Social media hasn't killed personal style, it's killed how we communicate it

The article explores how social media has transformed the way we communicate personal style, rather than merely making everyone look the same. It highlights that while fashion trends and products continue to circulate, social media also amplifies recognizable ways of presenting fashion. The format, language, and rhythm of how fashion is communicated become standardized, making it easier to remember and replicate.

This standardization occurs across various platforms, with influencers using poses, locations, captions, and styling to convey certain aesthetics and cultural associations. Despite the vast array of clothing available, the ways in which people present their outfits on social media often converge, creating a shared understanding of fashion.

Aesthetic terms like "clean girl," "old money," and "-core" further standardize communication, making similar styles easily recognizable and replicable. The study focused on three luxury fashion influencers and analyzed 390 Instagram posts to identify these recurring patterns. The findings suggest that while personal style remains, the efficiency with which social media packages and communicates styles has led to a shared language for expressing individuality.

The article concludes by questioning whether social media is making everyone dress the same or teaching everyone to show their differences in similar ways.