What is good taste?

Recently, I have felt flocked by the amount of ‘personal style’ and ‘personal taste’ YouTube videos, Substack articles, and Instagram blurbs that are all over the Internet. I’ve been loving them completely and have noted every morsel of advice given. I think it is so nice to hear all perspectives when it comes to how one has developed their own personal aesthetic and eye. It has gotten me into thinking specifically about good taste and how it is cultivated. Is it through upbringing? Dedication? Wealth? Growth? Education? Learning? All of these ideas have crowded in my brain and, to be honest, I still don’t really even know if I have a specific answer as I’m writing this.

There are oftentimes I wish that I had grown up surrounded by more art, literature, and music. My parents are incredible people, and they taught me things in other ways, like introducing me to New York City and teaching me life values. I didn’t have an introduction to classics, art, or movies. I had to really seek that all out and teach myself those things, as I’m sure a lot of us have. Tumblr was a huge education for me, and is the very platform that launched my career. I wanted so much knowledge but you constantly have to work for it. Developing taste is an education and I do believe it is a never ending soul search. As we evolve, our tastes evolve. In a social media world where good taste is everything, what qualifies as ‘good’? Is it all just subjective?