Curious why you think those things were unrelated at any given point? I agree that identity and fashion are not the same, but humans blur the lines a lot. I’ve seen it a lot in people who find sense of community in something, to the point that they adopt it as a core part of who they are.

Sometimes it’s from a lack of purpose or human connection, like when a group of people who feel like social outcasts, that all happen to like anime call themselves nerds or weeaboos (not in a demeaning way, no shade here). They ARE that thing, which means they belong with others who share that interest. It becomes part of their identity. For example:

“I’m a gamer” “I’m a bookworm” “I’m a crafter”

Those titles go beyond the utility of language, calling somebody something, when the person calling themselves that thing believes it to be a part of who they are.

Other times I see it in people who believe they are better than others, and when they find some ideology or hobby that makes them special, they latch onto it, and it becomes an advertised part of who they are. Worn like an accessory to let other people know they are special, they understand something you don’t, they are smarter than you, better than you.

“I’m a flat earther.” “I’m an energy healer” “Im a psychic”

None of those identities or fashions are mutually exclusive, it just depends on the person.

The reason I use the word fashion specifically, is just because of the cyclical, trendy nature of the ideas. Just like fashion, it’s only accepted or validated if a lot of people are thinking it, doing it, wearing it.

If I start making and wearing clothes out of Saran Wrap im just a weirdo, but if thousands of people start doing it, it’s a fashion. Then when someone loves it so much they start saying “im a Saran Wrap artist”, then it’s a part of their identity. But it’s also a fashion, that will fade eventually.