I think assimilation in how we dress is more than we know down to location. Since moving from Manchester to rural devon, I suddenly have wax jackets and cream jeans, a clothing trend that never interested me before. When we find ourselves consistently online, our preferred location is the landscape of social media, we assimilate to the environment in our language etc.. but also in how we dress. I think micro trends are just that. Micro trends are the uniform of influencer or influencer adjacent. Like wax jackets and cream jeans for posh country girls, gymshark body suits for gymfluencers, microtrends are the uniform for those of us looking to be like the online it girls. Critiques are absolutely valid, mindful shopping can never be a bad thing in a climate crisis fuelled by mindless consumption, but it's interesting how we view this as a separate phenomenon, when historically we have always assimilated in our dress wherever the location, why is social media any different?
I loved this Jordan !! Recently I’ve really been struggling with the idea of personal style and how it forms people’s perception and judgement of us. As an 18 year old (hopefully) moving to Oxford to start uni this October, I am more aware than ever of the first impressions I make, and how my fashion comes into it. Do I attempt to dress the purest form of myself and allow judgement for being queer, northern, and all together quite flamboyant, or do I instead try to imitate the style of what I imagine to be higher classes? Is worrying about this in general shallow and fake? Am I attempting to manipulate the people I meet by tailoring my presentation to them? Battling with attempting to create an identity that is both authentic to you and palatable enough to make good friends and connections for the future feels to be becoming increasingly hard, not just with my upcoming life changes but also with the social media space and the judgement that comes along with being a step behind the expensive lifestyle changes everyone else seems to be able to keep up with. Basically I’m in crisis and am terrified of how I’m perceived, but listening to your thoughts always make me feel a little less alone in my confusion with the discourse and the direction of society today, so thankyou !!
Hello! I just wanted to reply as I currently go to Oxford for uni and there is a massive difference to how I dress at home (small ruralish town in Essex) vs at Oxford where I can express my queer identity and more "quirky" style! You really do see anything and everything there (and i'm sure at all unis) lol from more "academic everyday" to literal cloaks. Its not that my fashion identity at home is any less authentic than my one at Oxford (and vice versa!) but more that I am surrounded by very cool, funky people who inspire me to put more effort into my outfits and to try new things :)) Specifically in the queer space there's such a massive range of styles - I like to try out new styles like "costumes" every now and then lol. My friends all have varied styles and it's cool when we hang out looking like we're all going to a wildly different social event. I hope you don't mind me replying and I hope you have a great time wherever you end up at uni!
Thankyou so much! This is such a cool insight! I’m glad to hear queer friendships and fashions are thriving in Oxford, as my parents love to tell me I will have to town down my politics (which won’t be happening) and overall vibes to make friends there. I really hope I will be able to present myself in a way that I find authentic and that I’m not too scared to also try out different things and grow more in my time there. :)
I LOVEDD this episode!!! in my personal style journey i try to keep it simple and make sure i am true to whatever i like (i.e. i will love it and wear it for a long time), regardless of whether i found it at a niche vintage shop or as a fleeting tiktok microtrend.
loved this! something else i always think about when i see these ‘micro trends you have already forgotten about’ videos is that surely some of it must be engagement bait? whether it is generating outrage from viewers (a la samba conversation, despite still being featured in autumn wishlist videos) or feelings of superiority (having never engaged in the micro trend featured in the video, or having purchased the items but are still wearing them, thus it being their true personal style), as the algorithm rewards engagement something which is good intentioned can become warped through the lens of trying to increase it’s visibility / virality. excited to listen to the rest of the pod today x
I completely agree that our tendency to label fads as “microtrends” is actually slowing down this year, or at least evolving more naturally (think cowboy boots vis a vis knee high boots, etc). Something that’s accelerated microtrends is cataloguing everything into “cores” or microaesthetics, which I’m also seeing less of. The last core I can remember being big was the office siren look, which was big in the spring (?). Perhaps this slow move away from categorizing our every piece will allow people to curate their own aesthetics (while still holding space 👉🤏 for the presence of online trends that will persist in fashion everywhere). On a personal note, I found that limiting my consumption of fashion content on social media has made me care way less if my outfit or one I see on the street is presumably taken from Pinterest, TikTok, etc. We’re all experimenting here. Fantastic article!
Such an interesting read and something that also been on my mind recently! I find myself constantly stuck in a loop between: I want to dress like everyone else --> I can't afford to keep up with the trends that everyone is (supposedly) following --> I'll just keep wearing the clothes I like --> I want to dress like everyone else (and repeat). It would be easy to break free from the cycle if every time I opened social media there wasn't a video telling me there is a new trend I need to follow, or pictures of people dressing in an array of the most popular pieces this season. I also don't think this is necessarily isolated to just the internet bubble as it tends to seep into the real world - the people I see out and about when travelling through London, the clothes people are wearing in the office etc. And London is the worst because there are people that can afford to keep up with the online fashion zeitgeist, which just adds to my growing anxiety. I feel a bit more hopeful when I see people wearing Adidas Sambas because to me, it seems that something is beginning to slow down.
