Is Virality Killing Authenticity: Internet Culture is Destroying the Fashion Trend Cycle

Written by Brett Byers

With a plethora of ideas, unique content, and an increased accessibility to online clothes,  it’s easy to become lost in the crazed frenzy that is rising fashion trends. With everything at society’s fingertips 24/7, microtrends—fashion fads that undergo a quick rise and decline of popularity—have become a prevalent aspect of fashion in the past few years. From the whimsical silhouettes and soft floral patterns that make up cottagecore to the lacy and hyper-feminine style of coquette, the media has invented innumerable microtrends that have surged through society and culture.

In the past few months alone, the media has experienced the rise and fall of many microtrends, a prominent one being the glittery and hot-pink-hued Barbiecore following the success of the Barbie movie. It seems as though this trend is already on a downward slope of popularity, if not abandoned altogether.

This instance is a prime example of internet culture and social media platforms such as Tik-Tok perpetuating the increased speed of the fashion trend cycle. The dissemination of fashion trends is quicker now than ever due to social media’s ability to reach audiences of millions within days. This ultimately leads to an accelerated widespread adoption, and even quicker abandonment when a new, more prominent trend takes its place. 

The traditional fashion trend cycle is composed of five stages: introduction, rise, peak, decline, and obsolescence. Just a few years ago, this cycle took years and even decades to complete, with trends remaining in style for a significant period of time. Nowadays, that cycle runs from start to finish in mere weeks, and trends expire in the blink of an eye.

It was once easy to pinpoint the decade or era from which a piece or style was popular, as they followed a more robust timeline. Nowadays, trends are rising and depleting so quickly that it’s become overwhelming to keep track of them. With an amalgamation of these aesthetics and trends, our personal style and authenticity may be diminishing. With so many people following these style guidebooks, we are losing our individuality and originality, hindering our personal wardrobe. 

With microtrends accelerating the fashion trend cycle and therefore promoting increased clothing consumption, overconsumption within the fashion industry has risen to an all time high. 

It is making fast fashion even faster, contributing to the already prodigious waste production of the fashion industry. Currently, the world consumes approximately eighty billion new pieces of clothing per year, which is 400% more than what we consumed two decades ago. As more pieces are purchased, more are thrown out. Nearly 3.8 billion pounds of clothing are consumed by Americans annually, and 85% end up in landfills and incinerators. 

Not only are we experiencing an increase in clothing consumption, but also in clothing production as retailers struggle to keep up with the accelerated fashion trend cycle. This results in massive amounts of waste during production, and added waste after due to consumer’s inclination to throw out clothes that are no longer trendy.

Microtrends are not only an environmental issue, but also an ethical one. Labor worker’s hours, wages, and working conditions are being harmfully impacted in order to keep up with the increasing speed of the fast fashion industry. Due to the high demand of these clothes, many laborers are working up to 16 hours per day, seven days a week for a wage that is almost always unlivable. Further, they are exposed to synthetic chemicals that have been shown to cause cancer with no prior proper safety equipment or training. 

However, there are notable actions encouraging the deceleration of fashion production. The “Slow Fashion” Movement is working to create manufacturing and selling processes that are eco-friendly, ethical, and green. It emphasizes quality over quantity, and ensures a thorough understanding of a product’s environmental and social impact. Many sustainable clothing brands are a part of the movement and are guaranteeing that their products are created in fair, safe working conditions. Further, they ensure that those products are produced using only sustainably sourced and recycled materials. 

There are plenty of things that we can do to join the “Slow Fashion” Movement and decelerate the promotion of fast fashion and overconsumption. We can start by shopping sustainably. There is nothing wrong with purchasing a fun piece that is currently on-trend, but you can easily do so in an ethical way. Whether it be through thrifting, shopping at secondhand stores such as Depop or ThredUp, or purchasing from ethical brands such as Tentree, Organic Basics, and Kotn, practicing sustainable consumerism greatly reduces pollution created by the fast fashion industry.

Another way we can decelerate these cycles is by changing our mentality about our wardrobe. Rather than viewing our purchased clothes as disposable and a quick fix to stay on trend, you can start thinking of fashion pieces as investments to your personal wardrobe. Finding timeless pieces that can be the basis of many outfits will not only encourage you to keep them for longer, but it can also encourage authenticity within your own personal style. In turn, this will make your wardrobe more unique and personal. 

With more fashion companies joining the Slow Fashion Movement, as well as our own personal contributions to a sustainable wardrobe, we can help decelerate fast fashion. The media will be inclined to stray away from these ever-accelerating fashion trends, and we will all be encouraged to adopt a more environmentally friendly style.

References:

Cheng, Viviana, and Ellie. “How Are Micro-Trends Accelerating the Fashion Industry and Its Impact.” Koup, 23 July 2021, www.koup.co/blogs/the-koup-blog/how-are-micro-trends-accelerating-the-fashion-industry-and-its-impact-on-our-planet.

“How the 20-Year Trend Cycle Collapsed.” How the 20-Year Trend Cycle Collapsed, 14 Dec. 2022, www.vice.com/en/article/bvmkm8/how-the-20-year-trend-cycle-collapsed.

Msuclass. “The Death of the Fashion Trend Cycle.” The Current, 9 June 2023, https://thecurrentmsu.com/2023/06/14/death-of-the-fashion-trend-cycle/.

Suriarachichi, M. “Micro-Trends and Overconsumption: Fashion Consumerism in the 21st Century.” Cainz, 16 Mar. 2023, https://cainz.org/10066/.

Edited by: Sophia Buckholtz, Mia Quigley, Olivia Daly, Esti Goldstein, Lauren Veum, and Hana Razvi

DEI Reviewed by: Katherine Rubinstein