(image from Pinterest)
Hey girls! Bit of a different post today, but its been coming up so much we thought we would make a post about it.
We're breaking down 3 ways we've started to lose personal taste in fashion.
Social media posts
Fast fashion
Influencer marketing
Social media posts
Let's talk about how we've all become practically clones of each other, being pushed the same content by the Tik Tok algorithm and eating it up daily. Social media has obviously changed the way we dress, allowing content creators to reach larger audiences and viewers to be exposed to different styles. This democratization of fashion initially seemed like it would lead to more diverse personal expression. But while the FYP has certainly has given us style inspiration, it has turned into more of a echo chamber instead. The content we're being fed has subtly programmed us to keep seeing trends, and to think we have to catch on to them while they are still popular. Instead of developing our own personal styles, we're waiting for Tik Tok to tell us what's in and what's out, what's cool and what's not. That's why we're breaking down our top Tik Tok pet peeves, and how fast fashion and influencer marketing also play into this. Disclaimer, this is just étoilé blog's opinion, we do not mean to offend anyone and are not speaking for everyone!
"Can we bring back _[clothing item]__"/"_[celebrity]_ just brought back _[clothing item]_"
There are so many things we want to say about posts like this. First off, posting a video asking the world if we can bring a clothing item or trend back illustrates just how dependent on validation we have gotten. Why do we feel the need to have our thoughts validated by others - not even friends and family, but strangers on the internet? This follower mentality of only doing it if someone else is doing it is limiting our potential for self-expression. Similarly, when celebrities wear certain pieces, they're just simply expressing their personal style. While we definitely admire celebrities, we should instead view their outfits as inspiration, instead of treating them like a mandate we must follow. You don't need something to be mainstream again to wear it, and you definitely don't need strangers validating you in order to do so.
"What cool girls are wearing for 2025"
We love aspirational things and having a goal to work towards. But defining that a girl is only cool if she wears a certain style or follows a certain trend is missing the bigger picture. What makes someone truly admirable often goes beyond their wardrobe - it's in their confidence, their kindness, the way they carry themselves and interact with others. These qualities shine through whether they're repping the latest trends or not.
"What _[clothing item]_ are we wearing this summer"
The collective "we" in these posts really intrigues us. While trend forecasting can be exciting, fashion is ultimately about individual expression. When you wear pieces you love, your authenticity naturally shines through. When you're just wearing something for the trend though, it's obvious that you aren't actually appreciating the clothing item for what it is.
Fast fashion
Fast fashion has only been speeding up the process of new trends, as shown by the rise of the term "micro trend". With large retailers like Zara and H&M now only needing just a week from ideation to production of new collections, new styles of clothing are rapidly being churned out and marketed to us. Shein, another ultra fast fashion retailer, releases up to 10,000 new items daily. You read that right, that's ten thousand.
We now face more clothing options than ever, but it has had the opposite effect of making us less creative with our outfits. Studies in consumer psychology have shown that when presented with too many options, people tend to make simpler, safer choices or resort to what others are doing. In fashion, this manifests in the way people gravitate toward widely promoted, trending pieces instead of developing unique outfits that reflect their personal preferences.
The pressure to constantly have the newest items has done damage to the planet as well. The graph below clearly highlights the concerning trend of decreasing clothing lifespan but increasing clothing sales.
Graph of clothing sales vs clothing utilization from 2000-2015. Photo from Earth.org
Influencer Marketing
Brands are pushing out influencer marketing more aggressively than ever, and its transformed how fashion trends spread online. While influencers can introduce us to new styles and brands, the sheer volume of sponsored content being posted now has made it challenging to distinguish genuine recommendations from promotions. We know we've definitely felt this on Tik Tok, when we'll see endless posts on the same new Zara collection, or Free People top. "Must have from _[brand]__ this summer!" "Essentials for winter!" And often, the more we see it, the more we actually believe people are wing in on this trend and that we should too. FOMO definitely kicks in as well, as we don't want to feel like the only one missing out on a seemingly defining cultural moment. It's so easy to get caught up in the excitement of new trends.
One example from recently is Louis Vuitton sending multiple prominent influencers their "Neverfull Bag". This bag has been a staple of the brand since its release in 2007, but LV trying to appeal to younger consumers, gifted this to influencers, who in turn made posts saying "Omg, the Neverfull is back!" Searches for Neverfull immediately went up, and though we don't have sales data, we assume that went up too.
The way LV created a surge of interest in a product that never left the market is fascinating, but more concerning is the unsustainable growth patterns. As shown in the graph, the spike in search results was only for a few days, and after weeks passed, search results returned to their normal level. The inconsistent popularity of the Neverfull is a concerning sign of overconsumption. One day the bag is trending, the next day we are on to something else.
Conclusion
We need to start breaking free of cyclical social media posts and start developing our own personal styles. Instead of feeling pressured to buy into trends like the capsule wardrobe, build your wardrobe with things you love and feel comfortable in. It's not worth it to sacrifice your own happiness just to be "on trend". How to do this?
Start exploring other brands! When shopping in person, don't just stick to your typical and instead, go into the stores you haven't heard of.
Find inspiration from Pinterest, where you won't be forced loads of posts about just 1 trend.
Start with pieces that you already own and love. Identify what exactly you love about them, and use that to guide future purchases instead of following trending items.
We recognize that many of our posts discuss certain styles, and they are in no way forcing or declaring those styles are absolute trends that we should all follow. We are merely sharing our own thoughts about fashion and giving étoilé girls inspo for their outfits!
Developing a style that is distinctly yours takes time, but in the end, it's just about dressing for yourself, and not for others.
Comment your thoughts about this!
stay stellar 🌟
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