HATED my art and would frequently put everyone's art up for display other than mine because it was weird! My art teacher was a millennial who loved The Beatles and made realistic portraits of famous people with fun backgrounds and the assistant was a plump butch woman with pride stickers on her laptop. They HATED that I used watercolor without making it opaque or used the texture of colored pencils to add visual interest or that I used a black fine liner to line entire art pieces. They hated my characters and how I turned to surrealism when I found something I couldn't draw. This pumpkin head's sweater opening is too large for a neck? No neck! I wanted to do both pride bowls and craft Mac and cheese in the background, so I did it! And by the end of that year I HATED what they made of my own art, I hated drawing because I couldn't tune out their bad advice. The 'beige sweater' is also sometimes a realistic self portrait and it's WILD. (ack this is so long, forgive me)
Wisdm is incredible. I literally could never. Crushes it every time.
they’re a GENUIS!! i love their art
He's otherworldly!
Exactly! And when he was invited to the Met Gala I was like YESSS
💯 agree. He's so creative
literally this! ! theyre amazing bro
Even as a creative, I think I need to apply this to my video making and art making. I try to have too many niches and self identity is hard for someone like me who draws inspo from so many other artists. I need to refocus and make what I identity with, not what would be trendy. Thanks so much Nickyyyy I love u and also love Mina sm too I love that ur a fan of hers too!!
It’s so hard to not get caught up in trying to be everything for everyone, but remember you don’t need to be everything all at once. MANY artists go through different eras of different styles :)
I’m glad my video could give you some food for thought!
One phrase that always helps me is "You don't have to be original, but you do have to be authentic." Wherever you draw inspiration, ensure it genuinely resonates with you :)
What I love about Wisdom is that the man IS fashion. You can tell he's someone who lives it, breathes it, and most importantly gives it its own life. His outfits are works of art. The attention to detail, the styling, the references, and the fact that he can do all of that with a specific focus and his own personal touch is amazing. The fashion industry needs to give that man his flowers because if they want innovation, he's it. I've consumed so much fashion content on UA-cam and can say with confidence that no one does it like he does.
thank u for this!!! ive been trying to “rebrand” myself lately bc im growing out of things and i kept trying to dress more “plain” but at the end of the day i still find myself gravitating towards to novelty items and it just goes to prove style is truly personal and how “great” personal style comes over time! and especially now it feels like we’re in a recession since there’s been a more felt bias towards conventionally attractive people 😅
It absolutely comes over time! Especially if you like shopping vintage. My favorite pieces are all things I’ve amassed over 3-4 years at this point
the best quote i heard during my fashion history degree was “Fashion is a response not an island.”
fashion and how we interact with it changes based on our political, social, cultural environment and it is not an isolated entity of fabric on bodies. the lack of personal style is a response to media and the desire to appear like those we see on our phones, just as actively engaging in fashion as an art or self expression is a response to those who follow trends basically
Dude, I get so excited when I see a man wear jewelry, make up, piercings etc. so seeing you wear color and all that made me really happy. :)
I’ve been a Mina watcher for years and recently my algorithm has been feeding me your content, which obviously was a smart move because I’ve been really into yours recently as well. This crossover episode is well done, thanks for giving Mina her flowers!! Hope to see you do a joint video or podcast soon
Mina is a queen! And I’m so glad you’re loving my content too hehe. She is my DREAM guesy
Yeah I feel like people are forgetting that models are meant to be blank canvas for brands. They don't want your creativity, they want to sell their own vision..
This is true in a sense but in the 90s Naomi and Kate were really known for their individual styles. I can't think of any model now who has good personal style tbh.
All 90s models were special because the industry let them be
There is so much freedom in realizing that trends are an endless chase. Usually we follow trends out of some aspiration to be cool or hot or whatever, but when I think of the people in my life who are genuinely awesome/aspirational (even in a purely aesthetic way), they’re not worried about what the latest fashion trend is. It’s just a money pit.
