{"id":70,"date":"2024-04-02T01:55:08","date_gmt":"2024-04-02T01:55:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ascjcapstone.com\/spring-2024\/katehamm\/?page_id=70"},"modified":"2024-05-03T17:12:18","modified_gmt":"2024-05-03T17:12:18","slug":"by-kate-hammond-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/ascjcapstone.com\/spring-2024\/katehamm\/","title":{"rendered":"From Decades to Days: Unraveling Gen-Z&#8217;s Micro-Trend Obsession"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"70\" class=\"elementor elementor-70\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-37bb53d e-con-full e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"37bb53d\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-93f0da2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"93f0da2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.21.0 - 18-04-2024 *\/\n.elementor-widget-image{text-align:center}.elementor-widget-image a{display:inline-block}.elementor-widget-image a img[src$=\".svg\"]{width:48px}.elementor-widget-image img{vertical-align:middle;display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1034\" height=\"827\" src=\"https:\/\/ascjcapstone.com\/spring-2024\/katehamm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Torn-Magazine-Vision-Board-Goals-Photo-Collage-1034x827.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-270\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ascjcapstone.com\/spring-2024\/katehamm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Torn-Magazine-Vision-Board-Goals-Photo-Collage-1034x827.jpg 1034w, https:\/\/ascjcapstone.com\/spring-2024\/katehamm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Torn-Magazine-Vision-Board-Goals-Photo-Collage-300x240.jpg 300w, https:\/\/ascjcapstone.com\/spring-2024\/katehamm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Torn-Magazine-Vision-Board-Goals-Photo-Collage-768x614.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ascjcapstone.com\/spring-2024\/katehamm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Torn-Magazine-Vision-Board-Goals-Photo-Collage-1536x1229.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/ascjcapstone.com\/spring-2024\/katehamm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Torn-Magazine-Vision-Board-Goals-Photo-Collage.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1034px) 100vw, 1034px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4389517 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"4389517\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.21.0 - 18-04-2024 *\/\n.elementor-heading-title{padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title[class*=elementor-size-]>a{color:inherit;font-size:inherit;line-height:inherit}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-small{font-size:15px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-medium{font-size:19px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-large{font-size:29px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xl{font-size:39px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xxl{font-size:59px}<\/style><h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">From Decades to Days:         <br>Unraveling Gen-Z's  Micro-Trend Obsession <\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-df9a165 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"df9a165\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f61e6a8 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f61e6a8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.21.0 - 18-04-2024 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<p>by Kate Hammond<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e30a9ef elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"e30a9ef\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From ballet-core to cottage-core to quiet luxury, fashion\u2019s trend cycle seems nearly impossible to keep up with.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Micro-trends, characterized by their rapid ascent and departure within the fashion cycle, last anywhere from mere days to weeks. Particularly among Gen-Z consumers, these shifts significantly influence purchasing behavior, driven by a desire for social inclusion among peers. As these trends gain traction, we are witnessing long and short-term effects on consumption habits and fashion production. <\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bddfb1e e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"bddfb1e\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-58478bd e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"58478bd\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1333049 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"1333049\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/ascjcapstone.com\/spring-2024\/katehamm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Rise-Fall-of-Trends-1-2-1024x576.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-90\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ascjcapstone.com\/spring-2024\/katehamm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Rise-Fall-of-Trends-1-2-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/ascjcapstone.com\/spring-2024\/katehamm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Rise-Fall-of-Trends-1-2-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/ascjcapstone.com\/spring-2024\/katehamm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Rise-Fall-of-Trends-1-2-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/ascjcapstone.com\/spring-2024\/katehamm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Rise-Fall-of-Trends-1-2-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/ascjcapstone.com\/spring-2024\/katehamm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Rise-Fall-of-Trends-1-2.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d67d326 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"d67d326\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7c45995 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7c45995\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0\u201cFashion is about constant change. It&#8217;s about novelty,\u201d says Professor Alison Trope, a Clinical Professor of Communication at USC, who teaches the Fashion, Media and Culture class at USC Annenberg. \u201cWe kind of want to think about that as something that&#8217;s always driven fashion, this kind of notion that there are new cycles\u2026at the same time, as you&#8217;re pointing out, the cycles are going much more quickly than they used to.