With social media and influencer culture on the rise, society is falling victim to increasingly ever-changing ‘microtrends’, leading to problematic fashion overconsumption. 

What is a microtrend, one may ask? Well, they come in a variety of formats, yet are always a short lived product or view, with its popularity declining just as rapidly as it arises. These short lived microtrends consist of products, certain aesthetics, a print, or even a fabric. They are a temporary and an unsustainable way of life. 

Perhaps TikTok, the app taking over Gen Z’s lives, is to blame for humanity’s greed when it comes to overconsumption and waste?

Perhaps TikTok, the app taking over Gen Z’s lives, is to blame for humanity’s greed when it comes to overconsumption and waste? Granted, the platform is a flawless way to create, circulate and consume information, it even has the potential to be used for the greater good however doom scrolling on one’s For You Page leads to one rash decision after the other, resulting in a shopping basket filled with items a person has never legitimately needed before. With a 30 second average length, TikTok and Reels parallel the life-span and longevity of the microtrends in question. 

For example, 2024 was witness to endless microtrends with the same destiny: heading straight to the fashion graveyard of your closet, never to be seen again. Lucrative fast fashion companies such as Zara mass produce garments like the viral Molly Mae Leather Jacket, sold for £59.99, and made from 100% polyester. This fashion trend resulted in seas and seas of girls walking around with identical jackets as it took over the internet. Yes, it is a nice jacket but it had a rapid downfall, and can now be found for a fraction of the price on Vinted or Depop. The power of the influencer here is very topical, as our generation succumbs to their influence while they sell you a product they most likely got for free. 

The sense of ‘FOMO’ that comes with microtrends is plainly unhealthy and extremely addictive when you get caught up in it.

2024 also saw aesthetics such as ‘Balletcore’. The media was flooded with the ‘clean girl aesthetic’, baby pink bows, bubble skirts and boleros. The sense of ‘FOMO’ that comes with microtrends is plainly unhealthy and extremely addictive when you get caught up in it. Of course, it is human nature to desire what current celebrities and your own role models are wearing online, but there is a stark difference between taking inspiration from an image, versus being influenced to acquire the exact same items due to the name attached to it.

Other external inspirations and individual creativity are productive ways to jazz up your own personal style, so we are no longer walking around as carbon copies of each other, in a full outfit of microtrends. ‘Gorpcore’ was another 2024 moment that Gen Z obsessed over, buying a pair of brand new Salomons and an Arc’teryx jacket that water must bead off to wear once down to the local pub then throw in the towel, completely opposing these items’ sole purpose of durability and longevity.

Cutting down on mindlessly purchasing the next new microtrend is probably the more intelligent decision

Shopping more responsibly, such as second hand through online resale platforms, charity shops or vintage, will help in making more conscious choices when buying items, and help normalise purchasing what we truly need over what social media is telling us to buy in order to fit in. Additionally, investing in a few high quality items that will stand the test of time (and trends) is more financially practical in the long term, as well as a more ethical way in which we can help the current clothing waste epidemic. 

Cutting down on mindlessly purchasing the next new microtrend is probably the more intelligent decision and, as the generations before us say, elevated basics always come back into style. So keep an eye on your parents’ wardrobes! 

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