Every scroll through Instagram in April feels like you’re watching a parallel universe unfold—one where women wear white linen without fear, their makeup doesn’t slide off by 11 a.m., and nobody ever seems to sweat. Welcome to the Influencer Aesthetic.
Now welcome to Indian Summer—where all those aesthetic dreams come to die a hot, humid, drippy death.
Influencer Trends That Don’t Work
Here are some influencer trends that look cute on screen but absolutely do not survive a desi summer:
1. Dewy Makeup a.k.a. The Great Slide-Off
What influencers call “dewy,” Indian weather calls “sweaty.”
That expensive setting spray? Gone with the wind.
By 2 p.m., your foundation has formed a new postcode somewhere near your neck and your kajal has abandoned its post entirely.
If you want drama, skip the contour—just walk outside.
2. Blazers and Bralettes
Nothing screams I don’t live in India like a cream blazer layered over a bralette.
Firstly, ma’am, it’s 43°C in the shade.
Secondly, the only layering we’re doing is talcum powder and prayers.
Even your AC feels personally attacked.
3. Leather Anything
Leather pants. Leather skirts. Leather corsets. Influencers wear them and pose under filtered sunlight.
You wear them and become a slow-cooked mutton curry in your own juices.
This isn’t fashion, it’s masochism with a zipper.
4. Let-Down Hair with Heat Styling
Curling iron curls? Blowouts?
Sis, the only waves happening here are the ones your hair makes on its own from frizz and fury.
You straighten your hair in the morning, by lunch it’s rebelling like a toddler on no nap.
5. All-White Outfits
Pure. Crisp. White.
Until you walk two steps outside and the pollution, sweat, and mystery samosa chutney from your toddler’s handprint create modern art on your pristine kurta.
Bonus: White + sweat = accidental see-through.
Fun times.
6. Heavy Accessories & Layered Jewelry
Chunky chains in 40°C feels like being strangled by ambition.
Those boho metal earrings may look Pinterest-worthy, but after 10 minutes in the sun, they double up as mini tandoors on your earlobes.
Burn, baby, burn.
7. Long Flowy Sleeves
Billowing sleeves do look romantic… until they dip into mango juice, knock over a glass of water, and turn into personal sweat collectors.
Also, good luck carrying a baby without dragging half your sleeve across their face (and snack).
8. Perfume Layering
Fragrance layering is for people who don’t live in places where you can taste the humidity.
In Indian summers, one perfume is brave, two is ambitious, three is a full-blown olfactory war.
And honestly, nothing beats the classic combo of “Odomos and Dettol” for us anyway.
9. Silk Sarees for Day Outings
Influencers drape a silk saree, add a gajra, strike a pose, and make it look effortless.
Reality? The pleats stick, the blouse glues itself to your back, and you end up looking like you’ve been marinated in your own sweat.
Leave the Kanjeevaram for air-conditioned weddings, not chai dates at 4 p.m.
10. Tight High-Waist Anything
From jeans to skirts to shorts—anything tight and high-waisted becomes a personal steam chamber.
Between the bloating from summer dehydration and the effort it takes to sit, you might as well be wearing shapewear made of regret.
11. Matching Co-ord Sets in Polyester
Polyester + Summer = DIY sauna.
Influencers love a matchy-matchy moment, but if your co-ord is clinging to you like a clingy ex and crackling with static electricity, you’ve officially entered the danger zone.
12. Boots and Closed Shoes
Yes, we know you saw those aesthetic Pinterest girls in flowy dresses and chunky boots.
But in India, closed shoes in summer are just slow cookers for your feet.
Let those toes breathe, or suffer the wrath of foot-furnace.
13. Oversized Denim Jackets
Why? Just why? Unless you want to sweat through your elbows or carry around a denim-scented regret blanket, skip the layering.
That jacket may scream “cool girl” online, but you’ll be screaming “WHY DID I DO THIS” IRL.
14. Faux Fur Bags & Accessories
A fuzzy sling or keychain looks adorable… until it starts absorbing sweat and smells like a damp towel that got too confident.
Indian summers are not the time to accessorize with anything that resembles a furry pet.
15. Coffee Runs in Black Outfits
Black does look chic.
It also attracts heat like mosquitoes to uncovered legs.
And if you’re chasing after a toddler in a black dress while balancing iced coffee, congrats—you’ve just entered the ‘Hot Mom, Literally’ category.
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Trends that Actually Make Sense…
Let’s flip the script and talk about real influencer trends that actually should be trending in Indian summers.
The ones we need, deserve, and will proudly rock without melting into puddles of regret.
