Aesthetic

“Aesthetic”

We’ve all seen them, the influencers that have the picture-perfect, pinterest-like feed. We love them and hate them all at the same time. These fashion influencers display something commonly known as an “aesthetic”. Aesthetics on Instagram can be recognized by distinct features including color scheme, clothing choices, and specific content relevant to whatever overarching theme they would like to portray. For example there’s the neutral, vintage, and French girl aesthetics. What’s the deal with these picture-perfect feeds? Would influencers look equally as put together as their feeds if you saw them in person? While these aesthetics are visually appealing, they can be dangerous from an Instagram users side in terms of self-image. These aesthetics create a false reality and an expectation of how people need to portray themselves online and offline, creating a dangerous space for users’ mental health. While these fashion influencers are all about achieving the perfect “aesthetic”, it makes me wonder as an avid Instagram user and lover of fashion whether the artificiality behind the aesthetic will last.

While you can argue that aesthetics are essential for branding, they can potentially impact self-image in a negative way. These perfectly crafted feeds lead to an emotional rabbit hole of comparison and self-consciousness. It can also lead to craving instant gratification from your own posts on social media. That feeling of instant gratification somehow creates a sense of competition where you want to achieve more likes or comments than others. These fashion influencers set the stage for how people think they are supposed to publicly display themselves online, which can lead to users trying to be someone they are not. Oftentimes, influencers’ appearance in reality is not the equivalent of their feeds, creating a false sense of beauty by always seeming camera ready. These inauthentic influencers act as if they are about to get their picture taken 24/7. The urge to always be put together and camera ready is exhausting for users’ mental health.

Although aesthetically pleasing feeds will always exist as tools to tell a brand’s story, users are craving authenticity more than ever. Yes, the “aesthetic” life can be dangerous for users’ mental health, but only if we obsess over those specific feeds. It’s important to remember that social media isn’t always reality. If social media has a large impact on your mental health, try going on a social media cleanse for a week or so or follow people who spread positivity as opposed to posting to fit their feed. As fashion influencers continue to post their immaculate photos, let’s try to scroll less, post more, and create our own “aesthetics” through authenticity.

Author: Samantha Wu Photographer: Gino Catalano Stylist: Stephanie James and Paige Pandolfo Models: Paige Pandolfo, Julia Lapaj, and Maddie Boone