by Olivia Weiss
In a world of oversaturation and shortened trend cycles, is the future of fashion going to be trendless? For centuries, each decade has had clear trends. The 60s were dominated by bohemian looks and mini skirts, the 70s with bell bottoms and earth tones, and the 80s with vibrant colors and shoulder pads. The 90s with minimalist vibes and silky silhouettes, and the 2000s with logomania and low-waisted jeans. But as jean waists rose in the 2010s, did trends fall? Recently, the world has been exposed to hundreds of micro-trends but little to no overarching or dominating stylistic themes. This sparks a few questions. Why did this shift happen? What will this mean for the future of fashion? Who should we look to find inspiration in fashion?
For forever (okay, basically forever), we have lived in a trend-obsessed culture. Normally, trends start with celebrities wearing certain styles, then slowly, fashion-forward people would adopt them, and then the masses. After literal years, this style would die out and the cycle would repeat itself with something new. This was due to the limited amount of exposure to celebrities, thus they only had a limited amount of influence, meaning people were slowly introduced to new trends. With the rise of social media platforms like Tik Tok, clothing trends popularize overnight and, due to fast fashion and rush shipping, many people start wearing them days after they become the “it” item. Once too many people begin wearing these items, they become cheugy and non-original. This reduces the length of trend cycles drastically and promotes fast fashion. It also makes it unattainable for the masses to keep up with these ever-changing trends, as it is time-consuming and expensive to explore all of these micro-trends.
Due to this, I think trends are going to the fashion graveyard. As the trend cycles continue to shorten, specific pieces are going to replace the dominant trends of the past. With this shift in fashion, I predict many people are going to abandon the idea of “what is in'' and
truly follow their own preferences. Only picking up trending pieces if they truly love them and if they fit within their individual style. Alternatively, people are going to turn back to neutral and timeless basics. This is being shown with the popularization of stores like Aritzia and Zara which sell more basic items. A few ways that I am seeing a response to micro-trends are the rising aesthetics of a clean look and the coastal grandma aesthetic. These fashion vibes are falling back to classic pieces that will always be in style, and leaving behind the fast-fashion trends of today. Alternatively, I am seeing people who are simply saying fuck it and wearing whatever they please, often inspired by a mix of past trends, modern looks, and their own personal vibe.
Although I am a slut for decade-themed parties, I am happy that overarching trends are on the decline as I think they lead to less self-expression. However, I am worried about the environmental effects of fast fashion continuing, especially if people continue to buy viral items that they will only wear a few times. Instead, people need to use this change in style to reflect on their deeper style. Honestly, I think the hottest trend is being true to yourself in whatever you wear; no one can cancel the glow of confidence.