By 
When I open my wardrobe and choose what to wear, I ask myself: Am I really free in my style choices?
How many of us look at outfits on social media and try to reproduce them, perhaps lowering the price target according to our own means or adapting them to a taste that we consider more authentic, more our own?
In the era of social media, the figure of the Opinion Leader takes on a key role in our style selections. For this reason, I have imagined three psychological magnets that attract us towards the opinion leader whom we emulate or want to embody.
Who is the opinion leader?
From my point of view, the opinion leader is not only a model figure who influences purchasing choices, but can also be a social or collective imaginary context capable of generating desire. Let me explain better: Gossip Girl, the famous American TV series, portrayed an elite that, in itself, created attraction towards the world of luxury. In this sense, the opinion leader can take on broader connotations, strongly influenced by the cultural context in which it is placed.
The magnets towards the opinion leader
- Status. Social status is that sense of recognition, of being seen. It is being recognised without apparent effort and, precisely for this reason, it takes on great importance. It also manifests itself in the security of owning a designer garment that, in our eyes, gains value precisely because of its economic inaccessibility.
- Belonging and exclusivity. By following the opinion leader, one acquires a sense of belonging and closeness: adopting their style rules means placing oneself on the same symbolic level. A sense of control is also created because one can, in turn, become an opinion leader within one’s own circle of contacts. It is a true social integration within a group made up of few people, therefore exclusive.
- Overcoming the fear of judgment. The insecurity of appearing disappears—or at least is reduced. Dressing means exposing oneself, showing a part of oneself to the world and, inevitably, subjecting oneself to judgment. Following the opinion leader generates security: in our mind, the mechanism is activated, whereby if that opinion leader wears that outfit, then it will surely be fine. Imitation, in this sense, is not a sign of weakness, but a natural social mechanism.
The garment as an object loaded with meaning
Thanks to these magnets of meaning, the garment ceases to be a simple functional object and becomes an identity object, loaded with symbolic value.
Returning to the initial question—whether we are truly free in our daily style choices—the answer is probably no. But this is not necessarily a limitation. We can recognise the dynamics that guide our choices and become aware of them.
I think of the famous monologue from The Devil Wears Prada, in which Miranda explains that Andrea’s apparently anonymous sweater is actually the result of a selection that passed through the runways from Oscar De La Renta to Yves Saint Laurent, merchandising choices and trends, and finally reaches her.
With this, I do not intend to express a judgment, but to highlight how we are part of a system of shared meanings which, if recognised, can also allow a full expression of the self.
