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Okay, I know I'm gonna sound like an ancient dinosaur in this. I promise you I'm not completely done for! I know style, I know fashion. I appreciate a good Pinterest or Instagram scroll here and there. But I feel like we also need to stop and reflect on the content we're consuming, especially when, in "aesthetics" case, it's something we root our identities in.
There's 2 main points I wanna touch on in this blog! Those include:
1. Personal style
2. The upkeep
3. Overconsumption
Yeah, I know, it's probably not gonna be that in-depth lol, but I really wanna talk about it regardless! So let's get started!
1. Personal Style
My main problem with aesthetics really just boil down to personal styles (and the lack of learning what you like).
I used to be suuuper into aesthetics and tried really hard to adhere to ESPECIALLY the vsco girl aesthetic. I'd be on Pinterest, going through all the "things you need to be a vsco girl!!" boards and changed the music I listened to, changed the way I spoke, my humor and my activities.
Suddenly, I was kinda not Miru anymore.
I'm not super active on social media, but there are some people I follow on there that seem to just change aesthetic into whatever is new and popular? Same with just my timeline as well! There's absolutely no question when the latest and greatest new aesthetic dropped!
And can we not agree that it's a little sad?
You never really get to step back and truly decide what it is that you really enjoy. I know for sure I don't really enjoy the vsco girl style. Sure, I love doing crafts! And going to the beach! And staying hydrated! And taking pictures and hanging out with friends!
But it's not me. Miru is so much more than that! I also love going to the forest, playing video games, going clubbing etc. All of those aren't very vsco girl type of thing you see on Pinterest or tiktok (if you're back in 2019, I guess).
This leads me to number 2!
2. The upkeep
So, what now? You wanna be clean girl, but you're not a "clean girl". You like splurging on a greasy burger, you swear, you hate pilates and yoga, you don't have the patience to do your hair and you secretly really like dark green.. Dark green isn't very clean girl, is it? Or is it??
In my personal opinion, I find the heisei retro aesthetic really visually appealing! I love the soft colors, pink and green are some of my favorite colors! And I'm super into cute things like anime, retro consoles, indie pop music etc etc...
- But I also cuss a lot, I like wearing black, I listen to metal and I'm super into psychological horror stuff.
Not very cutesy ☘️🍥 Heisei Retro! ⭐️ core..
And this genuinely stressed me out for a while! I felt like I was so so wrong and that I just shouldn't vary my clothing style because it wouldn't fit the "aesthetic I was going for".
But, unlike social media, me, you, everyone else in the world! Are very multi dimensional people.
I bet you that light academia girlie loves a little rock music, that alt boy secretly loves mainstream pop songs and that clean girl wants to eat a mf greasy ass burger.
What I'm trying to say is, it cannot be healthy for you to be restricting your real wants and likes in order to fit into a style category that is just so strict on what you're actually allowed to look like and enjoy for the #gram!!!11!!!11! Or, well, Tiktok. I don't know.
Anywho, number 3!
3. Overconsumption
I kinda touched on this in the beginning of my blog with my little vsco girl shopping list essentials, but the same goes for most aesthetics. A lot of it just boils down to "which cool thing can I buy to look cool for others", which is a huge issue!!! Not just for your wallet, but also for our planet.
Cause what are you gonna do once your labubu clean girl dubai chocolate starbucks matcha latte aesthetic is done and over? Ready to move onto the next thing?
Your labubu is probably gonna end in landfill, all your empty makeup body mist things are also gonna end up in landfill, your plastic starbucks cup is gonna break into micro plastics in the ocean and get eaten by a turtle (sorry vsco girls) and the mass import of matcha requires more space to grow and harvest matcha --> you gotta cut down more trees or tear down towns and whatnot to make room.
Not good.
Not to be a doomer, but it's just the tough reality!
There's already clothes enough on our planet to clothe the next 6 generations (earth.org), so buying cheap fast fashion to match the latest micro trend is really not favorable.. I mean, fast fashion is kind of a fashion subscription right?? Rocket Money??? HELP????
Not to put all the stress on the consumer (us) because we aren't the sole reason why things like this can be kind of grim; but we can definitely play a role in minimizing the waste and overconsumption of random junk that we KNOOOW we'll be done with within a couple months.
Learning your own personal style and not tying yourself down to a set internet persona will help you help you get to know yourself better and, therefore, understand yourself, your needs and your interests better! A lot of people don't sit down and really do the work to understand who they are, their goals and their interests and it sucks.
This isn't to say that you should NEVER BUY NEW CLOTHES or NEVER EXPERIMENT YOUR STYLE!!! But to take a step back sometimes and allow yourself the full reach to be the true you.
