I Used to Hate Looking Like My Twin—Now, We're Leaning All the Way In
Five fashion and beauty trends for 2026 that have won us both over.
Kristina Ang is a Who What Wear editor in residence, a fashion writer and content creator, and a social producer for Spotify. Previously, she worked as a social video coordinator at Harper's Bazaar.
Growing up with an identical twin sister was both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, you’re always in the company of a best friend—someone who just gets you emotionally and spiritually. On the other, trying to uncover your individuality while constantly being compared to someone who looks exactly like you was a challenge.
When we were young, our parents got a kick out of dressing us up in matching outfits. And for a long time, it stuck. Even when we were old enough to style ourselves, we dressed the same. Suffice to say, it was very hard to tell the two of us apart. The only thing that differentiated us was a red (me) and yellow (my sister, Alex) bracelet that we wore since birth.
Kristina and Alexandria ice skating in 2005.
As we grew up, things started to change. Once we entered high school, we found our differences in the people we hung out with, the extracurricular activities we partook in, and the way we dressed. Together, we found small ways for people to differentiate us—Alex with her bob and bangs, and me with my long hair and highlights. We both always wore glasses, but even then, the frames we landed on were always very different. Soon, it became relatively easy to tell us apart, with new friends even being surprised to learn that we were identical twins and not fraternal.
Kristina and Alexandria in Upstate New York in 2019.
College is where things took a turn. Before then, I was always around my twin sister. We studied together and celebrated our birthdays together—we did just about everything together. But when it was time to choose our respective universities, I ended up staying home, taking up fashion design in New York City, while Alex moved 1400 miles away from home to study environmental science in Minnesota. Our study sessions and birthdays were then confined to FaceTime calls, and we went from seeing each other every day to around once or twice a year during the holidays. We were heartbroken, but it was a necessary evil. Our time apart gave us both the opportunity to discover who we were outside of the context of living in the shadow of one another.
From there, our differences only grew. I fully leaned into the metropolitan style of dressing—blazers layered over white T-shirts and tank tops paired with loose, low-rise jeans. Meanwhile, Alex’s admiration for Midwest style grew immensely. Those years were the hardest for me to comprehend. I didn’t like the things she liked, and she didn’t care much for the things I liked either.
Kristina (L) and Alexandria (R) in 2022.
Then in 2022, something changed. I went all in and decided to get bangs. They looked good on my sister, I thought, so they have to look good on me, too. Up until then, Alex’s bangs were uniquely “her thing,” but sure enough, she was nothing but supportive of my decision to get them; in fact, she was excited for us to start looking more alike again. That was four years ago. I’ve had bangs ever since—and never looked back.
Kristina’s first time getting bangs in 2022.
History has a way of repeating itself. At the end of 2024, I made the decision to dye my hair red. I was looking to change up my look, and it ended up becoming one of the things most people recognize me by. I’ve had friends find me in a room full of people just by looking at the back of my head. And sure enough, just last month, Alex also decided to dye her hair red. Some people might’ve assumed I’d be mad at this decision or felt weird about my twin sister taking the one thing that inexplicably made me me, but I felt the exact opposite—I was ecstatic.
It only took us 26 or so years to fully embrace that looking like each other wasn’t a negative thing—it was part of what made us unique. Growing up, people would always say, “That’s so cool,” or “I wish I had a twin,” whenever I shared my little fun fact. Back then, I didn’t quite understand the appeal. But now, I finally do. For so long, I tried to prove how different we were, but it turns out the thing I resisted the most was also one of the things that connected us the most. Perhaps we needed time to grow into who we are on our own before realizing that it’s our shared qualities that truly make us special.
Ahead, discover the spring trends my twin sister Alexandria and I both love.
Fashion Trends We Love
Glasses as Statement Accessories
Alex and I have been wearing glasses since we were both very young, and naturally, as we got older, we started to embrace them. We both found styles that worked for our different aesthetics, and since then, it’s been history. I would say we each have about five to six pairs, and we switch it up depending on what look we’re going for.
Oversize Is Everything
If there’s anything we’ve both been leaning into, it’s anything oversize. When we were young, we used to fight over our dad’s vintage leather jackets (spoiler: I always won). As we’ve gotten older, we’ve definitely both prioritized comfort over anything, but who says you can’t be comfortable and look cute at the same time?
Layering, Layering, Layering
We’ve been fully leaning into the layering trend. Color-blocking with T-shirts, stacking button-downs, wearing skirts over our pants—all of it.
Beauty Trends We Love
Live by Lip Stains
Obviously, we’re twins, so we share genetics. One thing we always struggled with is having really naturally light-colored lips. We love sharing new finds with one another, so the moment Alex discovered this new lip stain that worked really well for her, I obviously went out and bought it too because if there’s one recommendation I can always trust, it’s going to be my twin sister’s.
Bangs Will Always Be In
Alex and I are big believers that bangs can look good on anybody. Hands down, the best decision we ever made for ourselves was getting bangs because it completely changed our look and was the one thing that really made us embrace looking like twins.
Skincare > Makeup
This year, my twin sister and I have been having more conversations about how we’re taking our skincare more seriously. That means simplifying our routines, focusing on more clean products, and more. And where makeup is concerned, we’re leaning into very minimal products that let our natural beauty shine through.
