The most infamous social media trend of 2019: the VSCO girl. You may have heard of her, she takes 2019 by the reigns and she is a trend that you cannot ignore. Trust me, I tried.
As a young woman, it’s becoming hard to avoid falling for something that is now so integrated into society, but if we look carefully at the truth behind this trend, the fact of the matter is as old as time itself. It’s geared towards the rich and is just another symbol of high status.
Don’t get me wrong, their aesthetic is pleasing: vintage oversized tees, Puravida bracelets and puka shells, mom jeans. The trend is cute, bringing back to life the 70’s surfers who lived with free spirits. However, we tend to overlook the fact that those free spirits didn’t have a price tag, but we do.
In today’s world, we are so consumed by labels, brand names, and physical staples that prove we have money. Why do we bother acting like we care about the environment by using metal straws and Hydroflasks instead of just recycling our plastic waste? We do it because it looks good. We do it because it looks like we want to be earth-friendly. We do it because it’s what’s popular. It’s selfish.
I will not lie, I’m also known for falling to this trend. I like scrunchies, I have four Hydroflasks, and I like vintage clothing. I am not a saint when it comes to the temptation of the VSCO girl. I like the style, but do we need to spend hundreds of dollars achieving a look that everyone else has? That’s our problem, we do. We all want to follow what’s cool.
My point: We can have our own style. We can follow trends, we can wear what we want to wear. Don’t succumb to what’s cool if it destroys your bank account. Be the girl who starts the trend, not the girl who follows it.