How TikTok’s ‘For You Page’ Fuels Fast Fashion The impact of short-form videos on short-term trends

From the moment I succumb to the daily temptation to open TikTok and scroll through the app’s never-ending ‘For You Page’, until I finally muster up the strength to snap myself out of the trance-like state it has induced and put down my phone, I’m bombarded with video after video of so-called influencers wearing the latest fashion trends, sharing their most recent shopping hauls and advertising their favourite brands.

Unlike other social media platforms such as Instagram, which also promotes fashion-related content, TikTok specialises in short-form video clips that are quick and easy to consume — providing the viewer with instant gratification. Hours of scrolling feel like minutes. We are so overwhelmed with the amount of content we’re consuming on this app that memes, pop culture moments and fashion trends alike from only a year ago feel like distant memories. Clearly our perception of time has become severely warped by this uniquely hypnotising platform.

There is no doubt that fashion has always been an ever-evolving industry, producing trends that come and go, however, the chokehold that social media platforms have over consumers today has rapidly accelerated the life cycles of these trends to such an extent that we can now barely keep up. Trends in fashion can be broken down into two main types: macro and micro. The former refers to a long-term directional shift, usually having a lifespan of five to ten years, while the latter was once used to describe more fleeting trends that last around three to five years. This is no longer the case, as thanks to apps like TikTok we are now experiencing microtrends that last mere months, if even.

Possibly one of the most notable and ironic examples of this phenomenon is the rapid rise and fall of selfproclaimed sustainable brand House of Sunny’s infamous green Hockney dress. The dress quickly became highly sought-after when celebrities such as Kendall Jenner and various influencers were pictured wearing it during the summer of 2020. Fast-forward a couple of months and this dress had become so mainstream that it ended up gathering dust in many people’s wardrobes as it had already lost its appeal. It’s a sad state of affairs when even a seemingly unique item of clothing from an independent brand like House of Sunny becomes too ‘cheugy’, or outdated, to be seen wearing, almost overnight.

Another potent example of a current microtrend, with an admittedly longer lifespan, is that of Vivienne Westwood’s iconic pearl choker. The choker saw a rapid resurgence over the last couple of years and has quickly become a staple for Gen Z. A quick glance around the Trinity arts block will tell you what’s in and what’s not. The “what I got for Christmas” videos that flooded my TikTok last month are also very telling of the latest trends; last year the Dyson Airwrap and Dior lip oil reigned supreme, and according to this year’s hauls, Uggs are back in. But for how long?

For fast-fashion brands like Shein, microtrends are a dream come true. An interview with Forbes revealed that the retailer adds a staggering 700-1000 new items to the site per day. Other reports have estimated Shein’s turnaround to be even higher than this. The brand sells a wide variety of clothing, capitalising on microtrends as it sells the latest styles for a fraction of the price they are normally retailed for. On top of this, Shein has been publicly accused of ripping off many small independent designers. Yet, perhaps unsurprisingly, despite the negative press it received, Shein was declared the most popular brand of 2022. There is clearly a lesson to be learned from our continued fueling of unethical brands for the sake of trends.

Not only is giving into TikTok driven microtrends without a second thought burning a hole in our wallets, the environmental impact of this habit is hugely concerning. According to Earth.Org, approximately 100 billion garments are produced each year, with 92 million tonnes ending up in landfills. Let that sink in for a minute. Our habits as fashion consumers are having a real effect on our planet. It is simply not good enough to continue jumping on the bandwagon, allowing ourselves to be swayed into purchasing pieces of clothing that we know we’ll only wear a couple of times just because the ‘For You Page’ tells us to. In order to reduce overconsumption we should instead prioritise investing in versatile pieces that we can see ourselves wearing for years to come.

Try asking yourself these five questions next time you feel the urge to buy something you’ve seen online countless times: How often will I wear this? Do I own anything that serves the same purpose? Can I style this item well with the clothes I already own? Does this item feel authentic to me? And finally, would I still want to buy this if it was more expensive? If in doubt, leave it out.

WORDS Ella Sloane