ALERT: Mirror selfies are cool again, and I have PROOF

The mirror selfie was a staple of social media in the MySpace age. It was the strongest weapon of the scene kids and the preps alike. Literally everyone was taking mirror selfies to show off their cool new low-rise jeans, their newly painted purple bathroom walls, or their hot blue, green, and brown polka dotted bikini.

You probably posted your peace sign selfie around Facebook pages, e-mail threads, and message board profiles before your mom screamed at you to take it down. Then, you sneaked on your secret profiles at night to make sure your mirror pics saw the light of day. I mean, you spent like 30 minutes trying to get your colored hair extensions JUST RIGHT for this occasion.

We all thought that the advent of the iPhone's front facing camera and the recent consciousness of this little thing called the digital footprint killed the mirror selfie forever. But like Jesus or a phoenix or American Idol, she rises again from the dust of obscurity. I never thought I'd say this, but the mirror selfie is cool again. Don't believe me? I have proof.

We all know that when it comes to internet culture, online personalities have some of the greatest pull. That is, unless you're a populist. In which case, I'd say, YES! Populism has lots of power on Twitter. But when it comes to Instagram, I have to tell you: Influencers really seem to have the power. And when you mix traditional celebrity and internet personality together, you get a devilish mix that DEFINITELY defines cool. Who fits this category? The Kardashians, the Hadids, and some other pop culture girls who keep Instagram popping a la Selena Gomez or Hailey Baldwin.

And guess what? These gatekeepers of cool have decided the mirror selfie is back. Kim K. has always been a fan of a classic mirror selfie, so it's not AS surprising that she's been using them a lot lately…

…but Kylie has been using them with increasing frequency. As you'll see below, she's posted 3 in about 3 weeks.

But you know what's more interesting? It's popping up on Instagram feeds outside of the Kardashians'. Bella Hadid completely reimagined the mirror selfie in this hella recent post:

While her sister, Gigi, had a classic take on the age-old tradition.

Sure, you could argue that the Hadids and Kardashians are SO cool that they don't have to care if what they do is trendy OR trend-setting. But it's definitely setting a trend. Look at these cool, but not as cool girls' feeds:

I mean, Cami Mendes made an entire mirror selfie diary.

It's official: Everyone is leaning into the mirror selfie, probably due to Kardashian-influence. Their IMPACT, I swear to God. I'd say it's officially enough of a trend for all of us to start posting some, but maybe we should wait for the cool girl we follow from High School to post one before we take the plunge. I don't need these girls screenshotting my posts for their Group Chats. No negative energy in the air, TYVM.

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