What do the Chloé “Drew” bag, Triangl bikinis and mason jars have in common? To the blind eye, nothing at all, but to the social media savvy– they all provoke an Instagram-induced eye roll.

Why is it that all of these aesthetically pleasing things gauge such an unpleasant response? It is fairly easy to recognize that Triangl bathing suits make every girl look 10x tanner, nor do can we deny the functionality and timelessness that is constructed into the Drew bag. So, why am I comparing them to the 2012 Mascot of Basic– The Mason Jar? Because like most everything, they are better in moderation, and like the food porn hashtag– there is just no way to prevent the mainstream from latching on.

Instagram is the new popular radio station. Only instead of hearing “Call me Maybe” enough times to contemplate checking yourself into a mental hospital, we’re driven insane by world travelers wearing Chanel “Boy” bags and Dior sunglasses. We follow people who were born with platinum spoons in their mouths with the hope that someday, somehow, we can be reincarnated as Danielle Bernstein from We Wore What, or Chiara Ferragni from The Blonde Salad.

Trends pass in less time than it takes to break in your Tory Burch flats. Just like the Michael Kors watch that found a home on the arm of every upper middle class white girl circa Christmas 2012— nothing (reasonably) accessible is invincible from becoming the next too-big-thing. Just remember your high school lunch table draped in Longchamp bags with an array of Ugg boots tucked underneith, except high school is Instagram and your Longchamp is actually a Louis Vuitton “carry all” tote. We’re “investing” in contemporary trends with an average life expectancy of two years. While the Céline’s “Phantom” bag may have once flooded your Pinterest feeds, the style (although abstract) is now quite dull. It isn’t the bag itself, but instead the mass following that pushed the once sought-after bag to it’s ownership capacity. Granted most of us wouldn’t mind being gifted a Céline, but it probably wouldn’t be our first choice for style sustainability.

Surprisingly, I consider this a major upside to the revolving door that is the fashion industry. Instead of learning what is seasonally fetch, embrace the rise of personal style– an unintended benefit to the overexposure of contemporary fashion via social media.

There is only so much popularity a product can have before it’s demise, and with the fast-fashion industry booming and the blogger community thriving, your tattoo choker necklace is no more “on trend” than a Pandora charm bracelet. I expect to see a similar death for Triangl bikinis, who are no match for Victoria’s Secret’s price point and mass production. Trendsetters and early adapters will find something new and overpriced to be “literally obsessed” with, and they’ll be bombarding your feed with their cool AF vacation photos before you’ve even renewed your gym membership.

Understanding how rapidly trends can evolve and fall apart is vital to predicting what will happen in the fashion industry. Knowledge of the industry can help us make smarter decisions as consumers. Purchasing a Marc by Marc Jacobs bag in 2015 is frivolous as MJ himself is retiring the brand. Just like your precious beanie babies, the value and desirability of your bag will drastically decline once he does so. The result is good, however. Once you realize there are boots better than Frye and sunglasses cooler than Ray Ban, the fashion world becomes more exciting and less depressing. As Heidi Klum once (repeatedly) said  “one day you’re in, the next day you’re out.” Invest in items that are are not the ultimate “it”, but instead have proven themselves through fashion cycles. Hold off buying a designer bag until you can afford something that speaks to you, and not just the Kardashian Klan. We’re living in the era of personal style. Let’s embrace it by not joining the basic brigade of identical Instagram posts that certainly weren’t worth the cost of your Louboutins. Follow your Mom’s advice and just be yourself. It works, just ask Blair Waldorf or Gwen Stefani.

*bump it*