Social Media – Yeah, we’re watching you, TikTok! – The trend cycle is accelerating. Researcher Mandy Lee explains what that means for fashion consumption.
Alina Seryuk, host:
What does it mean when you hear your clothes are so 2021? Perhaps you’ve been watching TikTok and are interested in being part of a microtrend. , caused by a Hulu movie called “Not Okay”. The main character, who satirically portrays influencer culture, is making such a topic.
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UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: It’s crazy, because they were photographed dead last summer, and trends move forward so fast they almost feel outdated.
SELYUKH: What is a microtrend? Fashion writer and TikTok influencer Mandy Lee defines the term this way:
MANDY LEE: Idiosyncratic clothing that peaks and becomes obsolete very quickly, not by genre or aesthetic.
SELYUKH: Many people turn to fast fashion to keep up with microtrends. It’s the latest clothing that is always sold at low prices by mass retailers like Shein and ASOS. Fast fashion is often criticized for not being the most environmentally or ethically sound. But Lee argues that people want it for many reasons.
LEE: Resources are nearby and easy to access. Maybe there are no convenient places to shop nearby. Maybe the sizes offered for their preferred location, it could be a little more ethical – they don’t have those sizes.
SELYUKH: Sustainably shopping at thrift stores is often seen as an antidote to fast fashion, but according to Lee, the real problem is simply overbuying.
LEE: It can also be fully consumed at a thrift store. These days, I feel like I’m seeing more and more people buying garbage bags and trash bags at thrift stores just because they’re cheaper than people who are transporting fast fashion.
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Unidentified Person #2: I literally have one of the biggest crazy thrifts of all time.
LEE: I think the problem lies in the idea that the wardrobe is circular.
SELYUKH: So instead of thinking of our clothes as disposable regardless of where they come from, Lee says it’s all about our habits.
LEE: My thoughts on ethical shopping are thinking about longevity. So how long can you wear what you’re about to buy? And that exercise has helped me save a lot of money and has helped make my wardrobe something I really love and never get tired of.
SELYUKH: Mandy Lee, fashion writer and TikTok influencer.
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