Personal style is dead.

If you spend some time at fashion corners of the internet, you might have heard this sentence. At first, it sounds dreadful and petrifying. If personal style is dead, does that mean we've reached the peak of dystopian novel herd behaviour? Are we all just a bunch of clones that capitalism designed and made using marketing techniques?

Yes - and no.

The thing is, personal style isn't literally dead. It's being quietly (or not so quietly) shaped by outside forces, such as algorithms, microtrends, and curated aesthetics, and we sometimes don't even notice until they're over.

Instead of growing into our style over time, we now scroll into it. We let Pinterest boards, TikTok “cores,” and Instagram influencers dictate what feels “right” to wear, not because it reflects who we are, but because it feels like the safest way to stay relevant. And as a consequence, there is an endless loop of short-lived identities and wardrobes that change faster than we can keep up, leaving us constantly dressing like someone rather than as ourselves.

And when the constant cycle becomes overwhelming, we retreat into nostalgia. Y2K, '90s minimalism, indie sleaze, coquette - old aesthetics return again and again, remixed until the past feels like the only place style still lives on. Maybe we're not just inspired by it, but holding on to it, because the future feels too fast, too polished, and too empty to offer anything new.

Image Credit: cottonbro studio from Pexels

A Never-Ending Nostalgic Loop

It seems like we're somehow always living in the past, in every aspect of our lives. Just take a look at current Hollywood releases - all you'd see are remakes, reboots and sequels. It's like we've twisted our necks so far back while looking at the past that we just can't seem to turn and face forward instead! Why can't we stop reviving the past?

We've all got fears - rational, irrational, acquired - but some have been woven into us since the beginning of time. One, most of us have a fear of the unknown. Since the human race first appeared, it has been scared of the unknown.

So what do we do? We cling to the familiar. We find comfort and peace in the things we know.

We don't take risks, and we don't dare go to that dark, scary, new place. After all, curiosity killed the cat.

When I have nothing to wear, I always throw on my favorite pair of jeans and a black T-shirt. A classic. Everybody loves it.

It looks good. It's been trendy for decades.

That simple art of empiricism, the already experienced, somehow always finds its way back to us. Maybe that's why we can't stop running to our exes - because we know what it felt like.

Take the Quiz: Which ’90s Movie Character Are You?

Are you ready to travel back to the iconic ’90s and discover which unforgettable movie character matches your personality? Take this quiz to find out!

Label Core?

The Internet is obsessed with labels. Everything must fit into a "core" or an "aesthetic". Cottagecore, Euro summer core, uptown girl aesthetic, frazzled English woman - the list is never-ending. It makes you wonder if style is even about clothes anymore, or has it become all about references instead?

The irony lies in the way these perfectly curated "aesthetics" are supposed to help us express our individuality, but instead keep boxing us in even more. You're not just going to the gym anymore - you're so pilates princess coded! And that sweater you're wearing - uptown girl meets old money!

It's less about dressing to express yourself. Instead, it's a dress to signal belonging to a certain reference group.

As a result, fashion feels like a copy of a copy. Outfits are templates, trends are slogans, and the original might not even exist anymore.

Image Credit: cottonbro studio from Pexels

Fast Fashion and Faster Algorithms

Trends used to spread gradually. From runways to magazines, then stores, and eventually into people's closets. Now the cycle is instant. An outfit goes viral on TikTok, and within a week, fast fashion brands have put out tens and hundreds of variations of that item.

The algorithm rewards sameness. It constantly floods your feed with something once it catches on, making you feel guilty for not owning it.

And the scariest part is how fast it burns out. By the time your package is delivered, the trend has already died out, and you're left with a pile of clothes that will rot in your closet because they are not trendy anymore. Clothes aren't bought to last - they are bought to be posted and then moved on from.

When the Future Stopped Looking New

There was a time when people imagined the future in shiny silver suits, jetpacks, and wild, space-like style. Designers looked forward, creating clothes that felt like science fiction. That vision is mostly gone now.

We're hitting rewind. It feels less like an evolution and more like a déjà vu.

And, honestly, it really makes sense if you think about it. The world feels shaky. Money's tight, the politics are messy, and the internet never seems to shut up.

We yearn for those safe and comfortable moments we had in the past. Dressing like the past is easier than betting on a future we can't even imagine.

The past might have been comfortable, but it makes me ask myself: If the future has no style, what does that say about the way we view tomorrow?

Image Credit: Sherman Trotz from Pexels

Is Originality Still Possible?

Maybe originality isn't dead - it's hibernating.

We live in a "remixed" world where every little thing is borrowed, reposted or reworked. And maybe that's the point. The key to originality lies there - in putting your own spin into something already existent. That's how it presents itself to the world of today.

And the greatest remedy for curing this lack of style might be slowing down. Today, being offline is a luxury not everyone can afford. But those who somehow manage start to remember what they actually like - not what they've been told to like.

Perhaps we should all try to look at ourselves not through the glass lens of a screen, but through our own eyes and emotions. Because originality isn't about being first anymore. It's about being raw and real.

And maybe that's the future of the style we've been waiting for.