I love Mina Le! I’m so glad you mention her, her videos are so incredibly eye opening or ground touching
Loved the video. I'm also a Mina Le fan. I think the "disease" that started the death of personal style is the rich dressing falsely accessible, in a move to make more money. The brands creating the mirage of minimalism through basic pieces of clothes which will always take a tried eye to distinguish between a well made t-shirt and a rag, will eventually lead you into believing that wearing a spaghetti top (I'm quoting Charlie XCX recipe for looking brat) will make you look/be/feel/act like the hotter celebrity. As you said, it's about emotional validation, but only for us, the common people. When I look at how people dress, I can already guess which Insta accounts and digital tribes they follow. And as all good things, good personal choice is and will remain something rare, because it is a practice, a choice, an education in taste, experiment, critical thinking. And that's ok. But it is sad that in the past, many women fought for basic comfort while wearing clothes, like having a shorter skirt for more freedom of movement, being allowed to wear pants, not being forced to wear pumps as a flight attendant. Now, nobody seems to want to move forward, and if they do, it has to be all about higher social status, and democratic sex-appeal. Especially when fast fashion killed what sits at the foundation of any lasting style: fabrics, proportions, durable workmanship. And so, we adopt endless one-day-only esthetics, because we know that actually being rich is almost an impossible dream. We are still medieval peasants in a way. We want socialism, while loving the perks of capitalism. So it's death by the pursuit of quick validation.
I went to school for art and worked in fashion (as a millennial starting work around the time of early fashion blogging) and I miss the SUPER early fashion bloggers and how fashion houses treated these creators. I’m thinking like…. back to like 2008-2010 Rumi Neeley and her blog fashiontoast. During this time fashion houses were discovering how to partner with these bloggers but the WAY they did it was so much more authentic- the brands would align with the creator that captured the mood and style of the brand and then and would invite them to collaborate or create outfits from their collections. That way the influencer was much more aligned with the brands style and would style it in a way that was authentic to their own personal style. The audience who followed the creator would then develop an interest in the brand because this felt like a partnership that made sense. I remember Rumis collaboration with Ungaro and it was so neat and just fit who she was. Nowadays it seems like brands just cash grab and want the Charli demelio or Alix Earle and they will dress them so the creator is more of a “mannequin” but there’s no authenticity there to how the fashion brand fits with the creator other than the big paycheck they give to the creator. I don’t even think a lot of the influencers audience would wear the pieces or even care about or be able to purchase items from that designer. If brands stopped flocking to the beige boring influencer who has the highest follower count and look for smaller influencers who fit their aesthetic more, I bet the audience would be so much more into the brand and there would be so much more of an ROI of interest and most likely purchases by the influencers fans.
Ayo Wisdom Kaye being referred - the man is IMMACULATE. Great taste and creativity. Same for Mina Le, she has a great sense of style that truly suits her.
Wisdom Kaye is absolutely phenomenal. Hope to see him more at events - he deserves to be there!!
I love your quote at the beginning! I’m totally fascinated by culture too! Which is why I’m in the video game business. Not a dev, not an artist. But have a cultural perspective! “Art shapes culture; culture shapes people; people shape the world” is absolute gold.
i agree! influencer culture is specifically shaped that way, in which we, as an audience, are encouraged to overlook people with a perspective and prioritize the living mannequin types based on brands validation because if we, as consumers, create the habit of reflecting on our consumption, what it means, if it makes sense, it slows it down, it becomes more strict and sets higher standards, and that doesn't align with the business decisions these brands have been making recently
When it comes to personal style and brands I think about Gabriette, not only because of her rather minimalistic yet 90's chic wardrobe but the mark of her sense of overall style. I think it ties back to the "Halloween costume" thing, where you can prove you have an actual sense of personal branding when someone can do a costume of it (think about Chappell Roan with the white face, red lipstick, blue eyes, and giant red hair, or Charli XCX and the whole brat mania). I think it can be applied to Gabriette, her makeup is very distinct: super thin eyebrows, heavy contour, overlined brown lips, white eyelids with black eyeliner, and her iconic eyebags, all with cold tones; and for the clothes you can think of boots, giant fur jackets, and a simple top with a micro mini skirt, even I have drawn some inspo from her looks to my everyday makeup. Loved the video !!
YEEESS exactly!!
Your videos are so well put-together and well thought-out. And the way you articulate your thoughts is top notch. I love these videos. Please keep them coming.
Saying the quiet part out loud 32:58 👏👏👏 I think it’s also important to talk about how the two POC women that were discussed are light skin women. This all reminds me of that piece of news that came out at the start of Tik Toks popularity in the U.S. that described how the Tik Tok algorithm was pushing videos of pretty white girls and showing almost no one videos of black creators. Did that ever get fixed or did we move on to the next major news story? I would like to explore more into how this might be contributing to the revival of white conspiracy rhetoric. Also, this is my first time watching one of your videos and I loved it! Hitting subscribe!
