What's trending when everything is trending?

With a new sartorial trend emerging on social media platforms every few months, is anything really in fashion anymore?

Quiet luxury for March, Mermaidcore for May and Barbiecore for July–fashion trends on social media are coming at a blink-and-you'll miss it' speed. While the season’s most popular trends were once determined by what was showcased on runways, social media–particularly TikTok–now dictates what's trending. Playing into pop culture, especially films, television and high-profile events, TikTok has been a catalyst for driving micro-trends. Earlier this year, ‘quiet luxury’ or stealth wealth was de rigeur thanks to Gwenyth Paltrow's understated courtroom dressing during her trial and the release of HBO's hit show Succession. Soon after, coinciding with the release of the film The Little Mermaid, ‘Mermaidcore’ made it big. And then, the hashtag ‘Barbiecore’ hit 602 million views on TikTok last month. "Although such trends go ‘viral’ on social media platforms, a brief look at the streets of any city shows that no single trend is dominant," says Dr. Carolyn Mair, cognitive psychologist, fashion business consultant and author of The Psychology of Fashion.

While these micro-trends have democratised fashion thanks to ultra-fast fashion brands capitalising on them, such trends become obsolete soon, adding to fashion's existing problems of overconsumption and wastage. The Established attempts to take a crack at why people are quick to consume these trends and how one can engage with them mindfully.  

The Social Network 

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, the number of TikTok users across the globe has increased significantly; in 2020, there were 465.7 million users compared to 834.3 million in 2023. Since then, countless trends have come and gone–Y2K, Cottagecore, Ballet core, Regencycore and dopamine dressing, to name a few. Unlike macro-trends that last years, micro-trends typically go out of style within a few weeks or months. It begins with creators responding to a pop culture trend or a highly publicised event like social media personality and model Sofia Richie's wedding by decoding the fashion and creating content accordingly. This then builds interaction with their audience that is in tune with pop culture, and a trend quickly emerges.

"Attention spans are short and people are easily bored, so there is a constant need to churn out new content, as a result of which several new trends keep emerging," explains stylist Divyak D'Souza. In this generation of 'attention deficit fashion'–a term researchers use to describe the constant need for newness in fashion among the younger generation–fashion content is being consumed at an accelerated pace. "These trends emerge primarily through the influence of TikTok's user base. When individual posts gain likes, shares and comments from followers, they attract attention and inspire others to emulate and adapt these styles," says Mair. She also elaborates that the algorithmic nature of TikTok further amplifies these trends, ensuring that content in line with emerging aesthetics is shown to a broader audience, propelling these styles into mainstream consciousness. 

The human psyche 

Understanding human behaviour might offer insights into why people quickly follow trends. In her book, Big Dress Energy, fashion psychologist and author Shakila Forbes-Bell discusses how clothes communicate our inherent need to belong, which is fundamental to who we are as human beings. "Even on our off days, at our core, we're social beings, and our desire to belong is crucial to developing our social identity," she writes in her book. According to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs–a pyramid that shows what motivates humans based on needs–the need for belonging comes third in the pyramid. Humans are programmed to want to be a part of something and by following trends, they become a part of the zeitgeist. "Fashion allows us to fit in and also stand out. Being able to display an object that has gone viral means we can both belong to the cognoscenti and distinguish ourselves from those who don't. Our fear of missing out drives us to have that object," says Mair. 

A loss of individuality? 

As new trends emerge, fast fashion and ultra-fast fashion labels immediately capitalise on them. On Zara's website, multiple options appear if you type 'Barbie' in the search bar, while Shein has a separate section devoted to 'Quiet Luxury’.Given their very low price points, people hop on to every viral trend without breaking the bank. "We're living in a time when accessibility isn't a problem. People from different generations and socio-economic backgrounds globally are consuming content online. And so a big chunk of the industry markets their wares to as many people as possible," says stylist Surbhi Shukla. Social media, particularly TikTok, has made fashion accessible to the masses, and people no longer need to rely on the industry's so-called elite–like fashion editors or luxury magazines–to see what's trending. 

While we witness new echelons of creativity through these trends, we also see a loss of individuality in terms of style. "From a creative perspective, it's very exciting as it gives budding fashion enthusiasts a chance to express themselves, but the sameness that has crept into people's style is an undeniable fact," explains D'Souza. As the Barbiecore aesthetic exploded globally, Instagram feeds were regularly flooded with a sea of pink–people were, and are, wearing pink everywhere. "Despite everybody talking about the concept of individuality, there's a huge amount of conformity due to these trends on social media," says D’Souza. 

Overconsumption and wastage

In the digital age, fleeting trends further exacerbate fashion's existing problem with overconsumption. Last year, the logomania trend was in full force. This year, its antithesis, stealth wealth, has been trending on TikTok. Clothes no longer in fashion end up at the back of our closets or in a landfill. "The rapid succession of multiple trends, popularised by social media and picked up by brands, feeds and reflects the increasing consumer demand for constant, rapid change. In turn, fast-changing ephemeral trends lead to increased production and waste generation," adds Mair. 

With ultra-fast fashion brands constantly producing cheap merchandise–largely made from synthetic fabrics–in line with trending aesthetics, its environmental impact is detrimental. However, there are ways for consumers to experiment with viral trends while being mindful. "We need to stop filling our shopping carts based on what we see and really think about what we need. Consumers need to think of longevity specifically in relation to their personal style. The idea is not to take the joy out of fashion but instead engage with joy mindfully," says journalist Nonita Kalra. She believes by asking the following questions, as the mindset can change how people engage with consumption: Can I wear this next year? Will I still love it six months later? And most importantly, am I buying it to be part of the herd, or does it resonate with my personal style, or my articulation of my freedom of expression? 

In the digital age we live in, combined with a tech-savvy Gen Z population, social media trends will continue to come and go. "The surge of viral TikTok trends is reshaping the fashion landscape by increasing the quantity and speed of trend turnover while empowering consumers as content creators," concludes Mair. However, as consumers, the onus to do better lies on us. By continuously educating ourselves about the detrimental effects of overconsumption alongside finding ways to fit our existing wardrobe when experimenting with short-lived trends, a little effort can indeed go a long way. 

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