Casual Instagram and Its Effect on GenZ Fashion Culture

For over the past five years or so, Instagram has been a haven for the lover of visual appeal and aesthetics. A fashion influencer whose pointed-toe footsteps often grace Parisian cobblestone on the way to a terrace cafe could naturally adopt a “Parisian aesthetic” Instagram feed, while an influencer in New York City wearing an effortlessly chic outfit as they walk down 5th Avenue could do the same. With the neutral tones of coffee and cream and the perfect formulaic VSCO filter, both influencers can adopt the same digital persona with practically the same viewer perception, albeit one more aspirational than the other. This meticulous curation and focus on aesthetics; however, has been criticized following heavy influencer marketing on the app, as content began to be viewed as disingenuous as it seemed every woman was having her “Emily in Paris” moment. 2022 has ushered in the supposed antithesis of curated Instagram with “casual Instagram,” defined by photo dumps and content that more closely mirrors reality.

The push for less curated, more authentic content had been steadily increasing since 2019, mostly throughout the US, and in 2020 and 2021, the pandemic amplified this mindset on a massive global scale catalyzing this shift to “casual Instagram.” Input Magazine describes casual Instagram as, “low-effort and haphazardly put together—hence the term ‘dump’— the gallery posts can be widely attributed to the events of 2020. As a result of the pandemic, which fueled a year of loss, grief, and overall melancholy, curating an Instagram feed has become a practice of the past. During quarantine—when no one had any Instagram-worthy events to attend or dress up for—photo dumps became especially popular.” The desire for casual content could have also escalated due to the popularity of TikTok, known for its authentic content where viewers often get closest to seeing other’s real life. This is not to say that TikTok isn’t curated, but its short form videos don’t allow for as much of a focus on an aesthetically pleasing grid.

TikTok creators, in particular, have had the most to say about the concept of “casual Instagram,” with many debating whether it really is the antithesis to curated/performative Instagram. In a viral Tiktok, Akili Moree, who has a background in the entertainment industry, compares curated/performative Instagram to scripted TV, whereas casual Instagram is like reality TV. He says that “reality TV, like casual Instagram, isn’t reality but it attempts to convince the viewer that it is real life.” Moree and video commenters all refute the idea that casual Instagram is less performative or less curated. Comments all echo similar sentiments with one user writing, “My casual dumps are the MOST strategic omg,” and another writing, “I just don’t get ‘casual insta’ because it’s still so curated. It’s just less glam.” Ethan Glenn, for example, creates men’s fashion content on Tiktok and created a video compiling some of his Instagram photos telling viewers to start ditching their Instagram aesthetic. Still, Glenn was met with several comments telling him that his “casual” content is viewed as an aesthetic in and of itself.

One of the tastemakers for “casual Instagram” is Emma Chamberlain, an internet personality and Louis Vuitton ambassador, who is credited for the 2017/2018 movement towards casual YouTube wherein messy buns, teddy coats paired with gray sweatpants and Ugg slippers, and burping on camera was not only normalized, but trendy. There was and still exists a certain level of privilege needed to retain popularity on casual YouTube. In other words, many note that there is a certain privilege in not being widely viewed as gross by society for burping on camera or looking what many would deem as messy because of a creator being viewed as attractive. This is not to say that Chamberlain hasn’t been criticized, or that her content isn’t deserving of major accolades, but it is to note that she has been widely accepted as one of the most well-known internet personalities, works alongside several high fashion brands, and interviews celebrities for the 2020 Met Gala, whereas others would not be given the same accolades for the type of content she creates.

Casual Instagram is no different. On January 6th, 2022, Chamberlain posted a photo dump with two of the photos certainly showing realistic content—one photo is of her ripped nail while another shows three bloody band aids on her marble countertop. There is again, privilege in something this hyper realistic still being widely perceived as a casual aesthetic rather than just boring or simply disgusting.

The same topic of privilege is also prevalent when looking at how social media culture, particularly casual Instagram, which has affected fashion culture. In the same way that Emma Chamberlain’s casual YouTube had every teenager and woman wearing a teddy coat and messy bun, casual Instagram has also impacted fashion trends. Attempting to look casual yet fashionable, women seem to be opting for basic pieces with a twist—a black long-sleeve cotton top with side cutouts, leggings with a slit hem, jeans with an asymmetrical button closure, or a white tee shirt with an open back. These basics are often paired with a version of a Nike Air Force 1 or slides with socks. This trend in fashion is best evidenced by Abercrombie & Fitch’s rebranding. Almost every item on the website is a twist on a basic garment to create pieces that are trendy, but also basic enough to potentially exist in a wardrobe for a very long period. This focus on basics means that many women are spotlighting their hair and jewelry which accounts for the increased popularity in salon blowouts using a Dyson Airwrap and stackable gold jewelry. Matilda Djerf, another fashion influencer, heads this trend as she often layers basic pieces paired with bouncing blonde hair as the main fashion statement with gold hoop earrings, a silver watch, and a gold Cartier bracelet, which is a piece that is anything but casual even though she makes it look effortless.

Like casual Instagram, Abercrombie & Fitch is trying to be inclusive, and in some ways is successful, but not everyone feels included. The fashion that defines casual Instagram does not require a user to be thin or conventionally attractive to participate, but it is true that women who are deemed thin and pretty are most widely followed for dressing this way. This concept, however, has existed in fashion forever and is not exclusive to A&F or casual Instagram; however, both in their attempt to be perceived as reality, like reality TV, can sometimes be even more deceiving. Business Insider’s Hillary Hoffower and Dominic-Madori Davis note in their article titled Abercrombie & Fitch is cool again, after years as the most hated retailer in the US, because it caught up to what millennials and Gen Z want, “younger generations also care about building a ‘capsule wardrobe’ to be more sustainable, buying a few items of good quality that will be seen as timeless as the endless cycle of fast fashion prevails. A spokesperson said the company is looking at making its practices more sustainable, telling Insider the brand knows there is still more work to be done.”

Like Abercrombie, casual Instagram fashion does in fact promote a much more sustainable wardrobe which is a major shift from the plethora of fast fashion on performative Instagram. In terms of fashion, this signals a shift in a wonderful direction for 2022 which Fashion Reverie is looking forward to!

—Tessa Swantek