I feel like this started with the kardasions (butchered that Ik), now if you look at them they’ve gone back to being white and so has a lot of people in their groups. TikTok hasn’t gotten much better imo
You and Mina Le literally perfectly explained this whole discourse pertaining to personal style and where the fashion industry is at. I hope Wisdom (personal fan of his) and other POC creators get the light shined on them cause honestly if we keep on this path fashion is only going to get more boring. And this is actually homework for all of us like we could do a better job seeking out smaller brands and fashion brands that mean something and aren’t just making it clothes to make money
Emma loves fashion at its core and that’s the difference with her vs someone “just hot” like Alix or Hailey. Emma navigating her personal style through the ups and downs of fame, ad contracts etc has been fascinating to watch
The Root issue is that the Paradigm the industry is rooted in upholds tenets of Supremacy whose pillars are Uniformity & Mediocrity. It’s why a Wisdom Kaye has to be 10x as Excellent and Unique to be offered just 1/10 the opportunity of a Hailey Bieber
your mentioning of how fashion often signals an in-group reminded me of CJ the X's video on Jordan Peterson's suits! i highly recommend their video, they touch on so many of these same ideas and how a lot of modern fashion is about the body that wears it rather than the clothes themselves. loved hearing your thoughts!
i LOVE that video and highly recommend it to anyone interested in fashion, subculture and their relationships to society
That is one of my favourite videos ever. His conclusion of " fashion is a language and you're babbling incoherently" is on my mind to this day
Every new upload you have, I become more obsessed with your channel!! I’m so glad you’ve decided to create this content
I’ve been watching Mina Le for a looong time! Love her and so glad you made a video inspired by one of her think pieces!!
Mina Le is literally my biggest inspiration, so glad you’re a fan of her too!
Mina Le is comfort to me 🥰 she’s put in the work and she has a lot to teach
I was practically levitating out of my seat with excitement watching this video. I decided this year to dive even deeper into my self-expression, and fashion has always been an area I was fearful of fully committing to. My socials are centered around knit and crochet fashion, in large part because I first fell in love with the personal styles that emerged from those communities. The power to create your own wardrobe is so powerful, and in my own practice and purchasing choices I want to not only love how I look, but also be mindful of how I can use clothing to love my body fully.
Music and fashion are two of the biggest art forms we interact with but dont discount all the visual art you see on a daily basis. Everything you see on your phone has had a graphic designer, photographer, or artists touch behind it.
As an artist i will say, art was always about getting inspiration from everything in the world. From culture to literature to fashion to mix them, creating their own style. Liking a specific genre or aesthetic is definitely not bad, but i will admit that it's ridiculous how many put labels in everything.
Love it when my faves know and reference each other !!
I agree that people who are involved in fashion usually doesn't get the credit or the audience they deserve but the thing saying "personal style is dead" is unnecessary in my opinion. So many people are busy with their life goals, life struggles or their personal life and in this case you can't expect people to build a very unique fashion style. For myself I use a micro wardrobe for my daily life because my routine starts at the early hours of the day and I don't have that much time to make a look. Even if I don't make spectacular looks, I like learning about fashion and have a sense of what is nice and what is dissapointing and I am TIRED of hearing basicness is boring or basicness have no personality crap. You really didn't have to talk about this case cus I see no point of doing it
Yeah I think her video was very influencer and fashion industry specific and has nothing to do with regular people.
His exemple mentionned influencers, not a 21yo american girl that's studying medecine. If you're a popular influencer that's showing how they're gonna dress, you should be able to try things that are different.
it feels like everyone is kind of dressing in business casual colors every day even when they aren't at work
Not even just the colors! People are wearing blazers to the grocery store and the club. Its wild
@@MISSMADISONMEDIA the oversized one with the bra or crop top underneath? usually in all neutral colors? it's like a bad take on the 80's. oh then they pair that with...athleisure bottoms...like ..leggings or..bike shorts.. LOL
Although I mostly agree with what you say, we have to shout out creators like Quenlin Blackwell, Nailea Devora, Orion Carloto and Enya Umanzor who are all POC influencers with not much previous knowledge of fashion who are getting huge opportunities with luxury brands. Are they thin and conventionally attractive? Sure, but they don't particularly follow the traditional wife type of content output and three of the four I just mentioned are also queer.
