There’s this thing that happens every year when summer is approaching. The girls on TikTok start asking themselves questions like: “What summer are we having?” and “What are we wearing this summer?”
It’s a cute trend and a fun attempt to bring the camaraderie that comes with being a woman to the digital space. I always ask my friends what they’re wearing before we go out, just to make sure that we’re on the same page.
It’s important, however, to see yourself as an actual person and not a summer aesthetic.
We so often want to take inspiration from one another that we forget what works for us and what doesn’t.
In 2024, we had “brat summer.” It was great for me because I love to go out, but it doesn’t work for everybody.
The “clean girl” trend that Hailey Bieber had accidentally pioneered was, at first, fun. But quickly I started getting frustrated at myself for having bed head and morning breath when it seemed like these girls didn’t have to deal with anything “real” at all.
I love going on social media and seeing what people are up to. What fun things are there to do in New York? Would the same outfit one girl is wearing look good on me? Where can I buy it?
It can be a helpful way to keep in touch and build community. But once we get caught up in what aesthetic we are, we lose touch into what makes us individuals, too.
My hope for this summer is that everyone does what makes them feel good. The girls who love pilates should keep going, and the girls that are genuinely interested in it should learn from them.
I’m not a pilates person, but I love to see girls build running routines on social media because I’ve been running long distances my whole life. I hate to cook, but I got into baking a few years ago and now my algorithm is filled with baking videos.
People also contradict themselves. I couldn’t lean into the “party girl” aesthetic that went around social media for a bit because I’m also a morning person. I like to wake up early, do some work and have a slow start to my day. I can’t do that if I’m going out all the time.
That’s okay. That’s what makes me, “me.” When I stopped worrying over aesthetics and started treating myself like a complicated individual, I felt much better about the decisions I made.
