Dilara findik Oglu 2016/17 campaign by Wanda Martin

How you might need a hobby and not a discount voucher.

Friday morning, opening the store doors, immediately hearing the footsteps multiplying. No size yet overview just grabbing what falls on the way to the fitting room. Panting not knowing how many pieces they draped their arms with. Straight from the fitting room, better known as the latest stage of capitalism, they occasionally peek at the price tag to make sure they’ve saved money this time. ‘I’m doing something right’. ‘I deserve this.’ Once the card slides over the little machine, it’s mine. All mine…

Ownership and immediate gratification. We’ve all been there. The impulse to consume is deeply ingrained in us, but the outcomes rarely align with our expectations. Once the thrill fades, we’re left with crowded closets, emptier wallets, and an endless sense of dissatisfaction.

Here’s why you are losing your personal style

Uniformity// You Think Having More Will Make You More Unique

Owning more doesn’t make you stylish, in fact, it makes you slightly unrecognizable. People with truly iconic styles aren’t remembered for their vast wardrobes but for their signature looks. As award-winning author Dan Schawbel once said, “Consistency is what builds brands.” The same goes for people. Think of Fran Lebowitz in her blazers, Steve Jobs in his turtlenecks, or Rick Owens in his signature Kiss boots, their style is not about endless variety, but uniformity within the same wardrobe.

Thank-GOD some legends left us a legacy not only to wear but mostly to live by. Herefore, we turn to our legend Vivienne Westwood, ‘post-punk fashion designer known for her activism’.  “As a self-confessed activist, Vivienne Westwood believes art links the past, present and future. She discourages consumerism and encourages the individual to identify and follow their deepest interest. This mantra, she states, allows the individual to achieve a sense of personal progress and embark on a journey of self-discovery – the key to inner awareness and outward expression,” (V&A Museum) Vivienne once said, “Buy less. Choose well. Make it last. Quality, not quantity. Everybody’s buying far too many clothes.” Style is not about those having the most, it’s about your favorite garments and giving them personality. Vivienne, on the other hand, redefined uniformity not as repetition, but as recognition. Through her bold color blocking and masterful draping, she created a distinct signature that is unmistakably hers. Even without peeping at the label you know it’s from your highness Vivienne. She delivered us a consistency of creativity, craftsmanship, artistry, identity and awareness against the industrialized machine that is spitting out new collections every week, forcing us into a never-ending cycle of buying, discarding, and replacing. The irony of it? The more we buy to “expand” our style, the more we erase our imprint (ironically it gets bigger on an ecological level). If you need to keep buying to ‘find your style,’ you never had one. The constant flood of new garments keeps us from building our own look – the kind that makes us recognizable in a crowd, and that tells a story beyond the price tag.

Trends are in Charge, Not you

The rise of secondhand fashion and vintage should be an extension of this ideology. A thrift store- THE one place for self-expression and authenticity, they now focus on whatever TikTok thinks is cool that month. Vintage was meant to slow the rat race of fast fashion. Though the prices are equivalent to an overpriced coffee from an organic coffee bar made by a barista dealing with deep existential concerns trying to cope it away by making heart shapes on lattés- consumers have been buying significantly more. From a once random collection of used clothing has turned into a race to find the “right” vintage.  But what exactly is the right vintage today? It’s no longer just about stumbling upon a unique piece that speaks to you; it’s about curating a wardrobe that fits the latest secondhand aesthetic. Right now, that means ’90s New York City It-Girl chic—think slip dresses, structured coats, and baguette bags, all inspired by the nostalgic rise of Y2K romcoms and their effortlessly stylish protagonists (aka Jessica Parker). But vintage hunting isn’t just about personal style anymore—it’s also about status and strategy. Finding the right vintage often means scoring a designer label at a fraction of the price, only to hold onto it until resale value skyrockets. Vintage has become yet another arm of the hype economy, breeding obsession.

Obviously, we revisit the thought-provoking manifesto by the world’s most respected trend forecaster, Li Edelkoort, where she’s stating: “Fashion as we know it is dead.” Not because people stopped buying clothes, but because fashion has been reduced to a never-ending loop of microtrends without substance. From clean girl to coquette, from old money to office siren—each aesthetic is an illusion, copied by thousands, dictated by Pinterest boards and TikTok algorithms. Instead of personal expression, we are following digital blueprints. As fashion commentator, Alexandra Hildreth aptly put it, “You can tell a person’s screen time by their outfit.” It resonates deeply in an era where fashion is endlessly captured and documented, it’s easy to feel that our style must always be performative. What was once a means of self-expression has become a never-ending attempt to stay relevant.