Yeah, you might really like a soft aesthetic, and that's awesome! Go do that!! I'm rooting for you!!! (Those ruffles look hella cute on you btw teehee~), but pleaseee don't restrict your creative self! Match those cute ruffles and bows with your favorite FNAF shirt and whatnot! You go, you!
I really hope this blog makes sense! This isn't to snap at anyone, I just simply think we should all try our best to not be so hard on ourselves and love ourselves for who we really are.
Thank you for reading this far! Please comment down below if you have any critics, comments, questions; anything of the sort! I'd love to chat more about this!
Have a wonderful day <3
Comments
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HenryEatsCats
i agree with all of this. i also don't like how aesthetics are just tiktok's way of shoving original styles and feelings into tiny little boxes. "what aesthetic is this??" its called someone's unique style, get yer own man.
¸„٭⊹~⍣°”ˆ˜¨nil¨˜ˆ”°⍣~⊹٭„¸
All of these people hates labels and guess what? They labelled themselves already.
It's not about hating all labels, it's about not narrowing yourself down to fit IN a label! ^^
I personally would say it's totally fine to use labels (I mean, it can be pretty dang useful to identify people you might have similar hobbies or feelings for etc), but again, not making it your WHOLE THING, if that makes sense!
by Miru; ; Report
we are on the same page
by ¸„٭⊹~⍣°”ˆ˜¨nil¨˜ˆ”°⍣~⊹٭„¸; ; Report
cherri
thank you, though, i think its perfectly fine to be a part of some aesthetics. as long as you genuinely like it.
sh1verxo
I never really knew or know what an aesthetic is so idk if I fit into one, ig I’m me aesthetic
real
by cherri; ; Report
Emeri ✩
As someone who never felt the 'belonging to a certain aesthetic' pressure it's really hard for me to describe my style except for just 'idk colorful'- And if you do wanna buy certain stuff for trends or to experiment (and no i don't mean being a chronic SHEIN user thats another thing entirely-) and you don't like them anymore, find the nearest thrift shop you can donate them to or put them on an online second hand platform ! That way if you care abt the environment you dont have to feel bad abt throwing stuff away 'too quick' :>
It's totally fine not to fully know your style yet!
I also don't know my style other than: oh this cutesy pink stuff is super cute, but hey, look at this cool ass band tee that I will pair with some heavy pouchy jeans LMAO!
It's okay not to "match" every day, just wear what makes you happy ^^'
I love that you brought up the thrift store though! Thrift stores are a godsent, I highly recommend visiting multiple; and not just the big chain ones! There's a bunch of smaller, independent ones where I am and they ALWAYS have the prettiest things, usually for cheaper too.
by Miru; ; Report
oh it's not that i don't know my style, it's just that what i like to wear really doesn't completely match any aesthetic so i don't want to call myself one- and im very basic on some days so yep i already do that :> a lot of my clothes are thrited too! it feels like thrift stores here in europe aren't as great as the ones in the US, but i can still find a lot of stuff there and in at least some countries Vinted is a fucking life saver if you know what to watch out for on there :)
by Emeri ✩; ; Report
Rainie
in 2020-2023 I went through this several times admittedly, trying my best to mold myself into a strict "aesthetic" because I thought it'd be lame to mix different ones or even have my own personal style. I wanted to fit in with everyone else. As I grew older I realized that it was kind of stupid to shove myself into a specific box that I just don't fit in and I should instead go with the flow and make my own thing
I think this sort of thing especially happens to teens who are still trying to discover themselves and (hopefully) it's something we all eventually grow out of. But I def agree that fast fashion is good for no one
I think we've all gone through "phases" of SOMETHING. Whether that's hardcore scene emo kid or adventure cottagecore type of vibe, all of it shapes who we are in the end. I'm someone who loves wearing a little bit of everything, and that's okay!
Like I mentioned, wear exactly what you feel comfortable with! And it's okay not to feel comfortable in certain clothes. I personally don't like form fitting pants, but formfitting shirts are great! And I don't really enjoy crop tops, but frilly tank tops are cute!
You get what I mean?
Feel free to be exactly who you are unapologetically!!!
by Miru; ; Report
☣ Lab Specimen
Exactly... i think all this stress to fit into a certain subculture/aesthetic sort of just takes away people's personality. like i love scene and the 2000s but i am also more than the clothes i like to wear. I think a lot of people just force themselves to listen to music they wouldn't listen to otherwise because they are scared of being called a poser. People should be allowed to wear what they want and listen to the music they want and live the life they want without people telling them they don't do enough.
