How to Kill a Trend on TikTok

On the same topic:

Mass-circulation fashion magazines have always dedicated space, that is, since the dawn of publishing, to the most convenient proposals, advice on outfits inspired by those seen on the catwalk and recreated at a modest cost: these were, then as now, pages placed at the beginning or end of the publication, without a direct comparison with the more expensive "originals", far from the "heart" of the magazine, the space dedicated to important editorials.

Online the situation is different, moreover the reduced spending power of many has become a non-negligible factor and on Instagram, TikTok and themed blogs accounts dedicated to "accessible fashion" are proliferating. The high or very high price of fashion is a fact, and the search for alternative routes is a necessity, even if this leads to selecting products from the reviled fast fashion . It is not really a contradiction in terms - the convenience of fast fashion is indisputable - but rather a transgression with respect to the mantra of "buy less - buy better" (i.e. almost always more expensive) promoted on other pages and screens. But buying less and with an eye on quality is a desire that is difficult to satisfy, if, in addition to the need for a reduced budget, the comparison between items of different origin and lineage sometimes gives disconcerting results. The social trend of comparison, with real "challenges", challenges, to discover which of two or more similar items is actually the most expensive is very strong and grinds out likes . For example, Eliza May’s Instagram and TikTok profiles (eliza.co.uk) have brought the comparison format to the streets, prompting passers-by to examine and evaluate the items.

The conclusion implied in the intentions is verified punctually: confusion and misjudgment by the public play against the more expensive items, which are greatly diminished in the image of value they should suggest. And not everything is attributable to the cutting of the reel sequences or the naivety of some of those interviewed, but rather to a meticulous search for image affinities. Elisa May, in reality a team of “go-to girls for low-budget fashion” (cit.), is a blog with social accounts that promotes the purchase of low-cost items, while also reporting links to purchase the more expensive ones. Nothing different, therefore, from the work of traditional promoters and influencers, but the direct comparison starting from a similarity in image is a narrative element that introduces critical nuances and insinuates the doubt of a declared but not real quality of the “premium” and designer items. Through the pages of the blog itself, you can decide to invest in a Proenza Schouler shirt, a Staud skirt or a Jacquemus dress, but the perplexity remains, and is amplified via social networks. Although the screens of phones and tablets are a limit that does not allow you to evaluate the quality of materials, hems and stitching (which, moreover, people struggle to understand anyway, having generally never entered a real tailor's shop), and if for accessories it is easier to understand the difference between the valuable and the common, for clothing it is often really difficult to attribute a value to a product.

Even for those who work with fabrics, yarns and prototypes on a daily basis. The format is therefore successful, the accounts and challenges multiply and the feeling that comes from it is that of a general devaluation of the fashion product, of a sea of ​​garments among which the differences are labile, and the quality, as well as the design and the creative process upstream, seem only pretexts that are as useful for communication as they are lacking in added value . Generalizing is never a good thing, the social fashion of the comparative game does not really affect the intrinsic quality of high craftsmanship and the most accurate industrial packaging, however it does remove a veil of hypocrisy on certain "fast manufactures", products without any particular value of material or design other than that of the label that is placed on them and that for positioning reasons still maintain high prices for the public: you can verify this daily, if not in high-end boutiques wherever the brand can act as an attraction.

Prices skyrocketing due to marketing strategies and the increase in the cost of raw materials and distribution processes (a serious problem that directly affects many medium-high brands) are digging an ever deeper gap between potential customers and actual purchases: it is difficult to go back, but it is clear that if distrust towards a quality perceived only as appearance continues to spread, it is easy to foresee a future in which for many markets (and Europe first) fashion is exclusively a source of inspiration, a generator of outfits or figurines to be reproduced without regrets.

More on these topics: