Instagram Ads Are Taking Over My Life; and Wardrobe.

What do the retired gentlemen in my Floridian neighbourhood and I, a 24 year old Irish Jane Doe have in common? Our wardrobes. (Also back pain, but let's not get into that). Leaving home each morning, I’m dressed and ready to attend any number of events at the drop of a vintage baseball hat; spontaneous barbecue, boat trip (thank you Crocs), Hawaiian vacation photoshoot, you get the idea. There is nothing I like more in my wardrobe than a good shirt; color, pattern, material, shape. Instagram knows this, and douses my feed with ads for an endless variety of colourful shirts as generously as the guy adding oil to salad in that meme.

Truth be told, style and fashion accounts are some of my favorite on Instagram, I appreciate the bright clothes’ valiant attempts at breaking up the negative and frankly distressing news cycle that invariably rears its head on my feed. That, combined with the fact that the overwhelming majority of my online purchases are from vintage shops (support local businesses), are likely the primary sources of information for Instagram’s oh so subtle personalised ads. So pinned they have me on my style I have previously received ads on Instagram for the exact shirt I was wearing in that moment. It would almost feel nice to have someone something there that pays such close attention to me, if it wasn't so creepy.

I have always liked vintage clothes from an aesthetics point of view. Am I the only one that's forever jealous of the clothes on display in my baby photos from the 90s? I also love the thrill of searching for and finding unique pieces, in person or online. In the last number of years however, I have been compelled to join the ever growing fashion revolution, and the idea of purchasing previously owned or upcycled pieces has taken on new significance. The negative effects of the fast fashion industry have been more than well documented, from both a human rights and environmental perspective. I’m also aware that lifestyle changes undertaken for the greater good can be daunting; the easiest first step to take with this particular one, for anyone new to the concept or seeking ways to contribute, is to do a quick google search for the worst offenders in the world of fast fashion and try to minimise purchasing from these names. Through a little reading/listening on the topic, I've seen even these improved channels of secondhand or vintage purchasing can pose issues, and there is so much more I can do to reduce my carbon footprint. The next step for me is to form the habit of researching the particular store or company from which I’m purchasing to ensure they use sustainable and eco-friendly manufacture methods and uphold their responsibility for fair wages and worker’s rights. This can be an ownerous task however (did I mention daunting?), especially with smaller businesses, but that first step against fast fashion alone is a crucial one towards a more sustainable and ethical wardrobe. It’s better to have 100 million imperfect vegans than 100 perfect ones, as the internet says. This podcast is a very interesting listen about our messy relationship with clothes, and the industry, history and psychology of fashion.

On a more personal note, (and I’d like to think Instagram promotes these clothes because of the personal sentiment they may hold for me) to me it’s not just a shirt. I love expressing myself through my clothes. Growing up rurally, my preference for androgynous (if not entirely masculine) attire utterly baffled the adults around me, and trust me, my 8 year old self was just as confused by their restrictive world views on gender, stereotypes and clothes, and why we even had all these rules in the first place. This early confusion and feeling of being misunderstood forged an emotional tie between me and what I wear, a tie I think everyone shares with clothing on some level for various reasons, and science tends to agree. There is very interesting psychology on our relationships with clothes, as is explained by one clinical psychologist, Dr. Jennifer Baumgartner in her book You Are What You Wear. Not only does what we wear say something about us outwardly to those around us, something I'm sure we're all more than familiar with if not actively thinking about, it also speaks inwardly to us, a concept called “enclothed cognition”, and it relates to the influence particular clothes have on the wearer’s psychological processes. If you think about it, this is simply true of every day life; remember how you felt that day you had your make-up professionally done, or the first time you wore your now favourite suit Hawaiian shirt.

It is also important to recognise the power of clothing, what it represents in our society, and how difficult it is to break away from cultural or societal stereotypes. I need only mention Harry Styles’ Vogue cover to call to mind the deep ties clothing has with our identities, cultures, how we see the world, and the power someone’s clothing can have in evoking a reaction in others. It’s vitally important to recognise the extremely dangerous and violent environments that exist in this world for both gender non-conforming people, that is people that have a gender expression that differs in some way from societal expectations or stereotypes, or for transgender and non-binary people, who’s gender identity does not correspond with their birth sex, and may also result in presenting differently than society might expect.

Through a concept termed intersectionality, the risk for hate-motivated violence is amplified when the person is a member of more than one minority group, be it due to ethnicity, disability, and especially in a racial context. 2021 is on track to be the most deadly year in history to live as a transgender woman of color. I can’t in good conscience speak on this communities behalf, because I do not have shared experiences; and in place of speaking over others, amplifying their own words is a far better use of my voice. That said, to learn more on the difficulties experienced by gender non-conforming and transgender people today, I direct you to the following brilliantly powerful and utterly fabulous people, who have been instrumental in rehumanizing their communities and unapologetic in their fight to reclaim basic human rights that have been and continue to be ruthlessly stripped from them. These people have impacted my journey with self-expression, and have empowered me through their advocacy to be more vulnerable and authentic on a personal level, and more outspoken and active in supporting their rights.

• Laverne Cox - The first openly trans person to appear on Time and Cosmos magazines; and a trailblazing advocate for trans rights and visibility.

• Ashlee Marie Preston - The first trans woman to become editor-in-chief of a national publication, Wear Your Voice Magazine, and the first openly trans person to run for state office in California . She shares her thoughts on Effective Allyship in this Tedtalk.

• Alok-Vaid Menon - An author, performer, speaker, and fashionista; educates about life outside the gender binary.

• Lambda Legal - Legal organisation litigating for the lgbtq+ community. They have developed a transgender rights toolkit and state-by-state resource guide for those needing support and/or assistance.