名無し
I like the whole 2000s weeb aesthetic (I don't know the actual name of it call me a poser) but if I'm being honest I don't even actually watch anime all that much I just only like the styles and stuff (again I'm open to being called a poser)
I watched maybe one anime but it felt like a lot of nothing burger filler just to stretch it out to 20 minutes per episode so I don't even bother anymore. Maybe this is why I prefer manga because better pacing and stuff lmao
Anna
this is so important! u totally nailed it with the problems under these trendy fashion aesthetics, and u worded this really well too. its sad that people have to face all these emotions with peer pressure and authenticity. im glad you were able to realize its all about balance and letting your authentic self manifest in your fashion, from inside -> out, instead of forcing a concrete fashion style and having it manifest in a conflicted inner-world and environmental issues and such.
porcelqin 𓆩♡𓆪
I personally love the idea of having an 'aesthetic' but I totally agree with you; the time, money and the personal identity/ style people waste trying to achieve an aesthetic make me so sad.
sandwich
capitalism
goodbunny
Wait I like matcha it’s bad?? Huh
I think it can be! Just depends on who you buy it from
by Alice; ; Report
LOTUS_START
this is really well ssaid and snapped me outta my gloom ahaha. i realize i can't buy all jirai kei sets and i gotta use what i have, this rocks :)
Just remember to take a deep breath <3 You're not a bad person for the purchases you have made, so please don't beat yourself up over that! We live and we learn and you're doing awesome!
Jirai Kei is super cute though, I get why it must be a little hard lol
by Miru; ; Report
thank u so much ! it really helps \(￣︶￣*\))( •̀ ω •́ )y
by LOTUS_START; ; Report
octavia
you just put into words what i haven't been able to say for YEARS... this is so well written
AAAA thank you so much ;A; I'm so happy you liked it <3 And thank you for your comment, it means a lot!
by Miru; ; Report
𝟑𝟑𝟓𝟓
This is so well-written!
though I used to adore aesthetic when I first started pinterest,
this made me reflect on my thoughts.
Thank u!!
Thank you so much!
You can still love and use Pinterest (I know I do lol), but it's all about the self-control and remembering who you are vs. what looks visually appealing to you. It's all about not getting lost in trying to obtain a certain image that might limit who you are as a person <3
by Miru; ; Report
not_rainey
I love the way you said it all! I love the Y2K "aesthetic" but there was always something that I hate/dislike, and I felt/ thought that it just wasn't for me, but then I realized that it's not that it's not for me, but that the "aesthetic" part was not for me.
I don't know if that makes any sense, but that's just why I'm not a fan of aesthetic and fast fashion.
It definitely makes sense! And I think that's probably the healthiest way to interact with aesthetics as well; taking inspo and building on top of yourself!
by Miru; ; Report
FR! I'm glad someone brought this up, because I feel like no one discusses this!
by not_rainey; ; Report
OwlLipgloss
It's why I've stopped bothering with the whole "aesthetic" thing and continued being myself because I find that I have a lot of things that certainly do not fit one label or is to be restricted to labels at all. Sometimes I feel like a cutesy porcelain doll while other days I feel like dressing almost like a 1970s fashionable lady. I love exploring lots of styles, even though I haven't found myself really branching out just yet as much as I should.
Overconsumption is a problem in so many ways and I thrive for an eco-friendlier sense of style. It's why I love to thrift so much. My own fashion while showing love to the Nature Mother, Earth Mother.
YuppieGuppy
def agree with all of the topics you touched on, especially when you mentioned you liked things outside of the vsco aesthetic and felt limited because of that
i consider myself a mix of goth, alt/skater, and chola (mexican gangster) when it comes to clothing and music. a very weird mix that shouldn't mesh well together but i figured out a way to make it my own style.
personalization is key at the end of the day. it even helps you bond with different groups of people! ^_^
aiman﹒୨𝑒 ﾟ ˖
TL;DR: labels suck, they don't stick around and are inconsistent, overconsumption is killing our planet == capitalism is bad. MAKE UR OWN STYLE, STOP LABELING IT AS AN AESTHETIC. **this post was soo real btw
FRRRRRR
by not_rainey; ; Report
heav3n.ley
you are soo right! and i just dont like how you need to fit in one "aesthetic". Or its like its almost forbidden to have varieties of styles yk? And the overconsumption Point makes everything so much clearer, you just said everything in one blog,i totally agree with you
Right? It makes me kinda sad that I feel like I can't be all cutesy with lace and shit one day and then not allowed to go full bum sweatpants and hoodie the next without "breaking the aesthetic" ??? excuse me
by Miru; ; Report