Image credits: Sincerely Media on Unsplash
From ‘fit checks, to look-books, to Pinterest boards – fashion and style is embedded into our life online. Amongst this are content creators challenging whether or not we are giving credibility to the right people. In a space where diet culture is rampant and being skinny is coming back ‘in’, we are holding a magnifying glass to the influencers and celebrities that are hailed as ‘style icons’ – and question whether we are celebrating their fashion choices, or their bodies.
Content creator Vitor Arruda has gained attention on TikTok with a series where he recreates viral celebrity looks to determine whether an outfit is truly a “fit” or simply flattering because of the wearer’s thinness. His videos have sparked wider conversations in the comments section about body ideals, fashion perception, and how certain looks are elevated by specific body types.
Much of the reaction celebrates Arruda for looking confident and stylish in the outfits, while also opening up dialogue about the lack of male body diversity in mainstream fashion media. For many viewers, his content is both entertaining and eye-opening- a reminder of how narrowly defined attractiveness and “style” often are, especially for men.
However, Arruda is not the first to explore this trend. Tiktok creator Holly Marston made an online series of videos starting in 2022 consisting of recreations and ‘try-ons’ of celebrity outfits such as Bella Hadid. The popularity of such videos reflects a growing awareness of how fashion is consumed and presented. For many viewers, it’s a wake-up call to rethink aspirational fashion as something inherently tied to body shape rather than styling or tailoring alone.
At the heart of the debate is a linguistic shift. ‘Fit’ used to refer primarily to tailoring, how well a garment suited a person’s dimensions. Now, it’s often used more broadly to imply ‘good style,’ which raises questions about whether the praise is earned by the clothing or the body wearing it.
Designer Shoshanna Gruss told InStyle the key to looking good is that “once you know which silhouettes flatter you, filter trends ruthlessly”. This suggests we should perhaps be dressing for our personal style and bodies rather than mimicking trends or celebrities we put on a pedestal.
Moreover, we should question why this is a trend at all. More often than not the conclusion in videos for basic or mismatched outfits is usually “they are just skinny”. These conclusions reflect the accepted culture of celebrating thinness rather than creativity and individuality. So maybe next time we see our favourite celeb wearing a t-shirt and jeans we shouldn’t take out our phones and hail them a style icon, we should wait for a real innovative moment to give the label.
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