I want to preface this article with two things. First, thank you so much for checking out Made in MIT! We’re really excited about everything else we have coming this year.
Second, this article reflects my own fashion journey and my observations on how the internet and social media have affected modern-day fashion. I joined MiM partially because I recognize my perspectives are limited and I want to learn more about fashion. I welcome (and encourage) discussion, disagreement and suggestions.
Finding Fashion
My earliest thoughts about fashion and what I wore came in high school. In true cliché, angsty teenage fashion, I lamented to a friend about how girls weren’t giving me the time of day. Being far from the first time he’d heard this rant, my friend bluntly replied that maybe I’d get more positive attention if I didn’t look like my mom dressed me. Brutal? Yes, but he had a point.
At the time I was maybe five feet tall and 100lbs soaking wet. I wore almost exclusively large t-shirts and polos that my parents assured me I’d grow into and rocked a bowl cut that gave me a "lollipop on a stick" look. I’d obviously noticed different style trends, but never thought that I’d be negatively impacted for ignoring them. This conversation was when I first considered that my clothing choices said something about me, whether I intended it or not.
14 year-old me, for reference
I examined this newfound problem like any other inquisitive millennial would: by asking the internet. I started out searching for an easy shopping list and concise formula for dressing well, but soon found myself entrenched in fashion forums like Superfuture, Styleforum, and especially the subreddit /r/malefashionadvice. The fashion world was so much deeper that I ever anticipated.
I browsed countless “What Are You Wearing Today” (WAYWT) threads and inspiration albums curated by other fashion aficionados, carefully taking note of what I liked and what felt like “me.” Slowly but steadily, I developed a vision of the style I wanted to emulate and a vocabulary to describe it. I gained an understanding of silhouettes and visual weight and even tried to understand the world of fashion designers. And, most importantly for my increasingly stocky 5’4” self, I discovered a collection of brands whose products physically fit me.
By the time I graduated college, fashion had shifted from a means to find a significant other to a fulfilling outlet for personal expression. I’ve met and bonded with some of my best friends through this hobby, and while I’ve stepped away from constant experimentation myself (partially due to budget constraints), I still love watching how the fashion world is evolving.
The Democratization of Fashion
Through my forum lurking, I’ve noticed shifts in the way fashion trends develop and the way fashion cycles move, specifically due to social media.
When I started exploring fashion, trends developed in a sort of "trickle-down" process: major designers and celebrities pioneered new styles, and then fashion enthusiasts emulated these styles with more practical or affordable items. For example, I used Hedi Slimane and the Saint Laurent Paris rocker aesthetic as a template for my own personal style for years, trying to mimic it whenever possible.
My Saint Laurent Paris phase, circa 2016
Around 2018, however, forum posters and content creators were increasingly driving trends by developing their own aesthetics. Social media, as it did for many other industries, eliminated barriers to entry and gave hobbyists and other consumers greater influence in the fashion world. For example, Paraboot’s Michael shoes saw a spike in popularity after influential menswear posters became enamored with the shoes’ quirky style. Years later, numerous companies now imitate the silhouette and are producing their own interpretations of the shoe.
Paraboot Michaels, the unlikely men's fashion superstar
This isn’t a case of a novel product entering the market and taking over; Paraboot has existed for over 100 years. Instead, this is an example of how the fashion industry is no longer a trickle-down model driven by famous designers and celebrities. Consumers increasingly have power to steer the industry in new directions and make unknown items and brands “cool.” In short, we’re witnessing the democratization of fashion.
Looking to the Future
While lower barriers to entry foster a more level playing field in fashion, they also create a new form of competition. Instagram and TikTok fashion influencers have blown up over the past few years, and new micro trends can be the differentiating factor in rising to the top of a competitive field. Trending aesthetics on TikTok over the last year include “Clean Girl,” “Barbie-Core,” “Cottagecore,” “Y2K,” and many more. 2024 has already birthed the “Mob Wife” aesthetic. While macro trends like general silhouettes and loose vs slim fits are still slower to change, micro trends are developing constantly.
This phenomenon is accelerated by the prominence of e-commerce; just as social media removed an element of gatekeeping for fashion influencers, e-commerce removed geographic obstacles for consumers and designers. One no longer needs to live in the heart of NYC to get the latest Supreme drop. Fast fashion outlets like SHEIN and Zara and reseller platforms like Poshmark, Grailed, and The RealReal expand this effect even more by providing lower-priced avenues to experiment with different pieces.
So, in the wake of a completely transformed fashion industry, what can we expect from the future? Three main themes stand out to me:
1. It will be harder to stay “on trend,” but also harder to be truly unfashionable. Fashion is cyclical, with the same concepts constantly moving in and out of favor. As these cycles accelerate, it will become ever more difficult to keep up with the most immediate trends. On the other hand, the odds of your wardrobe coming back into favor also increase. As people experience this cycle more often, I believe it could lead to increased exhaustion with chasing trends and ultimately drive both more thoughtful self-expression through dress as well as a rise in more utilitarian clothing. While possibly just be a passing trend, the increased popularity of New Balance and other comfort-oriented sneakers may be an indicator of consumers increasingly favoring practicality.
2. Fast fashion is facing harsh criticism, particularly regarding its poor model for sustainability and lack of long-term value for consumers. There’s an opportunity for anyone that can capture the flexibility needed in modern fashion with something more akin to buy-it-for-life articles. Blake Lively shocked the world with her color-changing dress at the Met Gala, and MIT engineers began experimenting with fabric that changes color with tension back in 2022 (a topic I hope to explore in future articles). I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that we will see much more multi-purpose clothing and that the coming years could be a revolution for technology in fashion.
3. The growth of fashion forums offers a unique opportunity for consumers to “optimize” purchases. With discussion comes in-depth reviews and recommendations, making it more possible than ever to buy something once and have it last. The biggest obstacle comes in identifying which reviews are authentic and which are paid advertisements. As marketing becomes more creative and increasingly uses more “organic” content, I predict that entire platforms similar to “Consumer Reports” could emerge to consolidate crowdsourced information on different brands and sift through the noise.