Has Personal Style Finally Triumped Over Industry-Set Trends?
Written by Ati Kian
A brief scroll through TikTok’s For You page reveals an astounding variety of niche fashion aesthetics categorized under tongue-in-cheek labels like “indie sleaze”, “coastal granddaughter”,“ballet core”, and even “clown core”. Indeed, the app has developed into a hub for fashion reporting within recent years and by way of this, a hotspot for trendsetting. From nano-influencers to macro-influencers, the app’s users have continually utilized the platform to share their style and comment on happenings in the fashion world. Creative videos and trending audios make microtrends like “cottage core” recognizable and accessible to anyone. With so many of these kinds of videos populating the platform, each microaesthetic can succeed in recruiting viewers’ interest, thereby allowing just about everything to become a trend. In response to this deluge of microaesthetics as well as fast fashion’s endless capitalization of these Internet subcultures, consumers are identifying personal style as the coolest trend of all. Fashion-focused TikTok accounts like @tinyjewishgirl and @aliyahsinterlude– as well as those of users who simply film their daily outfits before heading to work or school– serve to inspire fellow fashion consumers on TikTok to dress according to their personal tastes. With the increased visibility offered by TikTok, members of Gen Z have been looking to one another for style inspiration more than ever before. Increased access to individual styles and aesthetics have given fashion’s consumers the tools to assemble their own unique senses of style as they pick and choose from the pieces that appeal to them. Because of this, it would seem that the fashion industry no longer can rely on a top-down model wherein consumers are inspired to follow certain trends based on what they see showcased on runways.
It is also possible that trendsetting no longer functions the same way in the fashion industry due to the negative connotation that the word “trend” has amassed among consumers, particularly younger generations. To Gen Z, trends symbolize a lack of personal creativity and environmental considerations. Seeing everyone dressed identically on social media is repetitive and uninteresting so users attempt to put together unique looks to captivate their audiences and carve a niche style image for themselves online– simultaneously inspiring their followers to do the same. In fact, it is likely that the rise in personal expression and thoughtful consumerism are correlated. Among an increasingly climate conscious population, trends represent unsustainable, wasteful shopping habits. Rather than allow fashion brands to determine what is in and out of fashion every season, consumers are investing in items that will appeal to them in the long-run. For some, this has meant opting for a “trendless” wardrobe consisting of classic pieces like well-made jeans, basic tops, and timeless accesories rather than purchasing less enduring styles that are in today, out tomorrow.
All in all, while it is within human nature to follow trends, rigid seasonal fashions are waning in influence as consumers prioritize clothing as a gateway to personal expression and individuality rather than uniformity.
Sources:
https://www.vox.com/the-goods/23065462/trends-death-subcultures-style
https://www.thezoereport.com/fashion/following-fashion-trends-outdated
https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/fashion/a37152629/how-to-find-signature-style/
https://www.papermag.com/tinyjewishgirl-2656446430.html
https://hypebae.com/2022/2/tiktok-aesthetics-fashion-trends-cottagecore-dark-academia-clowncore-explained
https://thevoiceoffashion.com/centrestage/features/the-era-of-trendlessness--4523