YES I AM SO HERE FOR THIS and I just so happened to watch Mina's video a few days ago as wellllll let's gooooo
Watched Mina's video the other day, so ofc I clicked this. lol
(Omg thank you for bringing up the supermodel.) 🙌
I really do think the "death" of personal style--or rather, the murder of it--has been due to a struggle WITH individualism, not FOR it. American society has an individualistic approach to everything--own your own car, your own house, get your career all on your own without any help, etc... Y'know, the "self-made person." This becomes dysfunctional rather quickly, as it takes away the importance of community and sense of belonging and purpose. I think people, now more than ever, wear trends and titles as a way to be a beacon for others who are "unique" like them; to identify their community. I see a deep-seeded sadness and isolation in it, and it attracts a cult mentality of wearing a uniform, and socially performing to feel included. (Now, I'm not against uniforms in general, or their functionality in certain places. But it feels like there is a toxicity at the source of these "trend/aesthetic uniforms" and all the buzzwords created for them.) I think the pandemic really supercharged this loneliness for many. But it also supercharged the influencer (among other digital careers), as well as the branding and selling of yourself in a very capitalistic (and semi-fascist) country out of necessity to survive financially and socially, and to hopefully feel purpose.
Everyone wants oversimplification to get to the point of identity but lose the reason and description for the thing we oversimplify, thus we get this overuse of terms and trends to the point of meaninglessness. And that refuels the loneliness. At least that's what I've observed.
imo, it's not about the clothes you wear, it's how you wear them. That's personal style to me. If you can't afford everything you want to wear, what do you make of what you have? That's what makes someone's style interesting--not being a walking advertisement for a trend or hashtag.
Great video! Really enjoyed all the things you covered. I appreciated you highlighting a few great examples of actual fashion-minded people who display personal style well, and the meaning behind it. :}
I disagree I think we engage with and consume a lot more art forms on a daily basis. Architecture, advertising, design, photography, long form video essays, drawing, writing, much, fashion.
I think see and engage with are different things. Many people are bombarded with ads and watch videos but don’t stop to reflect on them or what they mean.
Architecture definitely came to mind when he voiced that statement over shots of New York and its distinct architecture 😂😂 but I think his point still stands, it's just worded weirdly. Fashion is the only art form that we consistently engage with on a daily basis as *a form of self expression*
Architecture doesn't intersect much with the common person's self expression and creativity. Photography, writing, drawing, and film/video are also not part of everyone's toolset for self expression. But clothes, styling and fashion are.
respectfully disagree, we don’t see a bunch of brand new buildings everyday, but we see brand new outfits everyday, most people don’t wear the same outfit everyday and there’s definitely more humans then buildings at any spot, same thing with designs and art, EVERY person will wear an outfit everyday, but not everyone will make a design or write a paper or make a video.
I think what has also contributed to this is the loss of the fashion dictators of the 90s and 2000s; the fashion critics that would tear apart basic or boring fashion even when it’s in style if it didn’t fit their view. Like things were more visceral and it was more amusing cause fashion was more in its raw element and now it feels so tamed and manufactured
Great video, Nicky! Thank you for mentioning Drew Joiner and Wisdom Kaye. I've never heard of them before but now I have! If only most men's fashion is as interesting as theirs. For me, my fashion is influenced by my taste in music. I am influenced by 60s fashion and alternative styles. One issue with fashion is that being trendy and looking good is sometimes just inaccessible. But I think the bottomline of personal style is that YOU get to decide how YOU look! You don't have to buy the most expensive dress to stay in style, start DIY-ing what you have to spice up your wardrobe! Fashion is the easiest way to get creative, because you don't exactly have to be talented to participate in this art form.
I really have problems connecting the general concept of personal style and subculture trends to the fashion industry critique. Don't get me wrong, it sucks that the industry prefers influencers without a bold personal style, but what does that have to do with subculture fashion from the past? What does personal style of an influencer or other famous person have to do with the personal style of regular people? When did regular people (as a whole) ever have a super unique style? Of course there are excempts from it, but in a regular ass town you'll get the stink eye if you look too out there.
I just wanna say I thoroughly enjoyed this video essay. a lot of good points were raised as well as great one liners that seems very natural. also, i love the conviction whenever you're pinpointing an idea (the finger snapping) makes us actually feel like we're conversing with you and not just u talking. the difference about you and other creators that do the same is that it dont feel like we're sitting on a class presentation which is a good thing tbh. 10/10 hope u reached the 50k goal or more cause it's deserved.
