May 14, 2023
By Zahara Chowdhury
Staff Writer
Since Six Degrees, the first social media platform, came out in 1997, social media has evolved into a powerful tool to express feelings, ideas and tastes. It can cause movements, influence pop culture and create fashion trends.
In a 154-person survey conducted by The Lighthouse, 79% of respondents said they look at fashion on social media, and 19% said they post about fashion.
Freshman Clara Fonkats is among those students who turn to social media to learn about clothing trends. She said she occasionally publishes posts featuring her own outfits.
Fonkats said her style, which she described as being both coquettish and having elements of streetwear, has improved because of her exposure to fashion on Pinterest and TikTok.
“It gives me more ideas on what to wear,” Fonkats said. “There’s new fashion [featured] every day, so it’s really helpful.”
Fonkats said she especially likes seeing the outfits worn by Jennie Kim, a member of the girl group BLACKPINK.
“Her style really inspires me…. It’s really strong and feminine,” Fonkats said.
Sophomore Selen Akman, who describes her style as casual chic, said her favorite app for staying up-to-date with fashion trends is Pinterest.
“As I make boards and pin my favorites, more come up like that,” Akman said.
She said oversized sweatshirts and yoga pants are among her favorite pieces to purchase.
“When I see my favorite influencers posting about something, I would usually try to buy the same things,” Akman said.
She said she also enjoys the trend of thrifting, which has been promoted by influencers like Emma Chamberlain and Ashley Rous, who goes by @best.dressed on social media.
“It has made me more open-minded [as] to how clothes can be styled.”
“It is cheaper for… a high school student who doesn’t really have a job,” Akman said, adding that she likes the vintage looks at thrift stores.
Freshman Aaron Johnson said he enjoys looking at styles on Instagram and TikTok. He said he especially likes seeing photos of outfits worn by model Bella Hadid, who is credited for popularizing the “clean girl” aesthetic, which consists of natural makeup, sleek buns and golden jewelry.
“I love how she always has different outfits that are never really similar to each other. All of her outfits always pull off the style she’s going for really well, and they just always look so good and different,’ Johnson said.
He said even though he often scrolls through outfits he would not wear himself, he believes social media has positively impacted his fashion sense.
“It has made me more open-minded [as] to how clothes can be styled,” Johnson said.
He said social media has also led him to gravitate towards classic pieces rather than trends that come and go.
“Having a timeless sense of style will help you make good outfits that could look good in the present or future,” said Johnson.
