The Exploitation of Fashion

As I aimlessly scroll through my social media I can’t help but wonder about the role Instagram and TikTok play in my perception and consumption of fashion. Prior to social media, the majority of

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fashion, as we know it, was consumed through traditional mediums such as monthly magazines, and the rare television show (e.g. Fashion Television).

Because of this, we see decade trends. For example, 80s fashion is very distinct compared to the 70s before it or the 90s after. Now after the 2010s, there is no distinct fashion to relate to this time period. This is to be blamed on the constant consumption of fashion based on social media. Now, like most things, we are continually inundated with the newest trends, and a barrage of what’s “new” and what’s “hot.” In our current society, we have created an unhealthy relationship with fashion. I think there is a mutual desire among society to be different. To be able to dress differently than others allows you to feel like an individual. Even the most divergent

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styles become mainstream. I saw on TikTok, a post of somebody wearing a silver sequinned skirt. This wasn’t a mainstream style but because their post did so well there was now a market for brands to sell silver sequinned skirts. Just like that it became a trend. Social media in fashion has created a platform for like-minded fashion individuals to connect on their love of certain styles and popularize them to create trends. The downside of this is that everything is continually being pushed out to allow in the new daily fashion trend. We have gone through styles so fast that we developed fast fashion which is incredibly unsustainable. Fashion used to be appreciated and now it's exploited.