Over the last couple of years, fashion trends have been unfolding at rocket speed due to apps including TikTok, Instagram and even the Amazon app. People who go to fashion schools or anyone with a unique look can post videos of their ideas. If they go viral, that’s your next trend. Companies and retailers will try to release products at lightning speed to get sales on these ideas and trends going viral constantly.
These apps are great to find new trends and we’re here to make sure you take these trends and find pieces made by sustainable companies so that you don’t contribute to the fast fashion industry and climate crisis. For a lot of people, they will go on TikTok, see a clothing haul and then buy those items as cheaply and fast as they can. We think the real way to take advantage of these sudden trend cycles is to take inspiration from the hauls and social media posts, but then go out and make the trend fit you.
Don’t just buy the same exact shirt from SHEIN because that’s what you think is the most trendy item. You’ll be walking around matching with half the girls from your school and where’s the challenge or creativity in that? To really take inspiration from someone’s post, take into consideration how the shirt is fitted, where seams are, color palettes and what specifically about it makes you really interested in the trend. You can then go to places like Target and Goodwill and find pieces that are similar looking to that shirt you liked before.
Color schemes are hugely important regarding fashion trends. Recently for example, natural hues such as different shades of brown, tan and orange are booming in all retailers. Looking in catalogs and online blogs of what large influencers are wearing helps predict what retailers are going to get inspiration from and release soon. Some of our favorite people to look up to are (of course) Emma Chamberlain and Zendaya.
Zendaya is styled by @LuxuryLaw on Instagram for a majority of her red carpet events. His name is Law Roach and everything he styles is so new, you just know it’s going to get big and reinvented into street style pieces. If you take a look at what luxury brands are releasing, you can most likely find a way to “dumb it down,” and make it more casual, but still different and new. An example is puffy shoulders. Carolina Herrera is a big luxury brand and they are known for their immaculate dresses with huge puffy cloud-like shoulders for runways. This trend is universal in the sense that you can find a white collared shirt with slightly puffy shoulders at Banana Republic Factory, for much less money but also a more everyday, wearable piece. We take fashion inspiration from his work in the luxury fashion industry, but there’s so many influencers to look at regarding everyday outfits.
Emma Chamberlain, who recently became a prominent figure in fashion among Gen Zers, is constantly posting what she’s wearing on Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest and now on her podcast, “Anything Goes.” You can take inspiration from her simply by emulating her outfits but trying them out with different colors and brands, or even start shopping the way she does on Depop, TheRealReal and other second-hand retailers.
At the end of the day, don’t focus so much on what’s trending as to how much you should be focusing on what makes you feel good and confident. Creating outfits that are fun and different is what makes us feel good, whether or not it’s “trending,” in that moment. Gain inspiration from the fast trend cycles of social media, but try not to get sucked into the spiral of buying new every other week just to keep up. There’s plenty of different ways to change up your style in a sustainable way.