As an expert in the fashion industry, I have witnessed firsthand the rapid evolution of trends. The days of a trend lasting for a year or more are long gone. Now, trends can rise, peak, and decline in a matter of months. Social media has completely transformed the way trends take shape.
Instead of certain silhouettes or styles being in fashion, it is now specific items or brands that are in fashion. When a particular article or item goes viral on social media, whether it's a TikTok with a million “likes”, an Instagram post from a popular influencer, or a random photo that goes viral on Pinterest, fans aren't just inspired; they want to have exactly what they see, and they buy it en masse. The ease with which links and brands can be shared on social networks also facilitates this mass consumption of the same items. However, nowadays, most trends gain popularity through the internet.
It is this evolution of communication that shapes our own trends. Trend cycles are now rising and falling at an ever-faster rate due to the high-speed nature of the internet. We all love to stay up-to-date with the latest fashion trends. We browse non-stop on Pinterest, TikTok, or Instagram to see what other people are wearing.
We save pins on boards for inspiration and use TikTok as our “fashion inspo”. It can be fun to dive into the rabbit hole of current fashion trends. However, the truth is that trends in the fashion industry die out very quickly and are instantly replaced by the next big thing. Fashion trends appear constantly and it can be hard to keep up.
One trend that has taken over social media is the “flirty aesthetic”. This trend focuses on the more feminine side of fashion, with bows, ribbons, lots of pink, lace, ruffles, and prints of hearts and floral patterns. It has become a staple in the world of online fashion and has gained a huge following. However, for some members of Generation Z, the objects of adolescent yearning seem more abundant and less durable than ever.
As consumers become increasingly aware of environmental and ethical issues, fast fashion brands are gradually integrating elements of slow fashion into their business models. In addition, microtrends contribute significantly to the problem of overconsumption in the fashion industry. Companies are designing and producing more and more clothing in just a couple of weeks to keep up with these trends. Due to the acceleration of trend cycles, consumers are encouraged to “keep up with the latest trends” through products, subscriptions, and other commercial items.
Beyond social media, fast fashion brands have also begun to use artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithms to track emerging trends and optimize production. By harnessing AI to accurately predict fashion trends, companies like Heuritech are able to produce more efficiently, reducing waste and adapting to the growing demand for ethical and sustainable fashion. However, the mass purchase of fashion items goes directly against much of what fashion seeks to achieve. As scholar Quentin Bell observed in his book “On Human Finery”, “the pace of fashion has been noticed, so much so that the fashions of a man's youth may seem disheveled when he reaches middle age”.
Masterclass, an online pop culture platform, defines a fashion trend or cycle as “a natural cycle through which a fashion trend is introduced, attains general popularity, decays and finally is rejected in the obsolete phase”. In New York, the Fashion Act proposes strict requirements for fashion companies, including the need to disclose their supply chain practices and environmental impact. Second-hand and vintage fashion stores have taken the spotlight, especially as consumers become more aware of the impact of fast fashion on the environment. The intrinsic joy of fashion is often eliminated when clothing is considered so disposable, and the trend it adjusts to is likely to expire at the end of the month.
Not only is it impossible for people to keep up with every microtrend, but some of these trends can also be profoundly exclusive and problematic. The “clean girl” aesthetic and “quiet luxury” trend are just a few examples of how these microtrends can be exclusionary. However, these trends also show that sustainability is becoming a central objective for fashion brands, driven both by consumer pressures and regulations. There's no question that shopping at a fast fashion brand is much worse than buying ethically, but microtrends can afford it at any price.
