Emma Chamberlain is a social media personality, YouTuber, podcaster, entrepreneur and fashion icon. Chamberlain started influencing fashion trends when she began posting her thrifting vlogs on YouTube. Chamberlain would take her fans along with her as she searched the thrift store for oversized men’s polos and baggy vintage jeans.
Chamberlain started her YouTube journey in 2017 and became a popular face on many people’s screens due to her relatable personality and funny video content. According to The New York Times, Chamberlain is known for creating the way people talk to their audiences on social media today.
As her popularity grew, fans started looking to Chamberlain for more than just a funny video. Since she was becoming a prominent public figure in 2017, people began admiring her sense of style.
One of the first big trends Chamberlain implemented was the light brown teddy bear coat. She was seen in this coat on both her Instagram and YouTube channel. Not long after, many of her fans started to follow suit and developed an interest for this funky and comfortable jacket.
After two years of influencing teenage fashion, Chamberlain became an ambassador for Louis Vuitton, attending Paris Fashion Week and wearing strictly Louis Vuitton designs. After her first appearance as an ambassador, Chamberlain confidently started experimenting with her clothes more, styling pieces that were drastically different from her younger years.
In her everyday style, Chamberlain is always seen wearing Dr. Martens or some type of chunky loafer. She usually pairs these chunky shoes with a feminine skirt or a basic polo with blue jeans. Whichever direction she chooses to go, her followers are compelled to dress similarly.
Chamberlain’s affinity for mixing feminine and masculine styles was another pivotal moment in pop culture. She became known for wearing tiny tops with baggy pants while also incorporating “grandpa-esque” pieces into each of her outfits.
In the midst of embracing chunky sweaters and colorful patterned tops, Chamberlain started transitioning to a more funky eclectic style. From 2020 to early 2021, Chamberlain started embracing chunky jewelry and color mixing throughout her outfits. During her shift in style, her fans and admirers start to also move towards Chamberlain’s fascination with color experimentation.
This was a time of mixing colors, textures and patterns. Throughout the course of this particular style evolution, Chamberlain also brought back flared yoga pants. After posting a photo on Instagram of her wearing flared black leggings with a crew neck layered over a turtleneck, people began re-embracing the look of flared leggings.
In 2021, Chamberlain started working with Levi’s which eventually led to her recent collaboration with the company, Levi’s x Emma Chamberlain. This collaboration with Levi’s further showcases her influence on the fashion trends seen in young adult style.
After her first post about working with Levi’s, she started playing with knitwear, whether it was a chunky sweater vest or a multi-colored knit bolero. This trend surged on social media, and many people began teaching themselves how to crochet or started looking for unique knits at the thrift store.
Chamberlain is currently an ambassador for Cartier and is constantly wearing their jewelry at any red carpet she attends. This partnership in particular came at a time when Chamberlain solidified her new approach to fashion and style.
In her podcast “Anything Goes,” Chamberlain talks about how her life felt crowded and by cleaning out her closet and focusing on buying quality timeless pieces, she was able to truly love her style. She talks about sticking to her own personal uniform of a white tank top and a good pair of blue jeans. When she wants to elevate this look, she uses accessories to change what may seem like a boring outfit.
Chamberlain still wears the occasional statement piece, and of course styled runway looks, but she has fully changed her focus from quantity to quality in her everyday wear. In her podcast episode “unsolicited fashion advice,” Chamberlain teaches her audience the power of styling clothes, something she has become more accustomed to recently. This perspective is slowly seeping into fashion trends and most people are returning to the basics while letting the accessories talk, just like Chamberlain.
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