As someone who isn't super isn't fashion in the first place, I LOVE seeing people who are, and their creativity. It's sad seeing that most everything now is how much money you can flaunt :(
So glad I decided to check out your video, I'm also a big Mina le fan and love your opinions on this topic, you bring up good points and it really makes me want to rethink some fashion decisions
Thank you for watching! I'm glad you agree!🙌
your channel is literally the best on youtube
THANK YOU
Im so obsessed with ur content I see u growing so fast
MINA MENTIONED
great video. I watched Mina's original and appreciate you expounding on it. I do want to mention that a key detail left out of the Nara Smith and Gabbriette piece, is that they are literally models. For that reason, I do feel that the trad wife content is irrelevant to this conversation, other than Nara's cooking videos helping her go viral. But, Ballerinafarm isn't sitting front row at the shows, as far as I know. It wouldn't be on brand for her as an actual tradwife despite being this thin, white and blond ideal. Whereas the other two are models that just happen to also be creators/influencers. As you pointed out, you could argue that they wouldn't even be as popular if they weren't already model hot.
I think I left the same comment on Mina’s video. I feel like any discussion of Nara just doesn’t lead to anything productive because Nara’s online identity is carefully curated. She’s not a homesteader, she’s literally a model- meaning she had a fucking job and isn’t trad. I want to just pick Nara out of every conversation about fashion with a pair of tweezers because I’m so so tired of hearing about this fakey marketing scheme tiktok woman 😭 Nothing she does is real
I think she gets included bc despite not being an actual trad wife, she leans into those ideas in her videos and such
I think Wicked is jumpstarting the comeback of 2008-10 "Ozcore/alicecore" ( fluffy tulle cocktail dresses, cupcake and taffeta cupcake skirts, candy colors, etc). This is sad because I was always a 2008 core lass due to a lost tweenagehood and my style has been uncool until likely soon.
If true, I'm excited for it to come back -- I did not have my own income when Betsey Johnson esque fashions were The Thing and I want them to come back. (I would also have been like 11-12, and much too insecure to wear them given I was a chubby preteen)
Please make more videos about fashion and culture! This was executed so well ❤
I'm so glad you're speaking about this....
34:25 OOOOOWEEEEE you are cooking, grilling and sautéing with your thoughts here!! i'm reminded of a pretty significant quote from malcom x ☕
i love listening to you yap it feels like we are on a facetime call
I’m from Australia’s fashion capital, Melbourne. Where so many embrace personal style, and when I moved to the UK I got so much hate for just dressing as myself
i think the fashion industry is speedrunning the gilded age. no one wants clothes for the artisanal skill it takes to craft them, but the social capital that accompanies the clothes.
it is aspirational to sell large quantities of products instead of creating and enhancing the trade of making and styling clothes. the result is a generation of young people making a name for themselves by flattering powerful brands and ignoring or overshadowing the women and poc, primarily from the global south, who labor to make the brands they wear and discard.
CORRECTION: Marsha did not throw the first brick at Stonewall. Marsha was not present when the riots started. He didn't get there until 2am. Also, he identified as a gay man not a TW
I’ve only found you in this much later part of the year but wow your channel is so fun! I’m obsessed 🤍
Thank you for introducing me to Mina Le!
great video ! subscribed i loved everything you shared and said
@@lina-vu3hu AHH WELCOME💞
i loveeee your videos, i’m a subscriber & love that you do soooo much research 😍 your videos always teach me something new! but i’d like to add, i’ve attended London Fashion Week many times & also recently New York Fashion Week, & they do actually have interesting fashion people, stylists & unique dressing people attending these shows, i think maybe because you only follow the big celebs & influencers you don’t actually see that these types of people do get invited, there’s always innovative brands & people expressing fashion with a unique perspective in crazy ways at fashion events/shows when i go… maybe because you don’t follow the right fashion blogs/pages or brands or creators that do post about expressing fashion in unique ways that’s why you don’t see it… i get soooo inspired whenever i attend fashion week & see what people are wearing, i always see things i’ve never seen before… of course prada & those specific luxury brands will dress famous people in their clothes because they want to promote their brand (that’s obvious) but just wanted to let you know that legit fashion people who express themselves uniquely do actually get invited to these fashion events, but obvs for business purposes big brands also need to invite people who have a huge audience to promote their collections to as many eyes as possible…
p.s. i don’t know if you’ve heard of the brand ‘Casa Blanca’ but i LOVE them & their shows/collections are always so creatively insane & have a unique perspective on fashion, as well as ‘Diesel’, they’re always pushing the boundaries; i attended the ‘Chet Lo’ show at london fashion week, check them out too their collections are very exciting; also recently ‘Louis Vuitton’ since having Pharrell Williams as the creative director he’s definitely steered the direction to make the brand stand out - i think it’s okay for some brands to be plain & simple, not everyone lives a life where they need to or want to stand out, most people aren’t attending these big events, they’re just living their normal lives so some brands need to cater for normal people too 🥰
I wasn’t trying to say they invite ZERO people who have knowledge in fashion by any means!
