By Maysam Najjar
The human eye seeks beauty and symmetry; our brains are wired to recognise patterns and symmetry is easier for our brains to process. It’s also more appealing.
One’s ability to adhere to beauty and aesthetic standards is ascribed value by way of respect, where cohesion in one’s lifestyle and aesthetic is perceived to be a virtue.
The attainment of beauty is often associated with dedication and discipline, and in a digital age, beauty is widely consumed online.
The pursuit of beauty in an era informed by social media and posting has taken the form of aesthetic labels. Micro-trends have made it easier than ever for people to consume identities on social media.
The accelerated trend cycle and the advent of fast fashion and consumerism means that it is both quick and easy to adapt to changing trends, and there is no shortage when it comes to aesthetic labels.
Influencers and public figures can be seen to leverage these labels to market themselves to their respective audiences. They experience the consequences of their chosen aesthetic label alongside their audience, and it is often inextricable from their lifestyle, individuality and self-perception.
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Tiktok influencer Sloan Bailey rose to fame due to the controversy surrounding her age-gap relationship, which she embraced by further conforming to an associated online micro-identity that can be identified through coquette, vintage Americana and Lolita aesthetics.
After their break-up, the public figure began posting videos and comments documenting her disillusionment with the age-gap relationship and advises her audience to avoid making decisions like hers. In these videos, she is also moving away from the aesthetics and characteristics that drew her followers in initially.
Many public figures like this often go viral and rise to fame because of their adherence to microtrends. Once they achieve acceptance through likes, views and followers, they tend to depart from the values that led to their popularisation. Online identity labels and values are inauthentic and unsustainable, but it is still considered a success to fully embrace them.
This trend that can be observed amongst public figures acts as a microcosmic representation of the way that many people experience trends and culture online, in that it’s so intrinsic to identity and the quest for acceptance.
To be truly aesthetic, you must adopt a set of values and behaviours into your lifestyle. You also have to buy the right clothes and items, and ensure that your appearance and demeanour complements the characteristics of your chosen identity.
The ultimate success is to be the best at your chosen aesthetic; Nara Smith rose to fame because she was the best at living out the idyllic trad-wife aesthetic, and people can’t help but admire the aestheticism and symmetry associated with these identity labels.
Those who manage to engage with identity and aesthetics in a way that gears them towards financial profit are the lucky ones who get to enjoy the fruits of their “labour”.
Once the aesthetic has completed its cycle, it is discarded to make space for the next trend.
Featured image: Beauty is identity in the online world. Photo: Racool_studio/CC/Freepik