Scrolling through TikTok, a beautiful, tall woman tells me a white tank top is a must-have for my capsule closet—a capsule closet—curated clothing that can be easily mixed for multiple outfits. Not a bad idea in theory, I think. I get up and look at my closet overflowing with colourful second-hand t-shirts and delicately embroidered sleeves, I wonder why I need a white tank top.

The rise of the term “personal style” on platforms like TikTok has sparked so much discourse, with no angle left unexplored: consumerism, capitalism, lack of personal identity, and so much more. I had some of the same qualms about the concept of a capsule wardrobe, an idea rooted in saving time and money that paradoxically seems to incite spending more time and money.

It also fundamentally contradicts the online obsession to develop a personal style because everyone’s capsule closet should have the same 37 essential items. So, how can everyone have a functioning “must-have” closet while also having an extremely unique personal style?

This rise has people wanting to box their identities up neatly into niches that they move in or want to move in. “This is a blokecore fit” “These maxi skirts are coquette” Like a kids toy, the triangle shape goes into a triangle hole; a defined aesthetic in a cookie-cutter closet. People want their style to be recognised as a status symbol for how much access they have to buying a hot new thing. It's a sort of signalling.

Writer and fashion commentator Alexandra Hildreth told Vogue, “You can tell someone’s screen time from their outfit.” That succinctly describes this act of signalling that we engage in, in the name of personal style, when there is nothing personal or unique about it. Any style advice you see on your phone can never be unique.

So, how can someone truly cultivate a distinct personal fashion uniform? It starts with changing the way we observe and consume fashion content we like. At a surface level, you look at an outfit you like, and you think I need to get baggy pants like that for my outfit to look good like that. This is how overconsumption has altered our thinking patterns, where we just look to find ways to consume, consume and consume. At a deeper level, focus on what aspect of the outfit is appealing. Is it the silhouette created with the pants and a fitted shirt that can be recreated using items in your closet? Silhouette, texture, fit, cut and material are some key words to disengage your brain from the consumerist mode.

As South Asians, we have such a rich fashion history, from the varying forms of shalwar kameez to the bustling lines of ghararas. We have so much to observe around us. In winters, notice the way people layer sweaters and shawls over their desi clothes to create such interesting forms and shapes. In summer, the way rolled-up sleeves create creases, the way a lawn shirt flows with a baggy pajama, I realised that this unadulterated, uncurated and unalgorithemic inspiration is how you can truly cultivate a personal style.

Instead of blind pursuits of items to feed our consumerism, we must draw inspiration from the practicality of our environment. We don’t need to restrict ourselves to defined boxes, fashion is a deeply expressionist practice, and it requires you to be true to yourself.