Every day, we wake up and choose what to wear. Some people stand in front of a closet full of options and still feel like they have nothing to wear. Others grab a basic tee, jeans, a scarf, and suddenly magic has been made. Why does that happen?
Because there’s a difference between fashion and style and while we use those words interchangeably, they are not the same.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. First, let’s unpack what each really means.
The Fast Fashion Trap
Before we define anything, we need to start with where most of us live; in the thick of fast fashion. One day your social feed is pushing clean girl minimalism: slicked-back buns, beige tones, delicate gold jewelry. Next week is the Mob wife energy: big fur, big sunglasses, big attitude.
Micro-trends rise and collapse at such a speed that fashion feels less like a creative force and more like a treadmill — always running, rarely arriving. The thrill of the new wears thin when you’re constantly shedding pieces that felt essential just two months ago.
It’s no wonder so many of us feel overwhelmed. Fashion, in this context, becomes noise.
But it didn’t start that way.
Fashion as an Industry and Invitation
Fashion is the system. It’s commerce and culture. It’s the creative eye of runway designers and the commercial machine that translates their visions into affordable looks in record time. It’s the reason Lagos Fashion Week draws global eyes, and why Dior stages collections in Marrakech or Dakar to borrow relevance, rhythm, and beauty. Fashion is the world’s wardrobe, but it’s also a mirror. It reflects the moment, the economy, the mood and the power dynamics.It says: This is what’s in. Are you in?
It’s why your social feed last year was filled with moto and knee-high boots, cargo pants, sweater over shoulders, and now everyone’s wearing bandana silk scarves. It’s the newness that fuels our curiosity and creativity, but also our constant need to keep up.
But in its chase for novelty, fashion can forget people. Especially those who don’t or refuse to fit the mold. This is where style begins to push back.
Style as the Voice that Pushes Through
Style isn’t seasonal, it’s personal. It’s not just what you wear, it’s why and how you wear it. It’s when African women tye their headwraps in a way their mothers taught them.
It’s the African creative who pairs second hand blazers with printed trousers, breaking every rule and starting their own. It’s the auntie who’s had the same pair of leather mules since 1996 and still wears them better than anyone else.
Two people can wear the same white shirt. One tucks it into cigarette pants with loafers and a leather sling bag. The other leaves it open over a kitenge-print slip dress and stacks beaded necklaces. Same outfit, entirely different identities.
Style doesn’t need a trend cycle. Style lives in those subtle choices: the roll of a cuff, the clash of patterns, the reworking of something old. It comes from knowing who you are or at least being curious enough to find out.
Fashion vs Style: Can You Have One Without the Other?
Absolutely. You can be fashionable without having style, we see it all the time. You can also have incredible style without ever chasing fashion. Think of people who wear thrifted gems, rework hand-me-downs, or repeat outfits and still turn heads because their clothes speak for them, not over them. When young people in Accra remix agbadas with sneakers, or drape kente with denim jackets, they’re not just being creative, they’re styling memory into modernity. Fashion is the canvas. Style is the brush.Finding Your Style in the Scroll Era
So how do you develop style in a world that sells fashion by the minute?
Start small. Don’t shop only, but study along and that means paying attention – What colors bring you joy? What fabrics make you feel grounded? What silhouettes make you stand taller? Explore, make mistakes, repeat outfits, and break your own rules.
You don’t need a full wardrobe refresh. You need a relationship with your wardrobe.
Try this: style a single dress five ways. With sneakers and a straw tote for errands. With block heels and brass earrings for dinner. With a headwrap and bangles for Sunday service. Suddenly, you’re not wearing an outfit — you’re telling a story.
Style isn’t about having more. It’s about seeing more and more possibilities in less.
So, What Are We Really Wearing?
The debate between fashion and style will always exist. Some say fashion inspires style. Others believe style renders fashion irrelevant. But the real question is what matters more to you?
Is it staying on trend, or staying true to yourself?
Is it about wearing what’s new, or wearing what’s you?
We’ll leave you with this:
If you couldn’t buy a single new item this year, how would you style what you already have?
Written by Kemi Adedoyin
