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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Illinois chapter.

Too many cooks spoil the broth, so did too many stylists and the internet kill personal style?  You’ve probably heard the famous Coco Chanel phrase, “fashion fades, only style remains the same” (or probably seen it on someone’s wall along with chevron detailing around the obvious ‘live love laugh’ poster), but that’s besides the point.

Style is what you make of it. It doesn’t require a great deal of wealth, good looks or a certain body type to pull off. Simply put, it’s your point of view, and having the balls to take a risk and make something your own. Let’s take Coachella for example; I mean there was even a damn Snapchat filter with a flower crown to prove that individuals these days not only follow, but are devoted to, the status quo. The ubiquitous monochrome outfits littered on every other fashion blogger’s Instagram page, or the homogenized athleisure trend (otherwise known as the Instagram ‘baddie’) that basically translates into you having Yeezys, a bomber jacket and a leather hat? Oh, you must have style.

The social media fashion world churns out new trends every couple of seasons, making it much harder for people to claim something as their own look. What once took time to develop and grow has turned into a frantic dash to conform to the boring monolithic styles of the Hollywood establishment.

Celebrities are turned into vehicles of commercialism. Jeff I Richards said, “Creativity without strategy is called art, creative with strategy is called advertising.” Fashion and style is an art form; throw in a few thousand for a stylist, and voila, you have a brand, and as sardonic as it sounds, each brunch, selfie or starbucks run turns into an advertising opportunity. I’m not saying these are bad outfits, it’s just that the term street style has now taken on a completely different meaning- one which almost removes any ‘street’ aspect from it.What once used to be a reflection of personality has turned into a spectacle of perfectly curated outfits, prepped and planned much in advance, all to be disposed of soon after sequestering any chances of an ill fated repeat showing. 

Either way, this is the sad reality given that we live in a world where we are constantly bombarded with pictures of celebrities. Hopefully instead of just taking the safe route, you take inspiration and build your own image and style!

Photo Sources:

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