Here’s a list of #InfluencerGoalsButMakeItReal summer trends that work for Indian weather:
1. Cotton Everything, Always
The OG summer fashion staple.
Cotton kurtis, sarees, maxi dresses, and those breezy house shorts with elastic waistbands that never betray you.
If it doesn’t breathe, it doesn’t belong.
2. Linen Love Affair
Linen is the unsung hero of summer fashion—lightweight, breathable, and effortlessly chic.
Whether it’s a linen kurta, trousers, or a breezy dress, this fabric keeps you cool while adding a touch of elegance to your look.
Embracing linen not only helps you beat the heat but also supports sustainable fashion choices.
3. The Bun You Slap Together in 5 Seconds
Not the “sleek model bun” that takes 45 bobby pins and three mood swings.
I mean the messy mom bun that lives high on your head, keeps your neck free, and doubles as a snack holder (your toddler’s biscuit, or yours).
4. Chappals with Character
Kolhapuris, floaters, flip-flops, or the sturdy Bata ones that have seen floods and family functions.
Bonus: they let your feet breathe and don’t come with a side of blisters.
5. Water Bottles as Accessories
Flask? Sipper? Old Bisleri bottle from the school bag? Doesn’t matter.
Hydration is the hottest trend, and those who carry water like it’s Gucci know what’s up.
6. Printed Cotton Dupattas That Double as Shade
Wrap it, drape it, fan yourself with it—these are multi-functional lifesavers.
And when the sun’s blazing, nothing feels sassier than shielding your face like a dramatic aunty at a shaadi.
7. Makeup-Free, Sunscreen-Only Glow
No filter, no foundation.
Just a good gel-based sunscreen, a dab of lip balm, and that glorious sweat-shimmered skin that says:
“I’m glowing, and I’m surviving.”
8. Big Cloth Hairbands and Rubber Bands From 2004
Forget micro claw clips and “clean girl aesthetics.”
That old-school stretchy hairband from your school days is the real MVP.
And the scrunchie you stole from your sister? Yes, queen.
9. Plastic Tubs in Balcony for Midday Foot Dips
Call it “home spa,” call it “cooling therapy,” or just admit that soaking your legs in cold water while doomscrolling is your ultimate form of self-care.
10. The Post-Bucket Bath Lounge Look
An oversized T-shirt, wet hair in a towel, and zero plans to go anywhere.
This is not laziness; this is survival.
Let’s normalize “no-ma’am-I’m-not-stepping-out” OOTDs.
11. Umbrellas as Personal Shade Tents
If celebrities can wear oversized hats, we can walk around with massive floral umbrellas like the queens we are.
It’s portable AC, people. Respect it.
12. Fridge-Wali Skincare
Cucumber slices, rosewater spray, aloe vera gel stored next to the chutney jars.
No expensive 15-step routine, just cool, effective, and maa-approved.
13. Midday Nap as a Lifestyle Choice
Call it what it is: self-care, not laziness.
When the fan’s on full speed, the baby’s finally asleep, and the world can wait—this is the real “golden hour.”
14. Ice Cream Stains and Honest Parenting Vibes
No clean, curated carousels here.
Real summer content includes melted ice cream on your toddler’s nose, you wiping it with your sleeve, and all of you sticking to the floor together.
15. Honest Captions, Always
Instead of “sun-kissed,” say “almost fainted while walking to the gate.”
Instead of “breezy day out,” say “just survived a power cut and my toddler licking the floor.”
Because honesty is the freshest thing in this heat.
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Moral of the Story:
Influencer summer fashion looks cute when viewed from a climate-controlled room with a ring light and zero real-life errands.
But out here in the wild (read: Indian roads, local vegetable markets, playgrounds, and parent-teacher meetings), you need breathable cotton, a water bottle, and a sense of humor.
Stay cool, skip the silk, and never trust anyone who says “it’s not that hot today.”
The real Indian summer aesthetic isn’t curated—it’s chaotic, sweaty, and glorious in its own way.
Let’s start a new wave of influencers who show sunscreen stains, sweat moustaches, and love for Rasna over iced matcha.
So next time an influencer sells you a “summer haul,” remember:
Our summer is not their summer.
And if you can’t fry a papad on the pavement, it doesn’t count as summer anyway.
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Signed,
A sweat-drenched mom who just tried to wear jeans and immediately regretted it!
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Want more real-life rants and juju on surviving motherhood and summer? Subscribe to The Good Juju! We keep it cool, cotton, and cat-approved (Bobi says hi).
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