True personal style is developed through innovation, experimentation, and practice. However, a conflict exists: while social media algorithms continuously perpetuate archetypal fashionable aesthetics and push trendy pieces, fashion magazines can offer portals into fashion’s true meaning: authenticity, taste, and curiosity.
Barbiecore. Balletcore. Y2K. Clean Girl. Old Money. Office Siren. Quiet Luxury. Mob Wife. Cottagecore and so on.
Fueled by consumerism and a hidden desire for belonging, many of these trends have come and gone. While traditional fashion media faces obstacles, it remains the most intentional source of inspiration, rooted in creativity and timeless evolution. When you open a fashion magazine, they’ll always dedicate a section towards what’s hot and what’s now. The difference between these and what you’ll see scrolling through your feed is curation. Creativity is curated to stand the test of time. Algorithms are manufactured to produce cycles.
While there are overlapping qualities, the two worlds operate very differently. Fashion magazines provide stylistically unique editorials and shopping guides to expand one’s knowledge and education of fashion. When you’re being sold the illusion of style with continuous ads, “fashionable” influencers, and celebrity street style, the lines of style become blurred and palatable, perpetuating a socially acceptable version of style. While many creators showcase unique choices, the algorithms themselves overwhelmingly feed you what is fashionable and trendy for the moment. Rather, fashion magazines provoke inspiration crafted by style experts and editors, dedicated to the progression of global fashion and style diversity.
Social media is an expansive space. Although algorithms are run on aesthetics, niche or specific inspiration whether for a coffee run or workplace attire can be found by the click of a button.
While inspiration is necessary for the creation of everything, too much inspiration from the same source hinders style with repetition. It makes the average person socially hyperconscious of their outfits rather than confident in them. Thus, enter fashion magazines bringing concepts from runways around the world to print and digital media. Spending $7-15 on an issue is an investment in the physical archive of fashion’s evolution in modern-day.
Curated by a team of industry experts, these monthly, sometimes quarterly issues inspire slow curation and education. Readers are informed of trends, latest collections, and cultural moments shaping society, gaining perspective from professionals with a deep passion for authentic style, beauty, and art.
Think of magazines as textbooks with visual examples that showcase the art of storytelling through style, with cohesive, well-crafted looks that use trends as optional enhancements, rather than defaults. This information should be used as a tool to enhance your personal style, not to copy one you see scrolling on social media.
While the art in magazines is high-quality, the elitism and lack of representation don’t always resonate with younger audiences, either due to affordability barriers or a cultural disconnect. This is where social media has the upper hand. TikTok feels like an authentic place where young fashion lovers can escape the elitist landscape of the traditional editorial world, which is often too intimidating for the average shopper. Many magazines allocate their ad space to large luxury brands. For young shoppers, affordability, accessibility, and comfort are main concerns. Thus, many turn to social media influencers or resale platforms like Depop or Poshmark to find pieces that resonate with their budgets. While it’s not rare to find personal style online, the majority of algorithms favor palatable fashion, rarely uplifting individuality and self-expression.
The direct access to e-commerce makes it easier to obtain and build personal style. However, this becomes dangerous when marketing is rooted in selling the idea that you don’t have enough. Personal style is in storytelling– a magazine’s duty, crafted to tell culturally relevant stories, push the boundaries artistically, and unlock different mediums of inspiration.
As The Devil Wears Prada’s Miranda Priestly said best, “…its sort of comical how you think that you made a choice that exepts you from the fashion industry when in fact you’re wearing a sweater that was selected for you by the people in this room…from a pile of ‘stuff,'” This timeless statement has evolved from the pages of print to social media. The quote now pertains to “fashionistas” perceiving their style as unique, when in fact, the aesthetic they mindlessly fall under is selected by an endless algorithmic cycle rooted in the pursuit of ad revenue and commercial interests, with a false reward of “social acceptability.”
Style is the manifestation of creativity in practice. To practice effectively, we must be mindful of hollow trends with seasonal lifespans that ultimately deflate personal style and encourage assimilation. Curated to challenge readers and inspire them to look at the world differently, fashion magazines serve as a catalyst to play in your closet and embrace individuality, even if it gets messy. These digital and print art forms provoke conversation and inspiration, as true style is developed through the pursuit of unapologetic curiosity.
To be clear, fashion magazines are not the saviour of all your style dilemmas. While social media has many flaws, it is a helpful tool for discovering brands that resonate and platforms that represent marginalized communities—brands that can’t afford magazine ads. Diversifying sources of inspiration from global to local magazines, while using social media with caution and intentionality, is a start to achieving ultimate style.