In the modern era, trends go out of fashion as quickly as they are introduced… many of them last only for a couple of months. After all, a new wardrobe is a new identity–at least that is what our favorite movies, magazines and Pinterest boards tell us– and who doesn’t want to try on a new identity on the magical whim of a shopping spree? Who doesn’t want that magical movie-esque makeover scene where you become a new version of yourself: a prettier, more confident YOU– someone who knows all of the trends and is an undeniable fashionista.
the drab reality of fast fashion
I wish it were that simple. That after a few months the clothes still would hold that fresh newness that they once held. But buyable confidence only lasts so long. The next trend rolls around and suddenly there is a new personality merely a shopping cart away that you just can’t refuse– In 2024, we got a glimpse of what life could be like free of this never ending cycle with Emma Chamberlain’s Capsule Wardrobe. The idea that you could have a rotating closet of basics that would never go out of style was enticing… for a while. It too inevitably went out of fashion.Â
While the Capsule Wardrobe may have been too extreme, the concept behind it was a necessary starting point for a societal awareness around fast fashion. The Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, estimated that 11.3 tons of clothes are landfilled each year since 2018, a statistic that had almost doubled from the early 2,000s and has not been updated in the past seven years while infamous fast fashion retailers such as Temu and Shein have taken to the stage. Knowing these facts won’t stop most of us from habits of overconsumption. Certainly not when there is a lack of a better alternative for the confidence that comes with a new set of clothes. At least, no clear and easy alternative.
make self-confidence trendy again
Building internal self confidence is hard. It is a challenge that most of us will face our entire lives. It requires a lot of willpower… Or a lot of marketing. A couple of years ago body positivity was trending and today there is a call to bring back bullying; This rapid change is not coincidental. The social consciousness was transformed by the ads that were shown and the people that were put on our screens because a certain “standard” of beauty and presence was deemed more sellable. But how do we break free from these standards that keep us buying? How do we even begin to bring confidence back into the picture?Â
We, as consumers, choose who we want to platform and what companies we want to support. We have the buying power to change the dynamic back to a place where individuality is celebrated. If we can build a society where confidence is assumed rather than a commodity, we will be in a society where we won’t cycle through trends like bad ex-boyfriends because we would know who we are and what we like. We wouldn’t need the extra confidence boost every other month in the form of new clothes.