Why Microtrends Are Ruining Your Sense of Style
Nothing ruins your personal style quite like being controlled by microtrends. A microtrend is a trend that quickly rises and falls in popularity and is only popular for a few weeks up to a few months. The negative effects of microtrends don’t begin and end with diminishing your sense of style; the consequences of microtrends are much greater. The negative environmental effects of microtrends include excessive water usage and alarming amounts of carbon emissions when producing the garments. Another concern is the safety and rights of the workers producing the clothing.
The pressing question in this article, however, is “How do microtrends ruin your sense of style?” For starters, the short shelf life of microtrends causes most of us consumers to get caught in this endless cycle of buying new clothing in order to stay “on trend.” Instead of buying items that align with our personal styles, we instead rush to buy whatever microtrend is popular at that moment. This results in a loss of identity when it comes to personal style, as our wardrobes are dictated by trends rather than our own opinions on fashion. Microtrends also ruin your sense of style by shifting your idea of what “style” means. With influencers, celebrities, and social media outlets pushing fast fashion content, we are seasoned to associate style with following the latest microtrends. Instead of viewing personal style as a unique way of dressing that makes one feel confident and creative, style is boiled down to being trendy.
It is of the utmost importance that we do not let microtrends control us. One way to say sayonara to microtrends and regain your unique sense of style is to filter the media you are intaking. Follow social media accounts that inspire you to be creative, not accounts that promote microtrends and buying the latest “it” clothing items. Improving media literacy is another method to avoid being influenced by microtrends. With constant exposure to ads, learning the intentions behind the ads and marketing strategies can help keep you from blindly buying into trends. An additional way to not let microtrends control you is to define your sense of style (for more information on finding and defining your personal style, read our article on the subject). If you know your personal style, you will be able to determine whether popular trends fit into that aesthetic or not. For example, if you love the preppy aesthetic and often find yourself wearing loafers, collared shirts, and blazers, you should steer clear of the metallic cowgirl boot microtrend. If your style is girly, eclectic, with a hint of southern sorority girl, a metallic boot might be something you’d wear for years to come.
Nothing ruins microtrends’ influence quite like having a strong sense of style.