What gets me is the fact that yes, we desperately need to talk about and criticise the current state of fast fashion (from an ethical and environmental perspective), but this is eclipsed by the huge and terrible problem of us all wearing vaguely similar skirts or not being the only person to think tabis don't just look like camel hooves. It feels so privileged and weird to me that we're finally clocking onto the problems of the fashion industry - only to complain about how it impacts our individual sense of self, rather than focus on the exploitation of workers and the planet. It's all just capitalism!
I've accepted I dress like every other teen girl out there, but as long as I'm holding myself accountable as a consumer I don't really care.
I think that before we realise that personal style and liking micro trends are not mutually exclusive we will continue in a cycle of tiktoks being made on trend predictions, their peak and the aftermath of de-influencing
I think that those people have main character syndrome and can't escape it. They're so obsessed with being the black sheep that they don't see how much trends influence their style. They weren't wearing slouchy bags, baggy pants or suede shoes, until they saw it on their fyp . They feel the authority to tell us that algorithms are brainwashing us, while saying what alternative to the latest trend we should buy. "Yes I'm wearing the same things as everybody else, but I'm styling them in a uglier but more unique way, so it doesnt count!" this is what they sound like ngl.
okay picture people from the 70s … are they wearing bell bottoms? yes? would u say that they didn’t have personal style then? i feel like in today’s world of social media, micro trends, sustainability, individualism, capitalism, etc. personal style is all the sudden “dead”but trends have always been a thing! but at the same time i guess it just wasn’t a problem back then cause it’s not like there was 50 trends in one year that lead people to consume at a crazy rate 😭
If you get a dupe of a microtrend type product, but you get it because you genuinely like it and end up wearing it for years, long after its trendy, then there's no harm! Its just jumping on every trend, without taking the time to consider how that fits into your lifestyle and personal style that becomes a problem. I was also thinking about what you said, "live in your clothes". Some of my favorite clothes are 5 or more years old and it really takes me a year of frequent wear or so to feel like that piece belongs to me, and is my style, rather than a experiment or a costume. Experimenting is ok and not every experiment will be a success, but im sure we all have several tried and true timeless pieces that are still fun to style! These are the things people often start to associate with me when the style goes beyond a trend and becomes part of your identity. Maybe that hat hasn't been trendy since 2015, but if you love it, who cares?
I think assimilation in how we dress is more than we know down to location. Since moving from Manchester to rural devon, I suddenly have wax jackets and cream jeans, a clothing trend that never interested me before. When we find ourselves consistently online, our preferred location is the landscape of social media, we assimilate to the environment in our language etc.. but also in how we dress. I think micro trends are just that. Micro trends are the uniform of influencer or influencer adjacent. Like wax jackets and cream jeans for posh country girls, gymshark body suits for gymfluencers, microtrends are the uniform for those of us looking to be like the online it girls. Critiques are absolutely valid, mindful shopping can never be a bad thing in a climate crisis fuelled by mindless consumption, but it's interesting how we view this as a separate phenomenon, when historically we have always assimilated in our dress wherever the location, why is social media any different?
I completely agree!!
Thank you for the food for thought!
I loved this Jordan !! Recently I’ve really been struggling with the idea of personal style and how it forms people’s perception and judgement of us. As an 18 year old (hopefully) moving to Oxford to start uni this October, I am more aware than ever of the first impressions I make, and how my fashion comes into it. Do I attempt to dress the purest form of myself and allow judgement for being queer, northern, and all together quite flamboyant, or do I instead try to imitate the style of what I imagine to be higher classes? Is worrying about this in general shallow and fake? Am I attempting to manipulate the people I meet by tailoring my presentation to them? Battling with attempting to create an identity that is both authentic to you and palatable enough to make good friends and connections for the future feels to be becoming increasingly hard, not just with my upcoming life changes but also with the social media space and the judgement that comes along with being a step behind the expensive lifestyle changes everyone else seems to be able to keep up with. Basically I’m in crisis and am terrified of how I’m perceived, but listening to your thoughts always make me feel a little less alone in my confusion with the discourse and the direction of society today, so thankyou !!
Hello! I just wanted to reply as I currently go to Oxford for uni and there is a massive difference to how I dress at home (small ruralish town in Essex) vs at Oxford where I can express my queer identity and more "quirky" style! You really do see anything and everything there (and i'm sure at all unis) lol from more "academic everyday" to literal cloaks. Its not that my fashion identity at home is any less authentic than my one at Oxford (and vice versa!) but more that I am surrounded by very cool, funky people who inspire me to put more effort into my outfits and to try new things :)) Specifically in the queer space there's such a massive range of styles - I like to try out new styles like "costumes" every now and then lol. My friends all have varied styles and it's cool when we hang out looking like we're all going to a wildly different social event. I hope you don't mind me replying and I hope you have a great time wherever you end up at uni!
