The Fashion Evolution of Emma Chamberlain
Looking back to early 2017, I recall a few things: Boho chic outfits, Adidas Superstars, and Emma Chamberlain making her rise to fame. While the first two mentions have outgrown their popularity, Emma has only adapted and thrived since then. For those of you who do not know, Emma Chamberlain is a fashion icon who started out her career as a YouTube personality. Showing off her poor baking skills, obsession with coffee, and her love for thrifting, she gained the 12 million subscribers she has today. While her quirky humour has definitely played a part in her popularity, we will focus on one of her true passions, which has the eye of many impressionable teens… her fashion.
When first stumbling upon her YouTube channel back in 2017, it was clear Emma was a girl doing anything to distract her mind from adolescence. She did not speak fondly about school, was open about her introverted lifestyle, and was reaching out to people in similar positions. It almost felt like you were on a Facetime call with your best friend. With such relatable qualities, Emma found her page proliferating and didn’t know what to think. “I literally started from zero; I had zero subscribers. I remember my first subscriber - I was so excited, and then I looked, and it was my dad.” As her following continued to grow, Emma kept up with her usual content: doing coffee tastings, cooking whatever she could find in her fridge, and her iconic thrift hauls. At a time when secondhand shopping lacked the attention it needed, Emma displayed how trendy it could truly be.
Able to find her own niche in the YouTube community, people looked to Emma for fashion advice, go-to looks for upcoming seasons, and what would be deemed popular out of fashion in the next few months. “In a sense, the fashion world itself has been around forever, and influencers and digital celebrities are very new and haven't necessarily earned their stripes yet,” she mentioned. At the time, she sported a classic converse shoe, funky pants, and mini tees. You would find her playing with accessories like bucket hats and a classic pair of glasses, but did not reach too far out of her comfort zone. She was never afraid to play with patterns and even used clothing as a blank canvas to portray different DIY pieces that people would soon do at home. "Usually what I do is I'll pick out one piece — whether that's my pants, a shirt, even shoes — and then I'll just start narrowing down what would match with that one piece . . . and then I have an outfit," Emma said.
Emma has left a forever mark in the fashion community and for the large fan base supporting her. She constantly implies the message of being yourself and not camouflaging into the “perfect norms” society has set for us. She continues to share her struggles, experiences, and thrift hauls. While her content evolves with her, it is clear that she stands by one thing; no matter how famous, popular, or recognized you become, you should always do what you love; And sometimes, that may mean changing your style, no matter what others will say. From the young girl filming vlogs in her apartment kitchen to the legendary entrepreneur, Emma is a prime example of this; while evolving her fashion, she doesn’t change who she is at the core. A fun-loving person who drinks way too much coffee and appreciates a good thrift haul.