Fashion micro-trends are killing our identities

Linette Garcia | Contributing Writer

Bloke-core, mob wife, office siren, indie sleaze, “Sawako-core” — fashion trends seem to come and go at lightning speed these days. With new micro-trends taking over social media, expressing individuality is becoming increasingly difficult. 

TikTok influencers are obsessed with going viral for a taste of internet fame and we’re latching onto the alarming erosion of fashion micro-trends to create an online persona through fast fashion — it’s a lose-lose situation.

These influencers thoroughly handpick their clothes through fast fashion realtors and secondhand online shops for designer dupes to film a video with a lookbook that aligns with the micro-trend. This voguish brand they promote gives them quick likes and views.

When a new fashion craze surfaces, students at FIU don’t waste a second to follow — it’s as if everybody is in an unspoken conformist group. 

Meanwhile, the old apparel from last week’s trend gets discarded in a garbage bag labeled “for Goodwill”. The concept of micro-trends has only intensified since the pandemic and their virality is detrimental to our closets and wallets. 

We create pseudo-identities based on the next viral algorithmic product that gets shoved down our throats. The fashion industry encourages us to pursue overconsumption under the guise of finding our identity.

We are seeing it now with neon green becoming a universally hot trend because of Charli XCX’s brat album. Our closets are rapidly consuming all clothing pieces with that loud color worn by celebrities and influencers alike. 

Once the album loses relevance, we throw away our lurid green clothes to the nearest trash bin to make room for a new niche — what a waste.

With everyone adopting a trend-chasing behavior, it becomes harder for us to make a personal statement in a crowded room filled with carbon copies of one another.

Social media pressures us to conform to the latest viral fad for easy popularity. Sacrificing our wardrobes for cheap clothes to keep pace with micro-trends makes us unsatisfied with our sense of self-expression.

Over time, our digital personas may become less a reflection of who we are and more a suggestion of what we think we should be.

The restricting idea of fashion causes us to feel alienated if we don’t follow the newest trends. Nobody can authentically express themselves without the relentless constraint of dressing like everybody else.

There is no safe space to define and develop our identities in this fast-paced digital era, and that needs to change. We shouldn’t succumb to fashion micro-trends when we should be free to wear whatever we desire.

To reclaim individuality, we ought to remove the disposable mindset that has been integrated into our lifestyle. Instead of jumping on every new micro-trend, take a step back and ask yourself if it truly reflects you and your personal style. 

Micro-trends may come and go, but your uniqueness is irreplaceable.

DISCLAIMER:

The opinions presented on this page do not represent the views of the PantherNOW Editorial Board. These views are separate from editorials and reflect individual perspectives of contributing writers and/or members of the University community.