Social media has a major impact on our lives and in many different ways. However, I’m going to focus on how it affects the clothing industry and trends. Part of this is the introduction to what is known as “fast fashion”. 

In a typical year, a designer or label will release anywhere from 2-4 collections on the runway. Fast fashion can have anywhere from 12 – 24+ collections annually; this leads to new designs almost weekly for some brands. This change not only affects companies, but in turn, continues the cycle of new fashion trends on social media. The increase in new clothing being marketed has made a huge contribution to overconsumption; this term consists of consumers and the overuse of their goods and services to the point where they can’t or won’t reuse them. 

Overconsumption can be partly blamed on the increasing scale of shopping hauls and try- on videos. These types of videos have had a major impact on how fast trends are changing. Some specific brands that encourage this fast fashion behavior are Shein, Fashion Nova, and Princess Polly. However, there are many more contributing to overconsumption. Fast fashion brands are also being greatly influenced and affected by influencers on social media. Influencers are known to buy products from companies in bulk; this inspires people to do the same and buy products in bulk only to discard them a couple times after wearing them. 

While social media has influenced fashion in unsatisfactory ways, it has also helped to increase awareness. Some influencers discuss sustainability and ethical practices in fashion. This has led to a community promoting “slower fashion”. This community puts an emphasis on buying second -hand clothing, rewearing clothing, and buying high quality items that will last longer than fast fashion brands. This shows how we can still change the way of thinking to better help our environment; purchasing clothing can become a matter of quality over quantity.