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, fashion trend cycles are not a new concept. The rise of capitalism in the 14th century and the marketplace drove new fashion changes and trends, as new products would be released with the seasons to encourage people to buy.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1664185 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"1664185\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-73d57a3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"73d57a3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The increased pace of the trend cycles can be looked at from two contributing factors, the largest being social media.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0\u201cThe fashion seasons used to run seasonally. There was fall and winter, and then there&#8217;s spring and summer\u2026 but we&#8217;ve lost that completely,\u201d says Simone Brown, former President of the Fashion Industry Association at USC. \u201cA micro-trend, in my eyes, comes from influencers. Someone wears a dress, and then because it&#8217;s trending, everybody else wants it, but they can&#8217;t afford it necessarily.&#8221;<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cSo then, of course, you have Zara and Shein and all of these other fast fashions making it. But then once everybody has it, no one wants to wear it anymore, and then it ends up in a landfill or in Goodwill or something,\u201d Brown says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hannah Detwiler, the social media manager at Locker, a shopping app that allows users to curate collections of clothes with attached links, says she sees micro-trends all over the app.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI genuinely feel like since TikTok, the amount of consumption that all of us do on a daily is crazy,\u201d says Detwiler.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Specifically within TikTok, the short videos allow for high visibility on videos that result in high circulation. Within days of 2024, influencers declared the \u201cclean-girl\u201d was out and the \u201cmob wife\u201d aesthetic was in. Outlets such as the New York Times, Elle, and Harpers BAZAAR even detailed this shift in aesthetic. Even Francis Ford Coppola, director of The Godfather, posted an Instagram post comparing the TikTok trend to that of the character Connie Corleone.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4910142 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"4910142\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bed76a9 elementor-arrows-position-inside elementor-pagination-position-outside elementor-widget elementor-widget-image-carousel\" data-id=\"bed76a9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;image_spacing_custom&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:0,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;navigation&quot;:&quot;both&quot;,&quot;autoplay&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;pause_on_hover&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;pause_on_interaction&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;autoplay_speed&quot;:5000,&quot;infinite&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;speed&quot;:500,&quot;image_spacing_custom_tablet&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;image_spacing_custom_mobile&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]}}\" data-widget_type=\"image-carousel.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.21.0 - 18-04-2024 *\/\n.elementor-widget-image-carousel .swiper,.elementor-widget-image-carousel .swiper-container{position:static}.elementor-widget-image-carousel .swiper-container .swiper-slide figure,.elementor-widget-image-carousel .swiper .swiper-slide figure{line-height:inherit}.elementor-widget-image-carousel .swiper-slide{text-align:center}.elementor-image-carousel-wrapper:not(.swiper-container-initialized):not(.swiper-initialized) .swiper-slide{max-width:calc(100% \/ var(--e-image-carousel-slides-to-show, 3))}<\/style>\t\t<div class=\"elementor-image-carousel-wrapper swiper\" dir=\"ltr\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-image-carousel swiper-wrapper\" aria-live=\"off\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"swiper-slide\" role=\"group\" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" aria-label=\"1 of 5\"><figure class=\"swiper-slide-inner\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"swiper-slide-image\" src=\"https:\/\/ascjcapstone.com\/spring-2024\/katehamm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/IMG_3306-1-600x1024.png\" alt=\"IMG_3306\" \/><\/figure><\/div><div class=\"swiper-slide\" role=\"group\" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" aria-label=\"2 of 5\"><figure class=\"swiper-slide-inner\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"swiper-slide-image\" src=\"https:\/\/ascjcapstone.com\/spring-2024\/katehamm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/IMG_3307-1-600x1024.png\" alt=\"IMG_3307\" \/><\/figure><\/div><div class=\"swiper-slide\" role=\"group\" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" aria-label=\"3 of 5\"><figure class=\"swiper-slide-inner\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"swiper-slide-image\" src=\"https:\/\/ascjcapstone.com\/spring-2024\/katehamm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/IMG_3308-1-600x1024.png\" alt=\"IMG_3308\" \/><\/figure><\/div><div class=\"swiper-slide\" role=\"group\" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" aria-label=\"4 of 5\"><figure class=\"swiper-slide-inner\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"swiper-slide-image\" src=\"https:\/\/ascjcapstone.com\/spring-2024\/katehamm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/IMG_3310-1-600x1024.png\" alt=\"IMG_3310\" \/><\/figure><\/div><div class=\"swiper-slide\" role=\"group\" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" aria-label=\"5 of 5\"><figure