A Thought: The Impact of Hypebeast Culture on Self-Esteem
By: Fayren Chaerunnissa
Tags: Fashion, Lifestyle, Self Esteem

Do you feel like you need fancy clothes to help you fit in?

Photo by Satria Aditya on Unsplash

A hypebeast is a term to describe someone who follows trends in fashion (particularly streetwear) that are “hype”, and usually branded with an extremely high price tag, to make a social statement and impress others. Basically, it’s a term to describe those young people who you see showing off their Supreme outfit on Instagram. Even though hypebeast is now its own fashion category, the term sometimes still has a negative connotation to it. Honestly, between my friends and I, when we call someone a “hypebeast”, it implies that they’re a spoiled brat who just spends their money on streetwear just to show it off and rub it into our broke faces. Do you use the term “hypebeast” the same way we do?

It’s kinda tricky to distinguish brands simply based on whether they are a hypebeast or “high-end” brand. Sometimes, it’s easier to classify individual pieces into those two categories, instead of the entire brand itself. Clothing brands have very diverse products these days, especially luxury brands.

Based on what I’ve seen from my friends and on social media, hypebeast culture represents teenagers who want to fit in and gain self-confidence. Nowadays, the culture develops the perception that when teens purchase and show off their branded, trendy streetwear, they are “cool” and will, therefore, be accepted in their peer groups, and in society.

But I feel like fashion companies are exploiting teens’ and young adults’ insecurities and self-consciousness for their own profit. They keep feeding the idea to these individuals that they will never be enough if they don’t own their products. They keep telling them that wearing their clothes is one of the most evident ways to make a statement of their wealth and thus claim their rightful prestigious spot in society. They keep reinforcing these ideas through social media by showing that those who use their products are those who are living the best lives, so those who don’t have said products are missing out.

This leads young people to think that they need to own these luxury products to be validated. Young people are especially vulnerable to this type of distorted thinking because teens use their self-esteem as a way of identification.

When a teen commits their identity to just one part of their life — to owning luxury apparel, for instance — they will become distraught and their self-esteem will come crashing down when the luxury apparel isn’t available to them. They might think “I’m nothing without my New Balance sneakers!” As luxury brands keep reinforcing this mindset, more and more teens are insecure with what they already have and insist that the only way to feel validated was to purchase those items. They would beg their parents to buy it for them, even when the product has an extreme price tag. I knew a kid (13-year-old) who begged his mom for a supreme hoodie despite its unbelievably high price tag, and the reason for it was to fit in because many of his friends own supreme clothing. He’s such a brilliant kid. I wish he realised that a hoodie isn’t the key to fitting in.

Even when it doesn’t seem like it would have much of an impact, these insecurities will have a big impact on other aspects in life. Insecurities related to self-identity and prestige can even have an impact on relationships. An individual’s insecurity can have a negative impact on how they view others and therefore will affect their relationships with them. If they aren’t able to accept themselves for who they are, how do you expect them to accept others?

There’s so much damage put into young teens’ self-esteem these days to the point where it’s damaging to their mental health. Unfortunately, luxury fashion brands are fully aware of this but they only utilise it for their own benefit for the sake of profits, while disregarding young people’s mental health.

But we can’t rely on these companies with young people’s mental health and self-esteem. I get it, these companies need to make money — they’re not therapists, after all. These teens are the ones who can help themselves. They are the only ones who can change their own mindsets about their identity and what being validated in society means for them. They can’t find the answers to those issues from hypebeast clothing.

This post isn’t to throw shade at fashion brands out there. It’s totally okay to show off your luxury clothes to the world. What’s important is that it’s done at a healthy level. Do not let these products define who you are to the point where your sense of self is only associated with them. Your passions and your attitude are more important aspects that define you. Don’t reduce your self-worth to a piece of clothing. You are more than that.