If you are anything like me, a chronically online person, then you probably know all too well the messy love-hate relationship we have with TikTok. Whether you use the app to look at funny memes, doom-scroll, find inspiration, or film your own content, it is undeniable that the app has become a staple of our day-to-day lives, especially its impact on broader society, for example, the fashion industry.
Before the millions of 20-second TikTok outfits of the day and links in bio, we had YouTubers who filmed massive and elaborate 20-minute clothing hauls, and before that, we had bloggers who wrote about fashion trends. Even way before that, people actually read Vogue and didn’t just buy it to fit a TikTok aesthetic. Without a doubt, the way the media influences our fashion choices, shopping habits, and what is deemed fashionable has always had an undeniable impact, and now TikTok takes the crown.
TikTok’s decision to create TikTok Shop demonstrates the app’s commitment to monetizing its popularity and expanding into various business sectors. According to Frank Calvino at Cross-Border magazine, ‘TikTok shop’s global gross merchandise value (GMV) in 2024 was a whopping $33.2 billion, creating a 650% increase in just under two years after the launch of TikTok shop in 2023.’
Through the TikTok Shop, the app successfully bridges the gap between content and commerce. There have been numerous pieces of legislation created to protect consumers from falling for false advertisements or being sold products by influencers without their knowledge. Now, social media stars must legally disclose when a product they’re promoting is a paid promotion or not. The app now feels like a digital interpersonal marketplace, with every video featuring the best dupes, for example, of the viral Intimissimi tops that retail for £45. But why spend money on the real thing when you can grab a lookalike for £10 on TikTok Shop? Or when a beauty guru is pushing what they swear is their favourite lip stain? However, what they’re not telling you is that with every like, save, or add to basket, a video promoting these products earns the person in front of the camera a small commission.
In my opinion, with 20 years of life experience and a background in fashion driven solely by pure passion and admiration for it, I believe TikTok has compromised personal style. The uniqueness of people’s clothes and how people used to use fashion as a form of expression has died – at least in my eyes. Of course, people still dress the way they want and can express themselves freely, but with millions of users on TikTok and new aesthetics, trends, and patterns popping up on your screen every second, it’s hard to decipher and decide where personal style fits in.
One moment you are obsessed with the “coastal grandmother” aesthetic, with cosy linen shirts and baby blue skirts; the next moment, you see a TikTok of a girl dressed head to toe in a dark “academia” fit with tweed blazers and brown boots. As you turn your head to look around, and the guy next to you on the train is wearing a tailored suit and loafers, giving off an impeccable “old money” aesthetic, you can’t help but look down and realise your outfit is giving off a couch potato vibe.
These days, there’s so much you can be that you don’t actually know who to be – marking the start of how over-consumerism begins, all thanks to TikTok.
The oversaturation of micro-trends on TikTok fuels the fast-fashion ‘machine’ of this world, curating millions of products that will end up in a charity shop less than a month later and, inevitably, in a landfill, further polluting and contributing to the world’s climate decline. A large majority of the products sold on TikTok shop are made of cheap and non-environmentally friendly materials such as polyester and elastane – when washed, these materials release microplastics in the water, which is later drained into the ocean, releasing these toxins into our natural resources.
TikTok is not entirely to blame for the issues with fast fashion, but there is no denying that TikTok has definitely enhanced the lengths to which fast fashion will go to stay relevant and financially viable.
However, TikTok is not all that bad, as it can also highlight smaller brands and creators, such as Peachy Den, a brand that gained a lot of popularity from social media star Susie Lola gushing over one of their products. Susie Lola is not the only influencer whose agenda is not necessarily driven by the greedy hands of fast fashion merchants; there are influencers like Venetia La Manna, who advocate for “fair fashion” and demonstrate that you can be sustainable and look cute at the same time without conforming to overconsumption trends.
The motto of the story is that, yes, TikTok does own the fashion world, but it doesn’t have to own you. You can wear what you like and support brands that you enjoy. I think it’s time that we, as consumers, including myself, distance ourselves from what TikTok is trying to sell us and redirect our eyes to fashion books, fashion houses, and most importantly, ourselves.