Just that the majority of the BIGGG opportunities and money goes towards these creators or celebrities that I wouldn’t even say are really rooted in fashion.
!!!!! Woke up spoiled this morning. Love this duo
For me last Mina Le's video was depressing, not gonna lie. She kinda dismissed the very thing that made her unique in the first place and caught our eye to stop and listen, seemingly considering it "too shallow" now that she considers herself "a serious writer". I don't know, it seemed rather self-congratulatory for me.
It just kinda sounded like she’s personally going through some kind of emotional crisis and ended up like projecting that out on everybody else around instead of acknowledging that maybe she should just take a couple of breaths and step back a little bit to try and reframe her perspective
Like are you okay Mina???
But why does her uniqueness have to be based off of what she wears. She's still her making the same content but for r some reason u're basing her identify on what clothing she wears. Clothes don't matter to some ppl they're just objects in the end
Yeah she talked about very specific influencer and fashion industry specific problems. I did not get how that was supposed to connect to regular people and subculture styles. Subcultures are not the fashion industry. @@phoenixfritzinger9185
oh, I thought that i was the only one that felt really weird on the way that she wordered it
Maybe let’s not assume things like this and she is still the same person but because you’re shallow enough to just base someone’s personality on their clothing ..it sounds just really sad that’s that your perspective on these things..let’s not encourage this please , some people don’t like dressing up so extravagantly because they’re tired and busy , so if she’s going to be a writer there’s no point all dressed up sitting at a desk if she doesn’t like that.
1:21 I LOVE THIS GUY. I follow him on Instagram I love his style, and he's also a model too. I'm a fashion freak I love it I'm obsessed with it ,and I follow a lot of creators who have a really unique style but are not known a lot. I really hate that the celebrities who have a lot of money to experiment and give us great unique outfits don't do it a lot even on red carpets and daily outfits too I understand it's normal where ,but still give me something unique, bold, different it's just basic styles.
2:07 you have so many subs and I stg I know you from somewhere else 😂 but I’m really happy to see someone else loving Mina Le’s work! I’ve been watching her for a few years now, she’s so cool
Probably from TikTok or IG! I’ve been creating on there longer than YT :)
Im in the fine art camp. This also happens there. People that have time and money to invest in networking are like 80% of who makes it. My psychological issues make me want to peel the skin off my face at the thought of making progress videos and other stuff to promote my page and my art. A part time assistant would be ideal but im disabled and depending on support from the government. I just want to paint and draw all day in baggy clothes and olay with my cats ❤
I loooove this topic! And I have to say you always have the most interesting takes. Love your podcast ❤
We love Mina!!!🩷
OOP LOOKS LIKE ITS TIME FOR MY BREAK 😂 mama I’m sat
PERIODT
When you said it's not fashion they're just hot reminds me of that trend a few years back on fashion commentary channels: is it an outfit or is she just skinny?
What does this have to say? Is it a coherent style? Is it even interesting to look at or is she just skinny? And because she's skinny we think it works
Wisdom Kaye is the epitome of “he’s Him” ✨
the gym i go to is Planet Fitnesss, where they have no mirrors. I couldn't have been happier with that decision. I dress comfy and I focus on my workout. The clothes are an afterthought.
You sold me with this video (liked & subscribed ;v;) I actually saw this come up on my suggested videos and it reminded me to watch Mina Le's video, so I watched hers and then I watched yours. GREAT VIDEO TO FOLLOW UP AFTER HERS. Just a fantastic video in general. Thank you for the yapping. I LOVE talking about fashion and watching videos on people's actual deep thoughts on the art form, the industry, etc. c:
you hit every nail right on the head! loved this video!! :D
(I have a point i prommy, read to the end) I used to dress for myself and my style a lot more than I do now.
