How Does Social Media Influence the Way We Dress?

Before social media, people were exposed to fashion through everyday outings such as work, school, or even the grocery store. People also saw fashion in magazines with crazy headlines and on television shows. Now, fashion is everywhere we look. From TikTok to Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, Pinterest, and any other platform I forgot to mention. Additionally, we still see traditional forms of media influencing fashion, but now it almost seems like there is too much.

Social media has completely changed the way we consume fashion and the way we dress.
How much of fashion is actually being controlled by what we scroll past?

Fashion Before Social Media 

It seems like most people who grew up with so much technology and social media long for the time when we could get all our inspiration from a physical magazine or the latest television show. For fashion lovers such as myself and others with similar ideals, social media can be a great way to have easy access to inspiration and knowledge. On the other side of this, fashion is so prevalent that it can be overwhelming, promote unrealistic standards, encourage overconsumption, and take away from the art of fashion itself.

Increase Societal Pressure 

Like many other Gen Z, I find myself scrolling for hours, whether that be aimlessly scrolling through random funny videos, analyzing runway shows, or watching my favorite influencers’ outfit-of-the-day posts. While it is so easy to see the latest trends any time I would like, it leads to societal pressure of never feeling like what I am wearing is trendy, stylish, or truly feels like myself. Even with the ability to wear whatever I want, it can be overwhelming when you consider everyone else’s outfit decisions.

I may put on an outfit I love and open Instagram a minute later to take a mirror selfie, showing off my clothes, just to see someone else’s post of them wearing something better and trendier. What was once my perfect outfit now causes me to feel insecure and question whether the outfit represents me or if it is just another way to get more views. This leads to a never-ending cycle of who is wearing the best outfit and causes your brain to spiral. Because fashion is not longer about the garment itself, but it is fitting into a specific aesthetic and worrying how it will look on your Instagram feed.

Not only can social media affect trends or what I may be wearing, but it can also affect a sense of personal identity. Feeling like we are in an identity crisis adds to the trends we are leaning into and why. As a society, we are now jumping from one trend to the next at such a rapid pace. This vicious cycle contributes to the rise of microtrends.

Why Microtrends?

Microtrends are essentially niche trends that become so popular on social media that they quickly become “uncool” or “cheugy.” These trends can last only weeks to months and heavily influence fast fashion. An example of a microtrend is the “old money aesthetic” or “European summer.” For whatever reason, these trends always have some crazy name, but that only adds to how unhinged the concept of a microtrend truly is.

When a microtrend blows up, people buy those garments that match the aesthetic of the trend immediately. Typically, these are purchased from somewhere that sells them cheaply, since they just spent all their money on the last microtrend. By the time the garment comes in the mail, you wear it once and then realize there is already a new trend you need to be purchasing for.

While social media gives brands the ability to better analyze their customers and communicate with their audience, it also pushes marketing tactics directly into our faces. It raises the question: Are we dressing to express ourselves or just to keep up a public image?

What Does This Do To Fashion Today?

Even high fashion designers are affected. Where we used to see only two seasons a year, we now see designers creating multiple collections to keep up with social media demand. Quality is decreasing, and the craft of creating and designing a garment is slowly disappearing.

As someone who loves to sew and enjoys learning about the construction of clothing, it is disappointing to see poor stitching and bad quality fabric when I am out shopping or get sent PR. Overproduction and how quickly clothing is being designed makes clothing start to blend together. No design or garment starts to stick out when you are scrolling through social media because it all starts to be the same, which makes me question if trends are on their way out.

Next week, I will discuss whether trends are truly dead.

