Emma Chamberlain is not an unfamiliar name to read. Every Millennial and Gen Z have at least heard of Emma. Vlogs and videos of her doing normal teenage things like farting, sleeping in until noon and drinking ample amounts of coffee has surprisingly caused her to be the biggest fashion icon of this generation.
When I started to become interested in fashion mid-high school, I recognized that the best way to find a unique outfit is to pair things together that do not match. If a cardigan is iffy with a certain top or pants, I wore it. If I was unsure of how certain styles of jewelry matched an outfit, I wore it. It ensured that my style was always unique and different from everybody else. Following those same guidelines, I made sure it wasn't tooooo tacky.
Once Chamberlain posts a photo of her in an outfit on her Instagram page, it is almost guaranteed that the outfit will be replicated almost exactly on thousands of others’ pages throughout the following weeks. If Emma offers a piece of fashion advice in one of her Youtube videos, stores will adjust their merchandise to compliment the insight that Emma offered. The fashion industry revolves around this one woman. In one of her recent videos, she addresses how she finds the perfect outfits to promote, and gives this piece of advice:
Find clothes that don’t match and wear them.
When the words escaped Chamberlains mouth, I had to pause the Youtube video and smile to myself. When I became a fan of the star during my freshman year of college, I noticed that a lot of her style choices had the same essence as mine. The thrifted, mismatched style vibed with the exact way that I dressed. Now I knew for a fact that she uses the same technique that I do when browsing through the store or looking through my closet.
Influencers’ job is to influence: to promote products and trends to their followers on the internet. Most influencers put on a perfect social mask to show the world that if they use certain products, the ones that they are getting paid to promote, their followers' lives can be just as perfect. However; Emma uses her relatable personality to draw viewers in. Internet users see so much artificial content on social media. Chamberlain allows an escape from that on her platforms. She reminds her viewers that she, and everybody else in this word, are only human. This allows a unique bond to be formed with her followers, almost like a friendship, that promotes the replication of her style.
Emma draws people into both her and her fashion choices by her authenticity. My brain unconsciously is drawn to Emma and other relatable influencers. I believe that is because they make me feel valid and reminds me that all young adults are in the same boat trying to navigate through the early stages of adulthood. Not every outfit needs to be perfectly planned out with exact matching colors or patterns, and the outfits that you wear do not need to be what everybody else appears to be wearing. This is what I, that the entirety of my generation have taken from Emma Chamberlain's fashion advice. Whether its fashion or simply waking up into a new day, nothing every needs to be in order because nothing ever will be. Life is spontaneous, just as our personal fashion should be too.