Not long ago, personal style was something you developed quietly — shaped by your upbringing, culture, taste, and the occasional magazine page torn out for inspiration. At least for me, this was how I grow up with. Cutting magazines images and creating little mood boards. Reading fashion articles and history. It was intuitive, messy, and beautifully unquantifiable. But in 2025, our idea of personal style is increasingly shaped — and sometimes constrained — by something less personal: algorithms.
How Social Media Rewrote the Rules of Personal Style
Social media didn’t just democratize fashion — it rewired how we define, express, and validate our personal style. In the pre-digital era, style was often shaped by magazines, local culture, or subcultures you physically belonged to. Now, you're just one scroll away from someone in Seoul, Copenhagen, or Paris whose outfit can influence your next purchase. The benefits are enormous — but so is the pressure.
The Algorithmic Eye
When you open Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, or even a shopping site, what you see first isn’t random — it’s curated by a machine that’s learning from your every click, linger, and scroll. Over time, these platforms create a feedback loop: you’re shown more of what you engage with, and what you engage with shapes what you desire. It’s not just taste — it’s data-driven desire.
On TikTok, microtrends like “clean girl,” or “vanilla girl aesthetic” go viral for a month, then disappear in favor of the next filter-friendly, hauls-ready look. The algorithm favors what’s immediately recognizable and easy to copy. Subtlety and nuance — hallmarks of personal style — often get drowned in the noise.
The Illusion of Infinite Inspiration
Instagram and TikTok serve up endless outfit inspiration. In theory, this should help you refine your tastes. But in practice, it often overwhelms them. (I also fall for it too, we all did/do) With a constant stream of “perfect” looks, our style compass gets pulled in too many directions. You start dressing not for your body or lifestyle, but for the aesthetic of the moment — whether it’s “tomato girl summer” or “mob wife winter.”
Instead of asking, "Do I like this?" we unconsciously ask, "Would this perform well?"
From Self-Expression to Self-Optimization
Fashion has always been a tool for expression — a way to signal identity, rebellion, community, or aspiration. But when what we wear becomes unnatural, style risks becoming performance. This content often aren’t about experimentation; they’re about optimization — likes, shares, and comments.
This shift subtly encourages conformity under the guise of individuality. Me as a creator and as a “normal person with a critic eye” can tell that people choose an outfit not because they suit well, but because they photograph well. The result? A sea of sameness, even among people claiming to have “found their personal style.”
From Style Identity to Style Performance
Personal style has always had a performative element. But on social media, performance often becomes the point. Outfits are curated for the camera: exaggerated silhouettes, color-coordinated walls, poses that would never occur in real life. Fashion becomes a visual spectacle rather than an intimate expression.
This performance mindset creates a “best-dressed-on-the-internet” standard that’s both aspirational and suffocating. You might love a practical black coat, but feel pressured to post in a bold statement jacket. Your real-life style becomes disconnected from your digital persona.
The Rise of the “Personal Style Influencer” — and the Fall of Real Personal Style?
Ironically, the people who claim the most “personal style” are often highly strategic. Their aesthetics are curated, their feeds cohesive, their color palettes consistent. And while many genuinely have great taste, the line between self-expression and content strategy is increasingly blurred.
I will be honest, I do have a cohesive feed and I like to curate it but I do this for a long time though. Im almost from the beginning of IG where everything was more real and authentic. I genuinely learned about fashion, I love fashion and passionately love to get dress. I value my true style and self expression above all strategy there is to get views and likes. Again, working in this field is like a battle because you need to be strong enough to self express and not fall into those social media tricks. Back in the days, of course I fall into them but I learned, grow up and have a strong believe in my style and point of view.
The thing is that some creators even adopt styles they don’t particularly love — just because they perform well online.
For the average person watching from behind the screen, it raises a tough question: Am I dressing for myself, or for an invisible audience?
Rediscovering Style Offline
If social media erodes your personal style, how do you reclaim it? How do you develop personal style in a world trying to streamline it?
Curate, don’t consume. Save images that truly resonate with you — not just because they’re trending. Revisit your saved folders monthly to track what themes emerge.
Unfollow for clarity. Follow fewer people that to resonate with you and more artists, designers, or everyday people whose style feels authentic, not algorithmic.
Go analog. Flip through old fashion magazines, sketch outfits, or build a Pinterest board offline. Take photos of what you wear — just for yourself.
Wear what you love even if it’s "off-trend." If that means bootcut jeans, Victorian blouses, or head-to-toe black, so be it.
You rebel — gently. You log off sometimes. You visit a vintage store and try on something absurd just to see how it feels. You wear clothes not because they’ll go viral, but because they make you feel like yourself. And most importantly, you allow your style to grow in private, without the pressure of performance.
It feels like nowadays, dressing for yourself is a radical act.
In Conclusion: From Algorithmic to Authentic
Social media has given us access to more fashion than ever before — but it’s also made it harder to hear our own sartorial voice. To develop true personal style in the age of algorithms, we must be intentional: curate selectively, embrace experimentation, and dress with more feeling than formula.
Sometimes the most radical thing you can do is wear what you genuinely love — even if it doesn’t go viral.
Let me know your thoughts xx
A very interesting and profound text - it really makes you think. Thank you so much!
This is exactly the reason why I started my Substack, working my way (back) towards personal style. Maybe the best thing to do is get off the algorithm completely, but flipping through (old) books and magazines and just genuinely saving what I like is a good start.