Influencers vs Celebrities… Who Do You Look to for Fashion Inspiration?

May 10, 2021

Where do you look for fashion inspiration? Social media influencers, celebrities, magazines, Pinterest, none of the above?

Lately, I’ve noticed a shift in how Gen Z views fashion now compared to a few years ago.

I’ve always looked at fashion as something fun and a way to express yourself creatively through what you wear. I personally look at everything and see things that I like and store it in my brain when thinking of outfit ideas.

One influencer that has become a bigger name in the fashion industry is Emma Chamberlain, with 12.8 million followers on Instagram. Much of her content is fashion related, showing outfits or new clothing items on her stories.

About a week ago, she released a new video titled: “WHAT I’M WEARING THIS SUMMER.”

In the video Emma says she made this video because she saw comments on all of her social media platforms asking her what they should be wearing this summer.

I’ve seen these kinds of comments not only on Emma’s social media but also other influencers such as Victoria Paris and Suede Brooks.

@ victoriaparis

@ suedebrooks

Both Victoria and Suede recently gained a large following on social media in a short period of time and their followers look to them for fashion advice. Both posting outfits of the days and fashion related content almost daily.

In the past, celebrities were the predominant source for fashion inspiration. Photos of them in magazines were obsessed over by teens in the 90’s.

Remember Paris Hilton? The power that her style had in the late 90’s and early 2000’s is undeniable.

Her matching sets and low-rise jean with a graphic tee combo were some of the biggest trends back then.

Teenagers looked to celebrities like Paris Hilton for fashion inspiration. Her photos were usually found in magazines and tabloids (or Tumblr).

Now, teens obsess over influencers’ Instagram and Tiktok feeds for fashion inspo. So much to the point where they are bombarding their favorite influencers with comments about the next season's fashion.

This is different than how it used to be because we didn’t have a way to contact our favorite celebrities and ask them what they would be wearing next season.

Now, anyone can leave a comment or send a dm.

It’s a more personal connection that allows influencers to understand what their audience wants to see.

I asked my friends for their opinions regarding who they look to for fashion inspiration and most of them said they don’t copy the influencer’s style, just see the trends and make an outfit based on that.

They also mentioned that influencers wear brands that are more affordable and easier to obtain compared to celebrities who mostly wear designer pieces, and are less realistic for our generation to afford.

No matter who you look to for fashion inspiration, or where, have fun with it and remember you can wear literally anything you want!!