The cycle of fashion trends
The cycle of fashion begins
Ever since the rise of fast fashion and fashion influencers, we have stepped into a social construction where having endless access to clothing and styles is associated with glamour and the elite lifestyle.
Styles from last week are being replaced by this week’s fashion. Shelves are clearing. And ‘clothing hauls’ are posted on social media platforms by the various fashion influencers who are associated with that brand.
Examining the lie
The unfortunate result, the viewers of these videos are blinded by the heaps of clothing. And therefore, cannot see that these influencers not only were paid to show the clothing. But the clothing was gifted to them for free.
The reality of purchasing a plentiful array of clothing every single week is less of an actuality and more of a cloak of an idealistic utopian fashion fantasy. A trick that has succeeded in blinding all consumers.
Celebrities and influencers are the medium to present this idea of life that is not rationally attainable. The everyday consumer is, then, pressured to put weekend shopping sprees on their credit card bill. Old fashion in the trash, and wounds on the environment.
The fear of outfit repeating in our elitist society
The conclusive fear of the everyday fashion enthusiast is that in order to be viewed by society as enough, or relevant, they must participate in this cycle of mass fashion waste. In order to never appear in public wearing the same item they wore the week before they must fall obedient to the social norm of endless options, overconsumption, and false realities.
Styling your truth goggles
Rather than succumbing to this false fashion reality, try to remember the root of the fashion concept. Remember that fashion isn’t an endless array of styles cycling through it’s tailoring various attire to your own body type, skin tone, hair colour, and personal preference. Fashion is having the ability and privilege to choose a unique and quality piece from a line-up, paying the price for quality, and keeping it in your wardrobe for your lifetime. Then finally, when you’re doing your spring cleaning, you come across that one blouse that made you feel so beautiful. Then you remember, I bought this blouse before my first interview. And this was the blouse that gave me the confidence to be proud of my work for the first time.
Fashion has the ability to induce feelings that you might not have been able to create on your own. Fashion is your uniform. And it’s what makes you remember who you are and what you are presenting to the rest of the world. And fashion is not a logo on a t-shirt proclaiming to the world that you can afford to buy a lie.
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A piece written by Gavriel Ewart. An American girl studying fashion and communication at Cattolica university in Milan and interning for suite123