Social media has become a moodboard for style inspiration and aesthetics for most people. How many times have you seen your favourite influencers or celebrities wear something trendy and have immediately added it to your wishlist? If you were to scan through the #PradaTriangle hashtag on Instagram, you’ll find over 5,000 posts of people styling the fashion brand’s newest “it bag” with different outfits, many of which have even received over 15,000 likes.
With the instant, real-time validation that trending pieces of clothing and accessories tend to provide, the algorithm of social media platforms encourages continuous doom-scrolling and hence creates a sense of FOMO. You keep seeing a particular trend or a designer item repeatedly, and this makes you want to own it too, having seen it on different people and styled in multiple ways. But what value do these viral pieces hold for a consumer?
After seeing Sydney Sweeney, Rosalía, and Bella Hadid channel “balletcore,” the Miu Miu ballet flats went on to become the hottest product of the third quarter of 2022 with a 1,100 per cent spike in their search on the internet, according to The Lyst Index. Similarly, the Jean Paul Gaultier x Lotta Volkova collection, featuring the naked dress that paid homage to the designer’s spring/summer 2009 collection, too, had its moment this year after Kylie Jenner, Chiara Ferragni, Marlo Hampton and Tove Lo were seen wearing it, making it on The Lyst Index’s compilation of hottest products of Q2 of the year. Consumers belonging to younger generations were intrigued to have a piece of the label’s history as their own.
While such pieces do make a statement on social media platforms, what place do they occupy in the buyer’s closet in the long run? Celebrity stylist, luxury consultant and content creator Sonam Babani, who is often seen wearing such pieces via her Instagram account, admits that these viral items don’t often tend to add too much value into a consumer’s wardrobe the way a Chanel or an Hermès bag would. “There are very few people who buy luxury or designer pieces that are trendy at the time to diversify their wardrobe, and there are some who are also collectors; like I enjoy collecting things that are seasonal and that make a statement. But a good 80 per cent of those who shop according to the trends or the virality of it are swayed and influenced by what others are wearing on their feed,” says Babani, pointing at the fact that consumers will want what everyone is currently wearing.
“A GOOD 80 PER CENT OF THOSE WHO SHOP ACCORDING TO TRENDS OR VIRALITY ARE SWAYED AND INFLUENCED BY WHAT THEY SEE OTHERS ARE WEARING ON THEIR FEED.”- Sonam Babani
According to Kalyani Saha Chawla, former vice-president of marketing and communications for Dior, social media platforms continue to shape the way the younger generation shops today. A lot of them tend to buy things after watching and following what their favourite celebrities or influencers are wearing, which is often paid by the brands to promote their newest launches. “It’s all strategised by the brands through clever marketing with the help of fashion influencers. It starts with the brands giving out their new collection or items to popular celebrities, like the Hadids or the Kardashians, and then, for a month or so, that’s what will dominate the internet,” explains Chawla. Each of these “influential” celebrities, like the Kardashian and Jenner sisters, Hailey Bieber or Gigi and Bella Hadid, have millions of followers who want to wear and look equally stylish. Brands have tapped into this wide pool of followers provided by celebrities and influencers to translate their pieces into viral marketing for better reach and sales.
But Chawla doesn’t think that these largely expensive items will find their place in people’s wardrobes soon enough. “While people who are buying into these trends are definitely wearing them by adding their own spin, there isn’t much thought put into the purchase in terms of whether it makes for a good investment or if it’s a practical addition to their existing wardrobes,” she adds.
The instant consumption of viral products and micro trends is heavily capitalised by fast fashion brands, too. After Kim Kardashian wore a vintage Thierry Mugler cut-out gown in 2019, American fast fashion giant Fashion Nova revealed an identical dress well within a day. Not to mention the multiple, budget-friendly dupes of the chunky leather loafers by Prada that you’ll find at Zara, Aldo and H&M. While they may be cheaper alternatives, the overconsumption of trends comes at a human and environmental cost that many fail to think of when putting things into their virtual carts.
In 2018, when Jacquemus first introduced Le Chiquito, the mini version of a tote bag, it seemed like a practically ridiculous fad that would pass after a season. Three years down the line, this trend of micro bags has skyrocketed with numerous brands, both luxury and fast fashion, playing with the proportions of a bag, however impractical it may be. At the 2019 American Music Awards, American singer Lizzo carried a teeny-tiny Valentino bag on her finger, while Dior’s mini version of their iconic Saddle bag has been flaunted by celebrities and influencers alike, including Santoshi Shetty and Pooja Hegde.
Despite the fact that nothing actually fits in the bag, except for credit cards and maybe a lipstick, many save and splurge (for example, Jacquemus’ now iconic Le Chiquito costs around €450) to get their hands on these bags. According to Chawla, owning trendy, viral and, sometimes, even impractical pieces, is more about seeking validation than buying for functionality. “Viral items are part of the Instagram and TikTok generation—a generation that has grown up watching #OOTD (outfit of the day) video clips where their peers are wearing these pieces. Take Jacquemus’ Le Chiquito bag, for instance. Practically speaking, nothing fits into it, not even a lipstick. But people still buy it to get validation because everyone they see online has one too,” says Chawla.
Another popular item of the year, according to The Lyst Index, was Prada’s logo tank top, showcased on the runway by the Italian brand for their 2022 autumn/winter runway collection. It almost brought back a minimally-styled, 90s supermodel off-duty look that was often channelled by Kate Moss and back home, by Carol Gracious. Babani, who bought into the ‘logo tank top’ trend by getting a Loewe piece, goes by the rule that if a particular trend resonates with her then she will most likely adapt it into her wardrobe. The content creator, who, although believes that trending pieces don’t offer much value into a buyer's wardrobe (“unless it’s a very special piece,” she adds), there’s also a nostalgic value attached to them. “When you look back in time at the clothes you wore and the year you wore them, you tend to understand and think about that time in your life and how relevant these clothes were for you in that moment,” says Babani.
So then how does one find a balance between buying a trendy piece that can also hold some value in your closet? “To make your wardrobe more interesting, while shopping, buy one viral or trendy piece that would go with three classics in your closet,” says Babani. But even if you do end up with something that you might not resonate with over the years, Chawla suggests reselling them on platforms like The RealReal and Vestiaire Collective to get good value for your money.