The annoying and provoking question that appears with every purchase: What does it mean to be fashionable? It’s an unanswered question, too subjective to even address. However, a thousand different corners have thrown a thousand different hats into the ring.
One of the most prominent features of the style and fashion community of this decade, concentrated in the last few years, has been the rise and explosion of the aesthetic of microtrends on social media and its influence on the way we see ourselves. and we get dressed. Group fashion has always been an indomitable aspect of social presentation, from the early days of Ivy Style at Princeton to the low-cut vibes of the early 2000s. But the proliferation of social media, an endless expanse of self-expression absent from group sociability, has crushed the “universal style” and instead allowed thousands of micro-trends and subcultures to take its place. The fashion aesthetic we see today—cottagecore, grandpa-core, TikTok’s rediscovery of preppy and its transmutation into “old money aesthetic”—is directly informed by social media fads and the discourse that goes along with them; a fashion cycle whereby micro-trends are born and feed on themselves before multiplying into several smaller, more specific offshoots.
Take for example the ‘dark academy’, one of the most popular and enduring micro-trends to emerge from social media. The dark academy’s premise is simple (as are the reading lists its followers postulate, but you didn’t hear that from me), a retro look based on vintage silhouettes, and the aesthetics of academic and college life, particularly the boulevards. mysterious and esoteric. of such lifestyles. Think dark, earthy tones and using muted colors like maroon to create a sort of dress inspired by Gothic and Victorian literature. High-waisted pants in tweed and wool flannel, dark-colored turtlenecks and turtlenecks, button-down shirts under chunky sweaters, tweed and corduroy blazers teamed with dark coats, and retro varsity wear to signal literary and academic roots are the hallmarks of the style. Primarily, it’s a fashion aesthetic that lends itself to vintage clothing and second-hand ownership, a continuation of living history from one owner to the next. But one look at the current state of dark academia and it can be seen quite clearly that the desire for a vintage look has been completely superseded by the desire for cheap, aesthetic clothing.
Most of the content being produced around the dark academy aesthetic is very virulent memes: TikToks featuring all the trending targets an aesthetic-hungry audience could dream of, carefully crafted Instagram and Reddit posts that they show how much their life is within the style and how cool they look doing it. But most of the style (the aesthetic is dominated by clothing) is conspicuously cheap, produced by fast-fashion companies marketed to young audiences who crave the instant gratification of cheap, off-the-shelf clothing. All stands on aesthetics come crashing down when you realize an uncomfortable majority of his followers are flaunting their SHEINs and copies of The Secret History as a young scholar delving into Thomas Wolfe in the 1930s. A brief cursory search for Reddit threads and TikTok comments will show aesthetic disciples recommending ASOS coats and other cheap alternatives to vintage clothing.
Needless to say, a hugely consumable fast fashion hijacking of the aesthetic is very dangerous. The desire to dress in a way that is accessorized and marketed by fast fashion companies has catastrophic consequences for workers who have to meet the demands of hungry consumers for cheap and fashionable clothes. SHEIN factory workers are paid a monthly salary of around $556 with the expectation of making 500 pieces of clothing a day, not to mention eighteen-hour workdays and draconian punishments for any mistakes made on the line. of production.
Beyond the human cost of the lawsuit, we need to investigate the environmental damage fast fashion is causing. For example, the demand for cheap cashmere has led to overgrazing of the Mongolian plains, leaving arid landscapes that cannot support vigorous cashmere production for mainly Western consumers. Some herdsmen have been forced to resort to buying grass and feed for their goats to prevent them from starving. The lack of available turf and healthy, sustainable conditions have led to a general worsening of cashmere quality over the years and, if fast fashion demand continues, for the foreseeable future. The quality of these garments also causes the pieces to fall apart much faster than quality fashion. With no quality incentive to invest in repairs and with the easier option of buying cheaper clothes to replace old and damaged items a Google Chrome tab, fast fashion has led to a glut of clothing occupying landfills and thrift stores. , another nail driven into this climate coffin.
Some may think that being part of an aesthetic or movement makes one immune to trends and fast fashion. This doesn’t hold up when fast fashion companies are involved in the aesthetic, through marketing and production, at every level, from buying to creating a TikTok to your average attempt at an influencer career. It’s important to remember that it’s never okay to buy from fast fashion companies because all the major brands and companies are in on poor labor practices and environmental damage, and there’s never an excuse. Even acknowledging that many modern brands engage in unethical labor practices, the sheer volume of clothing and poor quality produced by fast fashion companies dwarfs the impact of many of the modern brands that people might point to. Even the progenitors of fast fashion in the early 2000s, Zara and H&M, which became famous thanks to the rapid releases of their collections, find themselves dwarfed by modern fast fashion companies, with their amazing ability to analyze, influence and design trends and launch them to the market. market with extreme speed.
There is nothing wrong with being part of an aesthetic. In fact, I’d be surprised if anyone was immune now that we’re so immersed in popular culture and social media. However, what is wrong is buying an aesthetic in a way that supports and sustains the processes of something with such detrimental consequences. There are so many helpful resources: guides on how to save, where to buy what item, wardrobe guides, sustainability guides. To ignore all of that in favor of an easy fix is to be complicit in the environmental and human cost of fast fashion. It can be an uphill battle at first, but I promise you there are always ways to dress how you want without shopping in these destruction markets, and heck, if you’re really desperate, email me and I’ll try. my best to help.
Stay warm, stay comfortable, and stop buying shit.
Source: news.google.com