TikTok Is Right – We Should All Be Dressing Like the Main Character

This is a safe space. Thus, we can all be totally honest in admitting to having daydreamed of what it would feel like to be a starring character in the movie of this thing called “life.” But not just any character – more like the Cher to Clueless, the Regina George to Mean Girls (but hopefully less b*tchy), the Lara Jean to To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before. In a nutshell, that’s the premise behind TikTok’s rising #MainCharacter trend. In and of itself, it isn’t central to wardrobe aesthetic, but we can of course rely on Fashion TikTok to do what Fashion TikTok does best. Now, in a spinoff of the trend, TikTok creators are showing off their best #MainCharacterOutfits, and we have to admit, it’s a pretty effective way to have fun with fashion.

According to Know Your Meme, a video posted to TikTok by @lexapro_lesbian (and reposted to Twitter) may be one of the first videos responsible for the phenomena. Essentially, the creator jokingly goes for long walks around her neighborhood for the sole purpose of making sure everyone in sight knows she’s the main character. (We totally all do the same thing, right?) The entire concept behind the trend, now dubbed Main Character Syndrome, may feel inherently narcissistic, but according to creator @ashlaward, it can also be a means of romanticizing or appreciating your life, taking a moment to soak in every detail around you (the way even the most minute things are often emphasised in cinema), documenting it like a film in your mind. The creators fronting the #MainCharacterOutfit trend are all about dressing to be the center of attention, or in what makes you feel like your most confident self, and if you look at the fashion trends of the moment (colour! prints!), it seems many of us are feeling inclined to dress as such anyway. What it looks like in action? For TikToker @evie, the challenge called for a fur-lined cardigan; for @christelledc, a hot-pink, puff-sleeve organza crop top; and for @hannahbvoo, a plaid school-girl skirt.

Many of us virtually spent the last year in a sweats uniform of sorts, so this feels like an apt time to pull out the crème de la crème, whether for a dinner date, a grand event, or just to pretend you’re the prime focus while ordering coffee at your local cafe. To anyone who’s ever wanted to feel like Carrie Bradshaw for a day (the Oscar de la Renta gown in McDonald’s? Peak main character.), this one’s for you. From neon hues and metallic finishes to voluminous silhouettes, the best pieces to channel your inner main character are just ahead. For once, there’s no such thing as too much.