Thankyou so much! This is such a cool insight! I’m glad to hear queer friendships and fashions are thriving in Oxford, as my parents love to tell me I will have to town down my politics (which won’t be happening) and overall vibes to make friends there. I really hope I will be able to present myself in a way that I find authentic and that I’m not too scared to also try out different things and grow more in my time there. :)
I LOVEDD this episode!!! in my personal style journey i try to keep it simple and make sure i am true to whatever i like (i.e. i will love it and wear it for a long time), regardless of whether i found it at a niche vintage shop or as a fleeting tiktok microtrend.
thank you!!
loved this! something else i always think about when i see these ‘micro trends you have already forgotten about’ videos is that surely some of it must be engagement bait? whether it is generating outrage from viewers (a la samba conversation, despite still being featured in autumn wishlist videos) or feelings of superiority (having never engaged in the micro trend featured in the video, or having purchased the items but are still wearing them, thus it being their true personal style), as the algorithm rewards engagement something which is good intentioned can become warped through the lens of trying to increase it’s visibility / virality. excited to listen to the rest of the pod today x
oooo that's true I've never considered the engagement baiting aspect!!
I completely agree that our tendency to label fads as “microtrends” is actually slowing down this year, or at least evolving more naturally (think cowboy boots vis a vis knee high boots, etc). Something that’s accelerated microtrends is cataloguing everything into “cores” or microaesthetics, which I’m also seeing less of. The last core I can remember being big was the office siren look, which was big in the spring (?). Perhaps this slow move away from categorizing our every piece will allow people to curate their own aesthetics (while still holding space 👉🤏 for the presence of online trends that will persist in fashion everywhere). On a personal note, I found that limiting my consumption of fashion content on social media has made me care way less if my outfit or one I see on the street is presumably taken from Pinterest, TikTok, etc. We’re all experimenting here. Fantastic article!
I still love office siren omfg!! Loved this comment, thank you so much xx
Such an interesting read and something that also been on my mind recently! I find myself constantly stuck in a loop between: I want to dress like everyone else --> I can't afford to keep up with the trends that everyone is (supposedly) following --> I'll just keep wearing the clothes I like --> I want to dress like everyone else (and repeat). It would be easy to break free from the cycle if every time I opened social media there wasn't a video telling me there is a new trend I need to follow, or pictures of people dressing in an array of the most popular pieces this season. I also don't think this is necessarily isolated to just the internet bubble as it tends to seep into the real world - the people I see out and about when travelling through London, the clothes people are wearing in the office etc. And London is the worst because there are people that can afford to keep up with the online fashion zeitgeist, which just adds to my growing anxiety. I feel a bit more hopeful when I see people wearing Adidas Sambas because to me, it seems that something is beginning to slow down.
Things are definitely slowing down for sure!! And I find the less time I spend on my phone = the less self-conscious I feel about my outfits xx
What gets me is the fact that yes, we desperately need to talk about and criticise the current state of fast fashion (from an ethical and environmental perspective), but this is eclipsed by the huge and terrible problem of us all wearing vaguely similar skirts or not being the only person to think tabis don't just look like camel hooves. It feels so privileged and weird to me that we're finally clocking onto the problems of the fashion industry - only to complain about how it impacts our individual sense of self, rather than focus on the exploitation of workers and the planet. It's all just capitalism!
I've accepted I dress like every other teen girl out there, but as long as I'm holding myself accountable as a consumer I don't really care.
I think that before we realise that personal style and liking micro trends are not mutually exclusive we will continue in a cycle of tiktoks being made on trend predictions, their peak and the aftermath of de-influencing
I think that those people have main character syndrome and can't escape it. They're so obsessed with being the black sheep that they don't see how much trends influence their style. They weren't wearing slouchy bags, baggy pants or suede shoes, until they saw it on their fyp . They feel the authority to tell us that algorithms are brainwashing us, while saying what alternative to the latest trend we should buy. "Yes I'm wearing the same things as everybody else, but I'm styling them in a uglier but more unique way, so it doesnt count!" this is what they sound like ngl.
okay picture people from the 70s … are they wearing bell bottoms? yes? would u say that they didn’t have personal style then? i feel like in today’s world of social media, micro trends, sustainability, individualism, capitalism, etc. personal style is all the sudden “dead”but trends have always been a thing! but at the same time i guess it just wasn’t a problem back then cause it’s not like there was 50 trends in one year that lead people to consume at a crazy rate 😭
If you get a dupe of a microtrend type product, but you get it because you genuinely like it and end up wearing it for years, long after its trendy, then there's no harm! Its just jumping on every trend, without taking the time to consider how that fits into your lifestyle and personal style that becomes a problem. I was also thinking about what you said, "live in your clothes". Some of my favorite clothes are 5 or more years old and it really takes me a year of frequent wear or so to feel like that piece belongs to me, and is my style, rather than a experiment or a costume. Experimenting is ok and not every experiment will be a success, but im sure we all have several tried and true timeless pieces that are still fun to style! These are the things people often start to associate with me when the style goes beyond a trend and becomes part of your identity. Maybe that hat hasn't been trendy since 2015, but if you love it, who cares?