Other Readings & Inspiration

To learn more about how social media shapes fashion, trends, and aesthetics, feel free to read other sites that inspired this post and furthered my knowledge:

• How Social Media Influences Fashion Trends — Fashinnovation (on how platforms accelerate trend cycles and impact fast fashion) Read the article (Fashinnovation)

• Social Media in Fashion: A Deep Dive into Trends, Inspiration, and AI-Powered Styling — Glance (on how digital platforms redefine fashion discovery and personal style) Read the article (Glance)

• The Aesthetics, -Cores, and Microtrends That Defined 2023 — Vogue (on the rise of named microtrend aesthetics like old-money and Europecore) Read the article (Vogue)

My Go To Guide For Putting Together an Outfit

Wearing an outfit that feels like me can be challenging to sustain daily, especially with school and managing social media. As a college student, I wanted it to be easy to tell what my major was based just on my outfit. With this in mind, there can be a lot of pressure to put together the perfect outfit. For years, I have always been proud of having outfits planned and ready for any occasion, which is why I decided to write my first article on how to put together an outfit. People always ask me how I have a cute outfit ready to go, so this is exactly how I do it. 

This guide breaks down the  system I use to plan outfits ahead of time, find inspiration that works for my closet, and feel confident getting dressed without overthinking the creative process.

How I Build Outfits Ahead of Time

Whenever it is laundry day or I have the free time, I lay out all of my clean clothing before sorting them into piles of long sleeve shirts, t-shirts, shorts, skirts, jackets, etc. From there, I put together outfits purely based on my imagination. Right now, I have class a few days a week, so I want outfits that will be comfortable while still being stylish enough to post on social media. For you, this could be outfits for work, class, meetings, or even going on a morning walk. I like to keep the intentions of what I will be styling for  in mind throughout the entire process. If I know I have an event coming up, I will put outfits together specifically around that. Some days I am only able to put together one or two outfits, whereas other days I may have no trouble creating as many as my wardrobe will allow me. 

Using Social Media as a Styling Tool

Once I feel stuck on what garments to pair with each other, I open up Pinterest and go to my clothing boards. I organize my boards mostly by weather and season to make it easier to find outfits that are appropriate for the current climate. I have a few other boards for moods if I am looking for something more specific or custom. An example of this is “An All Black Serve” and “Colorful/Funky.” I personally enjoy giving all my boards fun names instead of just fall, summer, winter, or spring. When I am doing my daily Pinterest scroll, I often think about the clothing I already own so I can save outfits that reflect pieces already in my closet.

Organizing Outfits So Getting Dressed Is Easier

Next, I start putting clothing into a pile of what each outfit will be, and I move the Pinterest post that inspired that look or was recreated from that look into a new folder called “Current.” This makes it so much easier in the morning when I am not sure what shoes, hairstyle, makeup, or accessories I want. I can just open up the “Current” folder that has all the outfits I have layed out together for that period of time. Additionally, I have a folder specifically for accessories, shoes and purses to make styling even more seamless.

Outfit Examples Inspired From Pinterest Posts

Additional Steps That Can Add to an Outfit 

For those of you who do not know, I am a fashion merchandising student at CSULB in my senior year. Recently, I did a project on self color analysis, body shape, face shape, and what garment cuts and silhouettes look best on me. While the project I had for school broadened my perspective on personal styling, it did not change the process of how I choose to style outfits. Instead it furthered my fashion knowledge to be more intentional with my styling. I enjoy incorporating these elements when styling a new look. Everyone is unique and learning about what looks best on you can help with feeling more put together and confident even on days when you feel like a hot mess. 

Problem-Solving & Real Life Styling

When an Outfit Doesn’t Work

I am sure we have all had those days where we have an outfit idea in our head we are obsessed with, and then we try it on and absolutely hate it. This can happen more often when you are styling directly from an image of someone else without taking into consideration your own body type and color palette.

Additionally

Doing your own research on your body shape and coloring can help you identify garments that suit you best before laying out all your clothing and making a giant mess of your closet. At the end of the day, the perfect outfit isn’t about following trends or copying someone else’s style—it’s about building a system that makes getting dressed feel easier, more fun, and more like you. Regardless of what you’re wearing or how you style it, what matters most is confidence and adding a personal touch that makes it feel like you.

Thank you for reading my first blog post. I’m excited for you to read next week’s post about how social media influences the way we dress. New posts every Wednesday.