Anti-Influencer Era// You’re Following the Wrong People

Since we’ve realized it- trigger warning accusations are incoming. Please, let this be the birth of the anti-influencer era. Influencer culture, aka a world where identity is packed and sold as a lifestyle, has created an army of clones, making individuality a wishful desire. Their daily effort to be inspirational and relatable has turned basic existentialism into a strategically well-placed aesthetical medium called ‘personal branding’. This means everything you do, eat, wear, and who you hang with- has turned into a commodity. As the brain-damaged-spectators-we-are, we also build expectations towards the people we follow. Why else would we keep following them? Recently, a podcast video from Mina Le made me aware of this behaviour. To always look for entertainment within people and how they constantly present themselves. As a writer and YouTuber, Mina is known for her glamorous, maximalist Hollywood aesthetic, which we’ve looked forward to in every video. Yet she recently addressed the criticism that her style had become more dimed down. Has she lost her creative spark? Did she admit to conformity? Was it in fact ‘just a phase’? Her words made me reflect on my own journey within fashion. She realized that, for a long time, she was dressing not just for herself but for validation, from creative circles and the unspoken pressure to always be “inspiring.” But as she evolved, she found that personal style is not about constantly proving something through clothes. As Mina Le concluded in her podcast, “The essence of personal style is not how you style something, but the self-confidence while wearing it. Good style is a byproduct of a compelling personality.” Today she focuses more on the composition of her work rather than her outfits since it does not give her more credibility on what she does. Importance of focusing on what you say, what you stand for and create. 

Illusion of fulfillment//You’re Searching for Happiness in the Wrong Places

It’s incredible to think that the desire to consume has been a hot topic among economists for such a long time! From Adam Smith to Karl Marx, many have had their say on the matter. The term ‘conspicuous consumption’ was coined to describe the idea that people often buy goods not for their intrinsic value, but for the status they confer. The cycle of capitalism feeds on this impulse, turning personal style into a transactional act rather than a form of self-expression. Do I have to buy this to survive? God, no. The real need is for warm, practical clothing, yet desires go beyond necessity—a craving for that yellow, silky dress with an open back is rarely just about the fabric. It’s about signalling something deeper: a call to like-minded people, the pursuit of social acceptance, the reduction of uncertainty, the illusion of control, or the masking of financial instability. These subconscious motives, as outlined in Atomic Habits (p.104), reveal that consumption is often a response to insecurity rather than a true need. But chasing fleeting trends doesn’t soothe that uncertainty, it amplifies it. The rush of a new purchase fades, leaving you in front of your overflowing wardrobe, still feeling like you have nothing to wear. Veins tense, frustration builds, and suddenly, the desire to consume more resurfaces, promising relief that never lasts. The real void isn’t in your closet—it’s in the constant search for identity through possessions.“You deserve it.” “Treat yourself.” But in reality, it’s just a short dopamine hit that fades as soon as the price tag comes off. When the high wears off, the emptiness remains. If anything, overconsumption leads to decision fatigue. It’s in the quiet confidence of knowing exactly who you are, that is what wears your clothes. So instead of searching for happiness in the checkout line, Invest in discipline, sharpen your mind, strengthen your body, master your craft, and nourish yourself properly. Get that in order, the uncontrolled impulses and need to chase will disappear on its own.

So How are we Ending the Endless Pursuit of our true identity (-crisis)? 

By stepping away from the noise and reclaiming the power of intentionality. Personal style isn’t about chasing trends, hoarding options, or proving something to the world. There was a time when I was known for one jacket. Deep blue, with washed-out fur that spiked in all directions, it felt like an extension of myself rather than just a piece of clothing. It wasn’t new, nor was it a statement, but it carried the weight of my experiences, my choices, and my so-called identity back then. I wore it endlessly, layering it differently and making it work with whatever I had. Experimentation doesn’t come from abundance; it comes from creativity, from working with what you already have. Those well-loved garments, worn again and again, become your signature. Your marks in the world. Your story. In the end, the secret is restraint. Instead of chasing endless novelty, challenge yourself to reinvent what’s already in your closet. Instead of looking for the next dopamine hit of a purchase, find satisfaction in redefining the way you wear what you already have. 

And no, you don’t need that extra discount voucher to ease your guilt—put that money into the ballet class you’ve always dreamed of. That “rare vintage 2003 Raf sweater” won’t make your happiness last. A full cart won’t fix an empty sense of self.

By Imane, Editorial writer