I would bleach one eyebrow, I'd wear crazy eyeliner, but no other makeup cause that wasn't fun to do. I'd wear super weird layers and dye everything black and put safety pins everywhere. My hair was colored at random, and I'd shave it all off on a whim, and I was happy with it every time.
I had fun with it.
Then covid and a job that killed my confidence happened, and although i still dress in all black, it's so toned down, and my hair isn't shaved or a weird color.
I dont even do any makeup, but I'll vaguely up keep my brows.
The thing is, although I miss expressing myself the way I want I am treated soooooooo much nicer. I dont get ladies on buses yelling about how I'm satanic (nope, and i dont appropriate other people's religion in my clothing, ever) and how I'm going to hell.
I dont have guys following me around both at night and during the day, broad day light fully stalking me (I walked around the same block 3 times, he was there with me the entire time).
Guys yelling things at me across the street.
Thats all gone.
My face hasnt changed much, my weight is the same, all i changed was being to depressed to try so od copy those around me (still in black) and now im scared to go back to that.
The thing with personal style, and why I said all of this, is that i dont think people don't WANT a personal style, it's that they see how others are treated when they do and dont want to put themselves front and center.
Usually I found that in real life when I dress in a more “out there” personal way I get compliments, I also get stares but people never come to me to insult me in real life. Whereas on the internet when you see a reel of a fashion show (especially a men fashion show) all the comments are making fun of it. Then you open their account and you can see 0 (zero) decent outfits.
It is truly so frustrating how a lot of what passes for personal style online these days is just conspicuous consumption while looking hot. I totally agree that a lot of people being platformed in the fashion space don’t have personal style or a POV on fashion and style. In a way it makes sense, because models have always been living mannequins who are supposed to be malleable, blank slates onto which brands can project themselves. Influencers are an I think inevitable progression of that.
The true artists, the creators of fashion and style, are the designers and stylists behind the scenes. I just wish the whole world of fashion and style wasn’t so contingent on selling products. Maybe then it would be a more fun, less scary place.
I've lived off of hand-me-downs my entire life. My family is exclusively female and we're all the same size so I'd say my "personal style" is made up of clothes from my granny, my very cool aunts and my mom 😅😅 I'm just forced to combine them in interesting ways. I know I've done it right when I show up to an event and everyone is asking me where I got my pieces from - YOU. Lol it used to be yours.
I'm a full blown adult now, I just find this method to be super sustainable and easy to pull off when your fam is stylish
I’ve always followed the best quote by Carolina Herrera “trends are busy”
a video essay about a video essaist is niche lol
It’s in the same manner of how the brands suddenly preferred models who look alike, and was giving the same energy. In which that I know that Prada runaway was the reason for that (the tipping point). But the point is, they wanted people to buy the clothes not the overpowering personality of the models.
I think it would be very interesting if you made a video analyzing Ariana Grande's eras within her albums, similarly to your Addidon Rae and Sabrina Carpenter video! I just discored you and I'm obsessed.
same, i love videos reflecting on artist’s careers and especially her that has been in the industry for so long :)
I'm only half way through this so far, & I'm liking your takes, but I have to add... I think part of it is also about convenience/reliability/saving time etc - If people perceive a certain brand/company to consistently deliver something they are aiming to acheive, they are more likely to go with that brand (if they have the means to do so), because it saves them time trying to self find whatever they're looking for... If that makes sense?
Basically I think part of it is about saving time, & obviously the people that have the luxury to do that are more often wealthier (hence the cycle)
I do think that lack of consistency is often also what kills a brand in the eyes of the public - Eg. Someone like Shein very much lacks consistency & is veiwed very poorly - Whereas say a FashionNova has a similar business model/engage in similar practices, but isn't as widely frowned upon because it doesn't lsck that consistency enough...
Hope that makes some sense? ❤
Nara Smith's being on vogue channel is scaring me
Aw! Love her!
My fav UA-camr right now!!!
i LOVE alex consani, and i love her for being a voice for our community :)
In Brazil, some people have started to analyze outfits by asking, 'Is it stylish, or is it only stylish because she's thin?
I think what has also contributed to this is the loss of the fashion dictators of the 90s and 2000s; the fashion critics that would tear apart basic or boring fashion even when it’s in style if it didn’t fit their view. Like things were more visceral and it was more amusing cause fashion was more in its raw element and now it feels so tamed and manufactured
And further point these influencers are the new models, the word mannequin and model are used interchangeably in a lot of languages
I mean Nara smith is a model… like independently of her husband. Also models have always been blank slates; fashion critics were never part of the fashion ton they were the outside and that’s missing since as you pointed out is basically bribed to only praise.
