No, My Style Is Not Another "-Core"

How I Took Back Control of My Style & Why You Should Too

In this day and age, it feels almost impossible to have an actual sense of personal style. Between TikTok trends and the fashion industry’s obsession with turning everything into a "-core," it’s enough to make anyone feel like they’re losing their mind — myself included.

And if I’m being really honest? I think it’s a combination of a few things: feeling unoriginal, feeling like I constantly need to "revamp" my wardrobe, and feeling this weird pressure to conform to whatever’s cool at the moment. But you know what?! I don’t care what’s cool. There. I said it.

I think what I wear is cool. And I want you to feel the same way about your own style, too.

Honestly, the best (and hardest) thing I ever did for my personal style came down to two major changes:

1) I got off TikTok.
I know, I know — Julia, what?! You used to be addicted! Trust me, I know. If I can do it, you can do it.
Getting off TikTok changed everything. Before, I was looking at a million different people wearing a gazillion different outfits every time I opened the app. That constant exposure does a few things: it overwhelms your brain with options, it convinces you you need more clothes, and it chips away at your ability to trust your own taste.
I’m not anti-experimentation — I think trying new things with fashion is amazing. But there is such a thing as option fatigue. When you're constantly bombarded with new aesthetics, new hauls, and new "must-haves," it tricks you into thinking you need to "keep up."
Spoiler: you don’t.
Leaving TikTok was one of the best decisions I made for my fashion sense. (And if you want even more convincing, I already wrote an entire article about it called How to Stop Letting TikTok Define Your Style. Highly recommend.)

2) I stopped buying an outfit for every single occasion.
Something I probably should’ve stopped doing about 100 occasions ago — but hey, better late than never.
Instead, I started really playing dress-up with my closet. For everything. Work, play, vacations, random Wednesday afternoons — you name it.
I forced myself to actually use the clothes I already owned — insane concept, I know! But to my surprise, it led to some of my favorite and most complimented outfits of all time.
It also helped me dive deep into understanding what I really love to wear and what makes me feel good — which, newsflash, are literally the only two things that should ever matter when it comes to your style.

Through this whole process, I realized: I don’t want my style to become just another "-core."
I already came dangerously close with the mob wife aesthetic — they almost stole my vibe, I won't lie. But thank god they didn’t fully get me. They came pretttyyyyyy close though.

Here’s the thing: fashion trends will always exist. Aesthetics will always cycle in and out. But your style? It’s yours. It’s not supposed to fit neatly into a TikTok soundbite or a Pinterest moodboard or a marketing trend.

You don’t need to be a "clean girl" or a "rockstar girlfriend" or a "coastal cowgirl" or whatever the new "-core" of the month is. You just need to be you.
And trust me — that’s way cooler than anything trending. You got this. <3

XO,

𝒇𝒂𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒇𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