I Love Being Basic

What is the difference between being “basic” and on-trend? My answer: absolutely nothing. With the expansion of social media, trends come and go much quicker than seasons, and unless you’re provided with unlimited funding for your wardrobe, there is no way anyone can keep up. What becomes labeled as “basic” is just committing to initial trends instead of waiting it out for something new. This has happened to skinny jeans, Brandy Melville, and everything in between. Trendsetting is wholly related to a newfound influencer culture, and creators such as Emma Chamberlain, who revolutionized the fashion industry, have been facing criticisms for their “basic” style ever since. This has been furthered mostly by the imminent success apps such as Tik Tok have had in recent months.

There has never previously been a single app that has globalized the fashion market quite like Tik Tok. While Pinterest was the go-to destination for creative and cohesive looks, over quarantine, most people took to Tik Tok to cure their artistic boredom. This resulted in a new teenage aesthetic that borrows pieces from virtually every decade. From 70s leather pants to early 2000s baby tees, Tik Tok fashion has become a generational crockpot of style.

The proper way to navigate these trends is to buy what you like. There is no reason why you cannot wear a mini skirt and crop top one day and mom-jeans and oversized t-shirts the next. Tik Tok has accelerated the already speeding timeline of how long something is “cool.” With hundreds of new sounds being popular each month, being on-trend has never seemed so easy yet burdensome. I find myself participating in this internalized misogynistic point of view where it feels as if I am supposed to think I am better than someone else for how I feel comfortable dressing. This is where the notion of being basic has come from, and honestly, I find myself with each day embracing my basic. I love leather pants, pastel greens, sweater vests, pearls, tote bags, and everything every other influencer raves about on social media. Why should someone’s decision to wear scrunchies every day give me the right to criticize them for it? Couldn’t they make similar claims for how I dress? Of course, they can. 

We need to stop acting like “basic” is the ultimate insult to fashion. Retailers have been doing this for decades to keep us consuming more and more product instead of appreciating what we already have. Individual style is an essential piece in discovering your identity. Still, if that comes at the cost of other people’s self-confidence, it is not about your faith in yourself but your superiority and individuality complex.