Mad Thoughts

Where has personal style gone? It feels as if people have lost all sense of self. With the way that social media and fast fashion have played into micro-trends, it’s no wonder why people have no sense of style anymore. People, young people especially, have become accustomed to the poor quality of fast fashion because the low-cost items have given them the ability to always stay on trend. Thanks to the power of social media, influencers essentially dictate what is in and what is out. People no longer need to cultivate their own sense of style when their favorite influencer tells them what is fashionable. One video from Alix Earle wearing skinny jeans had her followers on TikTok claiming “Skinny jeans are back.” Trends generally cycle around. However, in the past it took time for people to get on board of a new trend. The current trend cycle is significantly shorter than in the past due to our increased media exposure through social media.

Like with everything, there are pros and cons to the fast fashion industry. On one hand, fast fashion like Shein, Amazon, forever 21, Uniqlo, etc., have allowed fashion to become accessible to the average person. It’s given the ability to keep trends. However, on the other hand, fast fashion has a fair amount of negatives. Due to the short lifespan of micro-trends, landfills have begun to fill up with discarded articles of clothing. Along with negative effects on the environment, many fast-fashion producers have ethically questionable business practices. (e.g. Shein’s shady labor practices) Recently, consumers were shocked when the notorious fast fashion brand, PrettyLitteThing rebranded from their party girl aesthetic to an old money, clean girl aesthetic. This rebrand solidified a much larger shift in fashion to a more conservative style.