By Emerson Driscoll
MADDY / maddymoran_on Pinterest
More than ever, brands like Alo, Parke, Dairy Boy and more have been taking over the internet. For so many, it’s the trendiness of an item, seeing their favorite influencers wearing something, or even just the seemingly scarcity of these items, and feeling the need to rush and get them. Your favorite Dairy Boy camo set dropped finally after months and it will be available for two minutes to buy. You need to buy it right away, right? As someone who often falls into these traps myself” for clarity. I am here to de-influence you from pressing the buy button right away and think if this is something you genuinely want or need or if it is just what everyone is doing.
So many of my friends and I scroll through TikTok on the daily, and eventually, we are bombarded by Parke sweatshirts, these trendy-looking but simple sweatshirts with a mock neck and the simple “Parke” letters across the front. I thought it was cute, but the price point steered me away from it initially. However, coming back to my college campus after the holidays, I soon realized that just about everyone I knew was wearing that sweatshirt or the new trendy Alo set. As soon as a new drop came out for Parke and Dairy Boy for Valentine’s Day, I also found myself rushing to get any sweatshirt even if I did not love it before it sold out. But why? I usually am questioning my purchases and letting items sit in my cart for days, but I was willing to drop about $100 on a sweatshirt without any second thought. Why?
I won’t deny these items are not cute and things I would love to have in my closet, but I am here to say you DO NOT need something just because your friends have it. Or because it is trending. Or you just want to because everyone else is trying to get it. But if you do get it, that’s great too. No one is going to question you for not following the trends. You are still going to fit in like you always have. I think many people feel the pressure to fit in, especially coming to college and feeling the need to look as put together and “clean” as the next girl. But genuinely, even when you get that new sweatsuit, you will still want more. I am not going to pretend like I am above anyone and not want these things just as bad as everyone else, but I just want to say—it's okay to not always follow trends. Next time you race to buy the new limited edition drop of a brand, just keep this in mind. You may be able to save your wallet, too. Think: is this a purchase you would already justify?
FOMO is not a reason to buy something, next time, make sure it is something you genuinely want before falling into the trap again.
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