A Love Letter to Personal Style

The season of love is upon us and on a college campus, love takes many forms. Love for Valentine’s Day. Love for a good thrift find. And perhaps most visibly, love for the latest trend.One week, there’s a hyper-specific aesthetic everywhere you look. On TikTok. On Instagram. Across campus. For a brief moment, it feels like everyone is in on the same visual inside joke. Then, just as quickly as it arrived, it disappears. Microtrends feel fun. They feel harmless. They feel like belonging.But they aren’t designed to last.

A microtrend is a highly specific style wave that spikes quickly and fades just as fast often within weeks or months. Recently, aesthetics like balletcore and “coastal granddaughter” have cycled through social media feeds at lightning speed. Suddenly, ballet flats multiplied. Hair ribbons reappeared. Soft pastels and hyper-feminine silhouettes dominated the timeline. And just when it felt like the look had solidified, the algorithm moved on.

This is the defining feature of microtrends: intensity without longevity. They differ from macro trends long-term shifts like the widespread embrace of comfort and athleisure in everyday style which evolve slowly and reshape wardrobes over years rather than weeks. So why do microtrends spread so quickly?First, they offer instant membership. Buying the trending item can feel like securing a social passcode. On a college campus especially, where identity and belonging are constantly being negotiated, participating in a trend can feel like an easy way to fit in.Second, accessibility fuels speed. Fast fashion brands replicate viral pieces within days, sometimes hours. Low prices and rapid shipping remove friction, making it easy to participate immediately.And, of course, everything circles back to the algorithm. Platforms like TikTok reward novelty. “Get ready with me” videos, hauls, and aesthetic transformations center on constant consumption. The feed refreshes, and so does the desire for something new. The cycle is engineered for momentum.But while the trend fades, the purchase remains.

Microtrends carry hidden costs. The pieces often don’t integrate into your existing wardrobe, which makes them difficult to style once the hype subsides. Many are designed for photos rather than durability, meaning they don’t hold up to repeated wear. Their resale value drops almost as quickly as their popularity, and too often they end up discarded.The real question becomes: was it ever your style, or was it just your algorithm?Personal style operates on a different timeline. It isn’t defined by what spikes; it’s defined by what stays. A helpful test before buying into any trend is simple: Would you wear it if nobody were taking pictures? Would you still like it if it stopped trending tomorrow? Can you build at least five outfits with it using what you already own?Breaking up with microtrends doesn’t require rejecting trends altogether. It requires discernment. Try pausing for 48 hours before purchasing. Calculate cost-per-wear. Attempt to recreate the look with items already in your closet. Thrift, borrow, or rent before buying new. Often, the urgency fades when given time.

Interestingly, this same cycle appears beyond fashion especially around holidays.Valentine’s Day, much like Christmas, is heavily marketed as a reason to consume. A new pink outfit for date night. Heart-covered décor for a Galentine’s party. A trendy gift wrapped in plastic. Many of these purchases are used once, photographed, and forgotten. What if celebration didn’t require overconsumption?

Instead of buying a brand-new outfit for a date, consider visiting a thrift store, flea market, or vintage shop together. Make the search part of the experience. Picking out outfits for each other can be playful, personal, and far more memorable than clicking “add to cart.” Shopping secondhand not only reduces waste but also supports small businesses and gives pre-loved pieces a second life.

Gift-giving can also shift from disposable to durable. Instead of roses that wilt within days, consider crochet flowers or a LEGO bouquet you build together. A handwritten letter carries far more intimacy than a mass-produced card. Baking sweets together — even something simple like decorating cookies — transforms a consumable item into a shared memory.

For Galentine’s Day, skip single-use decorations and focus on experiences. Host a clothing swap where friends trade pieces they no longer wear. Plan a cozy movie night using what you already have. Take a class together, volunteer, or organize a craft night. Experiences tend to linger longer than themed tableware ever could.

At its core, both microtrends and hyper-commercialized holidays rely on the same message: you need something new to participate. But participation does not have to mean purchasing. Breaking up with microtrends isn’t about rejecting joy or creativity. It’s about rejecting pressure. It’s about choosing intention over impulse and longevity over immediacy.Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to mean buying more. It can mean choosing better. Thoughtful, sustainable decisions show love not only for the people in your life, but for the planet as well.