Also it’s okay to speak ill of the basic mouth pieces in the fashion world they are making money on an unattainable status and we have cease to critique them for it…..
My info bubble was so thick, i truly believed we in the rise of personal style, because i constantly see cool people around, who doesn't look like anybody else
And i feel more insecure looking like normie than when i look probably not really good/put together, but true to myself
Obssesed with all the commentary. And completely agree!
HOWEVER, mass market will always be mass market… the numbers are always gonna win for (fashion) companies that have to make money at the end of the day… that is the cold, non-romantic truth.. But let’s enjoy little sparks of joy with special, and different fashionistas. 💫🌈🙌🏼
Quick lesson about teenage vs adulthood: when you are a teen you want to find your style and who you are because we all NEED that. But once you become an adult you REALLY don't want all people o know who you are. Not everyone is your friend. If you can control how you are perceived ou allow people o project on you and then manage that image with that person, then you'll be in a position of advantage. Cause every single opinion on you will be based on can illusion and take them take away from your true businesses. and people project onto you tells you a lot about who they are. It's a lot young adults haven't learned that yet. Be nice and reasonable, but don't wear your heart on your sleeve all the time. You are an adult, think like one. You know the world by now. Play better games
disagree with that. when i was a teen, i dressed to fit in.
@@Horrorbabe4 then you wasted your teen years. Society reduces a lot what teen do cause adults know the differences. An adult behaving in certain ways? that may prevent you from getting certain oportunities. "teens are weird and cinge is homornes and everything", an adult must not, we have bills to pay. It's all about knowing when, where and around whom
@Horrorbabe4 UA-cam didn't allow my answer to appear. So I guess I can't reply. I'm sorry
This is more situational.
It's not like teens don't benefit from looking "neutral" and it's not like adults don't have the need for self-expression. It's a matter of having a safe environment for you to express yourself in.
Adulthood doesn't have to be so bleak and cynical by default
@@W-I463 I agree, I tried to answer the first person commenting and in that I add the need to nuance. But my comment didn't go in
You have more than 50k subscribers now! 🎉❤
I do not have the capability and the finances to dress in fashion I can't afford clothes that represent who I am i buy clothes because I don't want to be naked but definitely not for art I don't have the luxury to do that and it sucks because I feel like The outsider everyone wearing their favorite pieces meanwhile most of my clothes come from the Goodwill the way I dress is giving "boring"and that's super embarrassing!
I feel like this conversation is so important because it’s a clear explanation as to how our world is running right now.
The part of brands using a specific type of person to show off their brand is eerily similar to how K-pop companies are hiring 12-17 year olds to debut them as singers because they are a “blank canvas” and won’t come out with “scandals” and can be molded into a shape that can promote their products and how the fact that if a brand is paying you money in exchange of your silence can be reflected on to how right wing creators are putting out their content and shows how easy it is to put out propaganda just for a sponsor (Tim Pool getting sponsored by Russia and doing a 180 by putting out pro-russia content).
this video is so clearly from a white male middle class new yorker perspective lol i do agree that the advent of the internet has definitely made it way harder to be outwardly authentic to the person you are on the inside, but bringing up hippies as like some sort of positive example for how 'important' a style can be in trying to indicate someones actual views is so backwards.. but perhaps it isnt?? the quintessential hippy is probably very similar to the modern new york 'fashionhead', in that they both stand for nothing and use flowery language to gloss over the fact that their mindless overconsumption and desire to be liked and seen as 'in the know' is the exact same as the stuck up people at the top they think theyre opposing somehow
I think it feels like part of the conversation people were having towards the end of the year about Sincerity in art. That was music but I feel like it can extend to this. Very few people want to engage sincerely with the people who have something to say about fashion/music/movies and just want to feed on the bland, generic version for some reason. There's nothing wrong with bland versions but we need to go back to celebrating people who try, people who care. Even if its art you don't like but it should at least make you form an interesting opinion about the medium.
Loooved this vid (and Mina’s!) thanks ❤
This is a bit different, but Erin Parsons, celeb makeup artist & makeup historian, has such a unique style & educational content on UA-cam!
I love Mina Le videos ❤