• Find LGBT rights activists in your country

No person's social media account should be used as an educational tool unless explicitly stated as the purpose, and instead should be seen as a way of being introduced to a new community, and opportunity to see new art/perspective.

So when I say I’m excited by color and shirts, as silly or superficial as it sounds, there’s an emotional tie for me with the freedom I have found in adulthood to wear what I choose, and having the safety and privilege to express myself outwardly, it’s a gift that brings me so much joy. As an extension of the idea of unclothed cognition, the closer you are to safely being able to reflect who you are inside on the outside, in your presentation or style, the more freedom, comfort and the more 'you', you will feel.

There are two main reasons why buying clothes – especially shirts – online is so easy for me. The first centres around a very famous minimalistic approach to style which I have adapted to suit my needs; that is wearing the same outfit or ‘uniform’ every day. My genius take on this idea entails often wearing an all-black silhouette - shoes, jeans, possibly t-shirt - and the choice of the day is thus simplified to “which shirt/overshirt/jacket do I feel like wearing?”. As simplistic as this sounds (is it even a style hack?), the mindset it affords is pretty refreshing. Instead of worrying about what I should be wearing or how I might look to other people, the question is what I would like to wear, I find it’s a nice little brain reset each morning. How does this help with my online splurges (and damage my finances)? Virtually everything advertised to me can be worn over the black silhouette. Boom.

The second reason pertains to the age old issue of sizing. Since online shopping’s conception, correct sizing has been a plague on the ever hopeful yet frequently disappointed shopper, fortunately for me I don’t stick to any particular size range (as you'll shortly see). I tend to feel safe progressing from the cart to my wardrobe with anything ranging from a women’s medium to a men’s medium; whatever shows up I tend to just roll with. Size roulette makes for a very exciting package opening, let me tell you.

I have quite a few different pieces in my wardrobe, some more sustainably source than others, and for the sake of this challenge I took on the difficult task of trying to rank my favourite five pieces to show you! Please enjoy my modelling debut, et voilà, my collection:

5. Atlas Map Shirt - shopninecrows.com

Overall Rating: 7/10; Appearance: 7/10 ; Fit: 7/10 ; Price: ~20 USD ; Sustainable: Yes!

4. Sailor Oversized Blue Shirt - yaaassvintage

Overall Rating: 9/10 ; Appearance: 9/10 ; Fit 7/10 ; Price ~50 USD; Sustainable: Yes!

3. B/W Stripe Contrast Color Shirt - newchic.com

Overall Rating: 9/10; Appearance 8 /10; Fit 9/10 ; Price 20 USD; Sustainable: No!

2. Devil Shirt Blue Colorway – ESNT.net

Overall Rating: 8/10 ; Appearance 10/10 ; Fit 8/10; Price 25 USD ; Sustainable: No!

1. Jam’s World Color Patch Raincoat - @ninecrows

Overall Rating: 10/10 ; Appearance: 10/10 ; Fit 8 /10; Price ~70 USD; Sustainable: Yes!

Anddd curtain. Not only has the advent of wearing some fun things brought me personal joy and comfort, it has also had the unexpected and endlessly positive effect of starting conversations with strangers. In shops, café’s and pubs around the world I’ve had smiling strangers approach me and ask where I found a piece of clothing, some of these interactions have resulted in longterm friendships. I mention this not to brag about my personal (and utterly undeniable) swagger, but more as an articulation of the concept that expressing yourself in the simplest ways can have a positive impact on others. It can be seen as an everyday example of “shining our own light gives others permission to do the same”. And really, if there’s one thing recent global events (I dare not mention the C word) have shown us, do other's perceptions on what we wear really matter? The clothes we wear should reflect us, not speak to an expensive price tag, or attempt to copy Instagram models or influencers with a million dollars for each of their 5 seconds of fame. I wish we could somehow relax the ‘rules’ we’ve created around clothing and have a little fun, and freedom with how we express ourselves, especially with something as temporary and changeable as an outfit.

If I can incentivise you further, you can rekindle that childhood feeling of being excited to wear a favourite piece of clothing. I know its daunting, but how many of us have seen something online, on somebody else, or in stores and thought "Oh I love it, but I could never wear that color" or "It's right up my street, but it's too out there", well here's the friendly neighbourhood push you need to move that (hopefully sustainable) item you love from the cart and into your wardrobe. And here's the more important push; make sure if you buy it, wear it! Enjoy it! Liberate yourself from the invisible rules if they are putting you in a box you don't like. And if you don't feel particularly affected by society's judgement, good for you!

As a parting note, a final challenge for you. Whether you’re in a part of the world where your town or city is free of restrictions, or you’re looking at months more of this quarantine lifestyle (I’m routing for you!), I challenge you to tell a stranger you like something/everything they're wearing. There’s no doubt my social skills have regressed considerably in the past year, and there has scarcely been a more anxious period in our lifetimes; considering minimal face-to-face interactions, brains soaking in social media’s sometimes toxic juices, a news cycle committed to convincing us that humanity is only getting more repulsive by the day, exercise routines possibly slipping, and all of the rest, there is no doubt that a little kindness from a stranger would make someone’s day. So whenever it is you can visit a coffee shop, or are in a grocery store, consider passing a socially distant compliment to a stranger, it costs you nothing and may make your day to have made someone smile!

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I so appreciate anyone that's taken the time to read this article, if you'd like to reach out regarding a correction/feedback send me a DM on Instagram! @some_bun

Positive News accounts on Instagram to brighten your feed:

@tanksgoodnews, @upworthy, @the_happy_broadcast