How Instagram Ruined Personal Style

By Lelalo

Scroll through Instagram for even a few minutes, and you’ll see a stream of carefully curated outfits: clean lines, trendy pieces, polished mirror selfies, and mood board collages. At first glance, it seems inspiring. Platforms like Instagram have democratised fashion, giving everyday people a stage once reserved for magazine spreads and runway shows. But beneath the surface, there’s a problem: Instagram hasn’t just changed the way we engage with fashion - it’s fundamentally altered, and in many ways ruined, the concept of personal style.

The Rise of the “Instagram Look”

Before Instagram, personal style was exactly that - personal. People developed their fashion sense through trial and error, cultural influence, local trends, or even necessity. Outfits told stories about where someone came from, what they valued, or how they wanted to feel.

Now, Instagram has flattened those differences. There’s an “Instagram look,” instantly recognisable: polished yet casual, photogenic, trend-forward but not too daring. Think neutral palettes, oversized blazers, gold jewellery, and the latest “it” sneakers or handbag. It’s stylish, yes - but it’s also predictable.

Instead of hundreds of unique voices, Instagram created a global echo chamber where individuality is overshadowed by what photographs best and what earns the most likes.

Trends Move Too Fast

One of the most damaging effects of Instagram is the way it accelerates trends. A micro-trend can go from niche to overexposed in a matter of weeks. Think of biker shorts, chunky sneakers, or the “clean girl” aesthetic. At first, it feels fresh. Then it’s everywhere. And within months, it’s already outdated.

This speed makes it almost impossible for personal style to develop. Style requires time - time to experiment, reflect, and integrate preferences into daily life. But when Instagram pushes one trend after another, people rarely pause to ask, Do I actually like this, or do I just want to keep up? Instead, closets become filled with pieces that felt essential for a season but are forgotten the next.

Influencers as the New Gatekeepers

Instagram promised democratisation - anyone could share their style, not just celebrities or models. And in some ways, that’s true. But over time, influencers emerged as the new fashion gatekeepers.

Brands send them free clothes, paid partnerships drive their choices, and algorithms amplify their posts. The result is that a handful of influential accounts dictate what “good style” looks like. Their followers, consciously or not, imitate those looks.

Instead of cultivating individuality, many people end up dressing like carbon copies of influencers whose wardrobes are essentially sponsored. Authenticity gets replaced by advertising, making it harder to know whether an outfit is personal expression or marketing in disguise.

Outfit Choices Driven by the Camera

Another subtle but powerful shift is that Instagram trains people to dress for the camera, not for themselves. Certain outfits that photograph well - structured shapes, minimal palettes, coordinated sets - dominate feeds. Meanwhile, quirky or imperfect outfits that might feel authentic in real life are dismissed because they don’t “pop” in a photo.

Personal style isn’t always photogenic. Sometimes it’s messy, experimental, or dependent on comfort. But Instagram rewards polish and perfection, so people naturally gravitate toward what earns attention online. Over time, dressing for pictures replaces dressing for personal expression.

Homogenization Across the Globe

Walk into cafés in New York, London, or Seoul, and you’ll notice something strange: people everywhere look the same. That’s Instagram’s influence. A platform meant to showcase individuality has instead globalised a handful of aesthetics, from “quiet luxury” to “cottagecore.”

While fashion has always been shaped by trends, regional differences once gave personal style its richness. Now, algorithms push the same visuals to everyone, creating uniformity across cultures. What might have once been local flair gets absorbed into the Instagram machine until it looks like everything else.

The Pressure to Perform

Instagram also adds psychological pressure. Posting an outfit isn’t just about expression - it’s about performance. Will it get likes? Will it look aspirational enough? Will people comment, save, or share?

This pressure shifts style from inward expression to outward validation. Instead of asking, Does this feel like me? people ask, Will this be popular? That constant external focus erodes the authenticity that personal style depends on.

Worse, it breeds comparison. Scrolling through influencers with unlimited wardrobes, designer sponsorships, and perfectly lit photos can make anyone feel inadequate. The average person simply can’t compete, yet many try, buying more and more in an attempt to keep up.

Overconsumption and the Death of Signature Looks

A defining trait of true personal style is repetition. Think of icons like Steve Jobs with his black turtleneck, or Anna Wintour with her printed dresses and bob haircut. They wore variations of the same pieces for years, creating signature looks.

Instagram makes that kind of consistency almost impossible. Posting the same outfit multiple times risks being seen as boring. To stay “relevant,” people feel pressured to constantly showcase new purchases. This fuels overconsumption, fast fashion, and ultimately a shallow cycle of novelty.

Instead of a signature look, wardrobes become rotating catalogues of whatever is trending. Style turns into quantity over quality, erasing the depth that makes it personal.

Can Personal Style Survive Instagram?

Despite all this, personal style isn’t entirely dead. It’s just harder to nurture in an environment dominated by trends, algorithms, and performance. People who want to reclaim authenticity have to step outside Instagram’s influence.

That might mean shopping less and wearing pieces repeatedly, even if they don’t photograph well. It might mean unfollowing influencers and focusing on local communities or personal experimentation. It might mean embracing “boring” consistency and developing a wardrobe that feels like you, not like a highlight reel.

The antidote to Instagram’s pressure is remembering that style lives in the real world. It’s in the outfit you reach for on a Tuesday morning, not the one you post once online. It’s in the comfort of a favourite sweater, the confidence of a tailored jacket, the joy of a colour that lifts your mood. None of those things requires an audience.

Conclusion

Instagram promised to celebrate individuality, but in many ways, it has done the opposite. By accelerating trends, rewarding photogenic looks, and pushing influencer-driven sameness, it has eroded the slow, personal process of building style. Instead of wardrobes rooted in authenticity, many people are left chasing likes, buying endlessly, and dressing for the camera.

But personal style isn’t gone - it’s just waiting for us to reclaim it. To do that, we have to turn away from the scroll and look inward: what do you love to wear, regardless of likes? What makes you feel most like yourself? Those answers, not the algorithm, are the true foundation of style.

www.lelalo.store