The Algorithm Made Us Look Alike

Twin, where have you been? With an increasingly algorithm-driven social media universe, style traits that were once influenced by designers and consumer demands are becoming more reductive and devoid of personality. How does this figure against the archetypal signifiers that have defined the eras before?

- LingJie Tuang

I once jokingly referred to a Sunset Rollercoaster gig as the mullet convention of Kuala Lumpur. Millennial and Gen Z concertgoers alike were donning shag cuts, moustaches and impeccably-aged vintage tees paired with pseudo-hiking shoes — a pair of Salomon XT-6s. A stroll along Petaling Jaya’s notorious Taman Paramount neighbourhood — located 30 minutes from the heart of the city — revealed a hotspot for 20somethings wearing Heaven by Marc Jacobs baby tees with thrifted cargo shorts or mini bubble skirts paired with librarian-approved acetate frames. Across the Causeway are throngs of fitness enthusiasts who style their Lululemon Define Jackets with oversized Stanley flasks and puffy Beyond The Vines crossbodies. British author Beth Bentley recounts in her Substack Pattern Recognition that within six hours in London, she noticed 12 individuals who sported the same maxi skirt, Adidas Sambas, bomber (jacket), and hair in a bun combination. Even if these individuals did not know each other, it seems their social media algorithms did. Indeed, go to any creative-adjacent coffee shop and you will notice an unmistakable sameness in how people dress: loafers paired with wide jorts and a jersey; or the variant of matching a preppy button-down with athletic shorts and some Onitsuka Tigers.