Nowadays, it’s virtually impossible to not be a part of the increasing number of social media networks. Over the last two years, TikTok has grown hugely, especially due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent isolation periods. I’m sure many of us have spent hours scrolling on this app (or more!), and so it isn’t surprising that many businesses have capitalised on this trend, to their advantage.
Businesses, small and large, have noticed the social media trend and clung to it. With its unique function of engagement and interaction with customers worldwide, industries such as fashion and beauty have flourished under the new marketing environment. Despite the benefits, this may bring to businesses, there are also some cons.
What is fast fashion?
It’s become increasingly evident that TikTok is a source of popularising fast fashion. Fast fashion is the rapid pace of fashion promoted by companies that produce a large volume of products with low-quality materials. These companies consist of Shein, PrettyLittleThing, Missguided, Zara and many others. With the help of social media, the speed of fashion has increased massively. The business models rely on the consumers endlessly buying new clothes. Consumers are tempted through cheap garments and the rapid pace of new ranges.
Historically, brands have always used low prices to entice customers. However, these new ranges would take months to plan. The rate of change was slow with limited products on offer. In comparison, fast fashion’s attention is on responding to the changing consumer taste as quickly as possible. But it’s important to note that these brands aren’t just responding to demand but are also creating it.
The ethical and sustainable issues associated with fast fashion are becoming more prevalent each year. The industry is one of the largest emitters of carbon, responsible for up to 10% of total carbon emissions, estimated to increase by 50% by 2030. Fast fashion brands such as Shein and Boohoo are heavily dependent on fibres such as polyester, nylon, elastine and acrylic, which are made from heavily processed petrochemicals (fossil fuels). This enables companies low prices as these materials are also cheap to produce.
But does this justify the environmental price tag?
The amount of plastic in this clothing means that the textile sector accounts for 15% of total plastic use, the third biggest use after construction and packaging.
Additionally, the substantial amount of waste is also increasingly worrying ethically conscious consumers. Much of the clothes brought from fast fashion brands are often thrown away after a short time. Fast fashion focuses on current trends, which go out of style quickly. Consumers move from one trend to another, quickly discarding old items. The quality of the cheap materials also mean the garment does not last long.
Alongside the environmental issues, there are also some social issues. For fast fashion companies to sell their clothes at low prices, their costs also need to be low. To do this, the wages of garment workers usually are driven down. Companies seek out countries with poor labour standards so that workers can be exploited.
How does Tiktok promote fast fashion?
Influencers have been the key to successful marketing strategies, but how does this affect consumers? Through growing on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, influencers have dramatically changed how we view fashion. This craze dramatically increased during lockdown, where social media and online stores were the only way for people to shop. In fact, research has shown that TikTok has seen a 553% growth in on its app since the start of the pandemic.
Hauls which first became popular on youtube in the 2010s, have recently had a comeback on social media apps such as TikTok, where creators share what they have brought with their followers. Rouge Media analyzed these social media posts to determine what fashion company generated the most hashtags in video posts. The results showed that Shein generated over 2.5 billion #Sheinhaul views. Shein is a prime example of how a company use influencer hauls as the primary marketing tool to boot engagement. Through using a large network of influencers to promote their products, it encourages other creators to do the same.
However, we mustn’t ignore the dark side of this seemingly innocent trend.
The popularity of these hauls is indicative of the overarching problem of normalised overconsumption, where many purchase hundreds of pounds worth of clothes from stores such as boohoo. Yet it’s not necessarily an issue where people shop but how long the product will last them.
Through fashion videos and hauls, TikTok has amplified microtrends to the extreme. As items from past trends start to disappear from influencers’ posts, so does consumers desire to wear them, eventually finding their way to landfills.
What can we do to fight back?
It is evident that Tiktok holds power to create trends, and therefore there is an great opportunity for creators and brands to move into a more ethical and sustainable direction. Additionally, having your own sense of style and knowing which items of clothes you feel most comfortable in can help break the current pattern of fast fashion and microtrends. This not only will save you money in the long term but will also lower the environmental price tag. With influencers constantly promoting new products, sometimes it’s difficult to know what is a trend and what is something you actually like. Then you start to resonate with these items and feel more comfortable in them.