{"id":888542,"date":"2026-09-11T20:28:25","date_gmt":"2026-09-11T20:28:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/888542\/"},"modified":"2026-09-11T20:28:25","modified_gmt":"2026-09-11T20:28:25","slug":"fashion-australia-how-to-develop-personal-style-when-designs-in-stores-all-look-the-same","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/888542\/","title":{"rendered":"Fashion Australia: How to develop personal style when designs in stores all look the same"},"content":{"rendered":"

Among avid shoppers and fashion lover<\/a>s, one thing has become painfully clear: Australia<\/a> is stuck in an endless cycle of same-same clothes. <\/p>\n

Gone are the days of unique pieces being sold in each store. Brands used to have distinct styles; you could glance at a piece and know immediately where it was from, based on its unique features. But now? Everything looks the same. <\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

If clothes shopping is giving you d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu right now, you\u2019re not alone.\u00a0Graphic: Polly Hanning<\/p>\n

On TikTok, content creator Rebecca Maretic (@notbecmare<\/a>) argues the country is in a full-blown style crisis, fuelled by a lack of personal style and the chokehold the trending \u2018clean girl\u2019 aesthetic has had on individuals and the industry. <\/p>\n

\u201cAustralia has a massive fashion problem: we are all dressing the exact same,\u201d she begins her videos.<\/p>\n

Maretic has started a series dedicated to helping women find unique pieces that might fit into their own personal style, rather than relying on the trend cycle. <\/p>\n

She isn\u2019t the only one who has noticed an issue; professional stylist Madeleine Park believes the situation goes deeper than consumer behaviour.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wouldn\u2019t go as far as say we\u2019re in a crisis, but we\u2019re caught in a loop between social media, purchasing power and then personal style,\u201d she told nine.com.au.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe get caught in these echo chambers and algorithms that keep feeding us the same things, the same outfits. We buy into that.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen brands the messaging that that\u2019s what we want to buy, so they keep producing along those lines. Then we get caught in that same loop of consumer behaviour.\u201d <\/p>\n

The solution, Park believes, is giving ourselves \u201cpermission to express ourselves with personal style\u201d. But how?<\/p>\n

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It\u2019s time to embrace your personal style. Pictured: Fashion creative Rowi Singh.\u00a0Getty<\/p>\n

Breaking free of the echo chamber<\/p>\n

The stylist says a good way to approach shopping is to know exactly what you\u2019re looking for before leaving the house.<\/p>\n

Starting a Pinterest board, or mood board, to get an understanding of what you like should be the first step in anyone\u2019s personal style journey. <\/p>\n

If you\u2019re truly lost and have no idea where to start, Park suggests starting with how you want to feel. <\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t necessarily have to start with fashion references. You can start with the mood, and that\u2019s why it\u2019s called the mood board,\u201d she explained. <\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s say you\u2019re going to an event, and you want to feel like you\u2019re in Europe. Do you want to feel like you\u2019re on some Mediterranean Odyssey? <\/p>\n

\u201cIf that\u2019s the case, you would pull in those feelings of being seaside and in hot weather, then let that influence what you\u2019re going to wear.\u201d <\/p>\n

The same principle applies to your day-to-day wardrobe as well. Pick the mood you\u2019re going for first, then build out from there. <\/p>\n

Do you want to feel effortlessly put together? Opt for elevated basics. Do you want to feel like a corporate powerhouse? Opt for chic business casual pieces. <\/p>\n

Learning how you want to feel throughout your day, and what makes you feel like that, is the first step to approaching personal style. <\/p>\n

Park says you can also incorporate a trend by making it part of your outfit in a way that feels personal to you. <\/p>\n

\u201cRealistically, the trick is to bring it into your wardrobe in the way that feels most natural,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n

\u201cIf [a trend] feels particularly loud, like pairing turquoise with cobalt blue \u2026 that may be great for a really strong personality that\u2019s really expressive and very extroverted, but maybe you just want to bring one element of that into your wardrobe in a more muted way.\u201d <\/p>\n

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Understanding how you want to feel can help guide the development of your style. Pictured: Bella Hadid.\u00a0Getty<\/p>\n

Buying power vs personal style <\/p>\n

Of course, in a cost of living crisis, liking a particular style doesn\u2019t always mean you\u2019d be able to afford it. <\/p>\n

Often, the most unique fashion pieces to be found these days come with an outrageously large price tag that\u2019s unreachable for most Aussies.<\/p>\n

Luckily, we live in a time when second-hand fashion is more readily available than ever before. <\/p>\n

While op shopping can still be expensive, there hidden gems for affordable prices if you\u2019re willing to look. <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a big advocate of secondhand fashion. I feel like there is, there are so many clothes available to us, and the ability to access those markets is only\u00a0growing,\u201d Park said<\/p>\n

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Unique fashion pieces often come with big price tags – but second-hand shopping offers a solution. Pictured: Yan Yan Chan.\u00a0Getty<\/p>\n

She recommends using apps like Depop, eBay and Vinted to find bargain second-hand finds. <\/p>\n

\u201cThat is where you have a key point of difference, especially if you\u2019re really strong on your personal style, but feel like there\u2019s not like affordable access points.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou will be able to find something that is unique, that feels like you. It just might take a little bit more time. But for me, the hunt is like part of the joy of finding a beautiful piece.\u201d <\/p>\n