class=\"swiper-slide-inner\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"swiper-slide-image\" src=\"https:\/\/ascjcapstone.com\/spring-2024\/katehamm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/IMG_3311-600x1024.png\" alt=\"IMG_3311\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-swiper-button elementor-swiper-button-prev\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-eicon-chevron-left\" viewBox=\"0 0 1000 1000\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M646 125C629 125 613 133 604 142L308 442C296 454 292 471 292 487 292 504 296 521 308 533L604 854C617 867 629 875 646 875 663 875 679 871 692 858 704 846 713 829 713 812 713 796 708 779 692 767L438 487 692 225C700 217 708 204 708 187 708 171 704 154 692 142 675 129 663 125 646 125Z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-swiper-button elementor-swiper-button-next\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-eicon-chevron-right\" viewBox=\"0 0 1000 1000\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M696 533C708 521 713 504 713 487 713 471 708 454 696 446L400 146C388 133 375 125 354 125 338 125 325 129 313 142 300 154 292 171 292 187 292 204 296 221 308 233L563 492 304 771C292 783 288 800 288 817 288 833 296 850 308 863 321 871 338 875 354 875 371 875 388 867 400 854L696 533Z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"swiper-pagination\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0285a4f elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"0285a4f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">During TikTok\u2019s early days, the platform focused on dancing and singing, yet consumer users changed their focus towards beauty and fashion in 2023. With the hashtag #OOTD garnering over 170.5 billion views, the platform has become a birthplace for all micro-trends.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cBut the question is, is this really an aesthetic? Is this really something new? Or is it just someone putting a label on something, and the label becomes something hashtag-able that can travel and circulate through social media in a particular way,\u201d Trope says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The second factor is whether something is coming from the top (designers, companies, trend forecasters) of the fashion industry or the bottom (consumers). For example, are the brands and trend forecasters pushing aesthetics on consumers, or is it the other way around?\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The traditional top-to-bottom cycle is most clearly illustrated in a scene from the movie \u201cThe Devil Wears Prada.\u201d In an infamous scene from the film, Andy is asked by her boss, Miranda, about her sweater. Miranda e<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">xplains that Andy&#8217;s seemingly insignificant choice of clothing stems from a series of decisions made by high-profile fashion designers, fashion houses, and magazine editors, like herself. She educates Andy on how the cerulean blue sweater she&#8217;s wearing was likely a result of collections from designers like Oscar de la Renta and Yves Saint Laurent, which eventually trickled down through the fashion industry to reach a mass-market store where Andy likely purchased it without realizing its origins.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nowadays, with the top-down system depicted in the film, the fashion industry is experiencing a shift towards micro-trend cycles, which are more bottom-up. These micro-trends often emerge from social media and niche communities rather than being dictated by high-profile designers or fashion houses. Individuals, influencers, and small brands play a significant role in shaping these trends through their online presence and interactions.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a55cc15 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"a55cc15\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-83a8577 elementor-widget elementor-widget-html\" data-id=\"83a8577\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"html.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<iframe width=\"960\" height=\"540\" data-original-width=\"1920\" data-original-height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/view\/scene\/1839151788792480421\" type=\"text\/html\" style=\"border: none;\" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><script async src=\"\/\/cdn.thinglink.me\/jse\/responsive.js\"><\/script>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-343407d e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"343407d\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ad8ab7b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ad8ab7b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Brands are even seeing consumers tap into TikTok and Instagram more than runway shows for their latest fashion inspiration. According to Newby Hands, a contributing global beauty director at Net-a-Porter, 80% of customers say that they are \u201cextremely likely\u201d to buy a beauty product after seeing it on social media.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThere&#8217;s a bit of a gap in understanding fashion. I think the way that people are approaching fashion now is in terms of trends and belonging and dupes&#8230;but not necessarily fashion, right?&#8221; says Haydn Phillips, a fashion writer for the Daily Trojan. \u201cFashion is art, it\u2019s history, it\u2019s effort, it\u2019s time, and it\u2019s people and what they do to represent these brands.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite the initial cause of micro-trends, one thing remains constant among the Gen-Z individuals who are following these trends: the need for belonging.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI see micro-trends a lot as is like FOMO of someone&#8217;s wearing this thing that you really want to be a part of. So, you rush headfirst into it without deciding whether or not that&#8217;s your style,\u201d Brown says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fashion has always been a way to express yourself to the world. As a form of identity, clothing helps situate yourself \u2013 whether that be as a student, employee, sister, or friend. The idea of continually buying into these micro-trends can disrupt and challenge the notion of \u201cpersonal style.