When Influencers Take Over: The Absurd Evolution of Celebrity Fashion

In a world where influencers can break the internet with a single selfie, it’s hard to remember the days when celebrity fashion was limited to the red carpet and the occasional Vogue cover. Today, Instagram stories, TikTok trends, and YouTube hauls have dethroned traditional fashion icons like supermodels and A list celebrities. Instead, we’re looking to influencers with ring lights and fast fashion deals to tell us what’s “in” this season.

It’s not hard to see how we got here. Gone are the days when designers fought to dress stars for the Oscars. Now, influencers have their own “fashion moments”, typically captured in a 15 second video that cost about the same as a pumpkin spice latte. While traditional red carpet fashion was once about timeless elegance, today’s influencer style is all about that instant hit. And by instant, I mean a series of Instagram photos snapped before lunch at a local coffee shop.

Let’s talk about the transformation. Enter the Instagram "influencer look". A curated combination of vintage tees, skinny jeans (that might be ripped, but not too much), and sneakers that cost more than my rent. You’ve seen it: influencers walking through the aisles of Target in what looks like a $300 hoodie, paired with jeans that make you wonder how much fabric was sacrificed to get that "cool and effortless" vibe.

But here's the kicker: these influencers often have the best of both worlds. They can get “sponsored” to wear these outfits, while the rest of us are left to wonder if we can afford even one of those sponsored items without maxing out a credit card. Meanwhile, the influencers keep their "authentic" vibe by pretending they found these clothes in the back of their closet. Classic.

This new wave of fashion isn’t just about looking good, it's about looking like you don’t care... but, of course, caring enough to appear nonchalant about it. This is a skill in itself. Nothing says “I’m effortlessly chic” like a posed picture of you casually walking down the street with the perfect wind in your hair, all while making sure that the caption says something like “Just woke up like this” or “Caught in the middle of a chaotic day.”

The Rise of Fashion "Rules" (that only influencers understand)

What’s even more perplexing is how influencers have established entire “rules” that completely defy what we once thought was fashion sense. For instance, the “no white after Labor Day” rule has been completely erased by influencers rocking white shoes year round, and, somehow, they’re making it look like the most groundbreaking fashion move of 2025. Not to be outdone, they’re pairing these white shoes with cargo pants, which surprise!, are back in style.

I’m not saying these influencers aren’t trendsetters. But let’s call a spade a spade: they’re the ones who made it socially acceptable to post a picture of themselves wearing something they’d never leave the house in, as long as it gets the right number of likes.

How Social Media Changed the Game

What’s behind all of this? Social media, of course. Platforms like TikTok have condensed the fashion cycle to the point where trends can appear and disappear before you even manage to check out your shopping cart. Remember when we were told that cargo pants were so 2000s? Well, now they’re so 2025, thanks to a few influencers showing off how they can style them with everything from crop tops to leather jackets.

But here's the beauty of it all ... these trends aren't being dictated by a fashion house in Paris or New York anymore. Instead, they're coming from bedrooms, dorm rooms, and coffee shops, thanks to a carefully curated mix of brand sponsorships and personal style. The “influencers” are taking over, and we're all just along for the ride.

The real question is: Will we ever go back to the days when fashion was about couture and sophistication, or are we doomed to keep scrolling through the latest influencer “haul” to figure out what’s trending? One thing's for sure... if influencers keep setting the fashion agenda, there’s at least one thing we can be sure of: the era of the boring old red carpet is officially over.

And, honestly, I’m here for it. Because, if nothing else, it’s given me more outfit inspo than I ever asked for.