Fashion Trends to Avoid: Now and Forever

I know, you are probably expecting me to write about ditching your houndstooth sweater, or retiring your leopard crocs. However, I want to take you into a deeper reality and talk about some fashion trends that have been popularized in the last half decade that I believe MUST DIE! We all need to stop participating in these fashion trends.

Overconsumption: The most popular types of content within the fashion space are haul videos. It was inevitable that there would be overconsumption as fashion consumers eagerly looked to influencers to point them in the direction of their next big score. I was someone who used to practice this type of shopping and experience the thrill of getting a "big bag" of new, trendy clothes. However, I can tell you, it is not worth it! It is not a good trend to follow. Do not yield to FOMO (fear of missing out) or feel inadequate that you cannot afford to do monthly fashion hauls. The excitement from the newness and scoring great deals will die down. You will most likely be left with an overwhelming number of fashion pieces that are of poor quality, ill-fitting and easily outdated. This will lead to you tossing much of your "bargains" in the trash or donating to an institution which may also just dump it. Furthermore, this adds to landfills that are already struggling to process ginormous waste from fashion overconsumption. As you can imagine, this has harmful effects on nature, the earth and the other inhabitants we share it with. Go ahead! Enjoy and get inspired from haul videos of content creators/influencers but avoid getting sucked into the hype of buying more than you want. Shop responsibly to avoid overconsumption and it's deleterious effects.

Buying Fake Designer Fashion. I do not say this one to berate you or make you feel insecure about not being able to afford luxury fashion. However, luxury fashion was never meant to be easily attainable. A significant aspect of this type of fashion is exclusivity, and high price tags have been historically used to ensure this. It may seem unfair to price people out but it is not unethical. It is luxury, not a necessity. However, it is unethical and illegal to knowingly purchase and promote counterfeit or fake designer items. Yes, some luxury designer brands have declining quality and the fakes have been getting better. While it may not seem “that deep” or you think you are being smart or you are fighting against big fashion companies, the truth is that fake designer fashion has so many negative implications. It is no secret that many of these counterfeit producers are involved in other unethical and illegal activities in many nations. Therefore, purchasing their items would mean supporting these criminal activities. I think it is perfectly normal to desire luxury fashion items and want to have a version for yourself. However, it would be better to dedicate funds and time to saving for a special item you are longing for or purchase an authentic item with a similar aesthetic from a reputable brand. Even better would be purchasing local, bespoke fashion that is more affordable but comes with the perks of supporting small businesses, building community relationships and having a more individualistic sense of style that makes you stand out.

Changing your entire wardrobe to a single aesthetic. In fashion, trends are fun. They keep fashion alive and exciting. Most times, trends in fashion are relegated to specific items or styles, eg. as I write this, denim is very popular, raffia and crochet totes were all the rage for summer. Getting one or a few of those items to enjoy for the season or the year is fine. What you should avoid, however, is revamping your entire wardrobe to fit a trending aesthetic. Minimalism was the trend of 2018-2022. All the girlies wanted a simplistic, "clean girl" pristine aesthetic. Everything was white and beige. Having a blush pink item was such a stretch! The influencers' engagements were up, the view counts were high and the like buttons were being smashed left, right and center. However, the numbers started to go down and influencers blamed algorithms and platforms for not promoting their content. However, I am of the belief that their style aesthetics were no longer interesting; it was boring. This has become even more evident now, as these same influencers add sprinklings of color in their wardrobe and have seen their audience engagement skyrocket. This point is not solely for influencers, I am talking to everyone. Classic, timeless pieces should definitely be staples in everyone's wardrobe but be sure to add a little spice every now and then. After all, variety is the spice of life!

Bullying fashion content creators. Fashion and style are personal. They are avenues for people to express their unique identities. Living in a globally connected world, we have amazing opportunities to experience these unique and diverse identities and cultures. It is awesome to learn new ways to style our clothing, learn about fashion history, current trends, brands, deals and find communities of like minded people to interact with. However, these very platforms that create these spaces are being overrun with bullies. People who are quick to shut others down for expressing themselves through fashion by name calling, trauma dumping, spreading falsehoods and just being plain mean. I always thought of fashion as a safe space. In moments when I was battling crippling grief, I found consuming authentic fashion content, dressing up and learning about luxury fashion to significantly improve my mood and inspire me. This is what drove me to finally become a content creator and why I chose this niche. I can only imagine there are other talented people who are grappling with other life difficulties who are simply trying to realize their own goals, looking to be entertained and entertain and they are being turned off from this space because of bullies. We are free to have opinions, we are free to express ourselves, however, I encourage us to not engage in deliberate attempts to tear others down or force others to conform to our likings and insecurities. If someone’s fashion content is not for you, it is not for you. What is for all of us though is the ability to make concerted efforts to find our fashion communities, our personal styles and utilize fashion to live our best lives.

Stay Fashionably Well,

TheFashionFindess.