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-243eb51 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"243eb51\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cc4eff7 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"cc4eff7\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d51996e elementor-widget elementor-widget-testimonial\" data-id=\"d51996e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"testimonial.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.21.0 - 18-04-2024 *\/\n.elementor-testimonial-wrapper{overflow:hidden;text-align:center}.elementor-testimonial-wrapper .elementor-testimonial-content{font-size:1.3em;margin-bottom:20px}.elementor-testimonial-wrapper .elementor-testimonial-name{line-height:1.5;display:block}.elementor-testimonial-wrapper .elementor-testimonial-job{font-size:.85em;display:block}.elementor-testimonial-wrapper .elementor-testimonial-meta{width:100%;line-height:1}.elementor-testimonial-wrapper .elementor-testimonial-meta-inner{display:inline-block}.elementor-testimonial-wrapper .elementor-testimonial-meta .elementor-testimonial-details,.elementor-testimonial-wrapper .elementor-testimonial-meta .elementor-testimonial-image{display:table-cell;vertical-align:middle}.elementor-testimonial-wrapper .elementor-testimonial-meta .elementor-testimonial-image img{width:60px;height:60px;border-radius:50%;-o-object-fit:cover;object-fit:cover;max-width:none}.elementor-testimonial-wrapper .elementor-testimonial-meta.elementor-testimonial-image-position-aside .elementor-testimonial-image{padding-inline-end:15px}.elementor-testimonial-wrapper .elementor-testimonial-meta.elementor-testimonial-image-position-aside .elementor-testimonial-details{text-align:start}.elementor-testimonial-wrapper .elementor-testimonial-meta.elementor-testimonial-image-position-top .elementor-testimonial-details,.elementor-testimonial-wrapper .elementor-testimonial-meta.elementor-testimonial-image-position-top .elementor-testimonial-image{display:block}.elementor-testimonial-wrapper .elementor-testimonial-meta.elementor-testimonial-image-position-top .elementor-testimonial-image{margin-bottom:20px}<\/style>\t\t<div class=\"elementor-testimonial-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-testimonial-content\">\u201cThe aesthetic becomes simply a way to anchor your identity. And yet at the same time, since it changes so often, it also is very disruptive to that.\u201d \n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-testimonial-meta\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-testimonial-meta-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-testimonial-details\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-testimonial-name\">Alison Trope <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-testimonial-job\">Clinical Professor of Communication at USC<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b4b146b e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"b4b146b\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b2e74e4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-html\" data-id=\"b2e74e4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"html.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<script src=\"https:\/\/cdn.commoninja.com\/sdk\/latest\/commonninja.js\" defer><\/script>\n<div class=\"commonninja_component pid-cf5b113d-5268-446a-b095-2ff41c0a3905\"><\/div>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-be589d8 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"be589d8\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a83fc8a e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"a83fc8a\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f1ec6eb elementor-widget elementor-widget-html\" data-id=\"f1ec6eb\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"html.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/ssl.gstatic.com\/trends_nrtr\/3700_RC01\/embed_loader.js\"><\/script> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> trends.embed.renderExploreWidget(\"TIMESERIES\", {\"comparisonItem\":[{\"keyword\":\"quiet luxury\",\"geo\":\"US\",\"time\":\"today 12-m\"}],\"category\":0,\"property\":\"\"}, {\"exploreQuery\":\"geo=US&q=quiet%20luxury&hl=en&date=today 12-m\",\"guestPath\":\"https:\/\/trends.google.com:443\/trends\/embed\/\"}); <\/script>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-43d3c4a e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"43d3c4a\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0719bfc elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"0719bfc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let&#8217;s take the trend of &#8220;quiet luxury.&#8221; This aesthetic became extremely popular in the summer of 2023. As shown in the graph above, there was a huge spike in Google search interest in &#8220;quiet luxury&#8221; in June. With events such as Sofia Richie&#8217;s French wedding and Gwyneth Paltrow&#8217;s ski trial, people became obsessed with minimalist and refined designs. However, the timeless and sophisticated pieces that Richie and Paltrow styled are nowhere near cheap. As a result, fast fashion companies immediately rushed to put out dupes of high-end clothes.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Detwiler saw first-hand how much consumers obsessed over this trend.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt was our highest engaged post and, for months, people were obsessed with all of [Sofia Richie\u2019s] looks that we were thousands of dollars,\u201d Detwiler said. \u201cPersonally, you know, a recent college grad would never, ever buy those pieces so then we started doing lookalikes for less.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d094a4f e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"d094a4f\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7cdfa3d elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7cdfa3d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Micro-trends thrive on the fast-paced, fast production cycles that fuel fast fashion companies. We always have to think of production and consumption as two sides of the same coin \u2013 are these fast fashion companies pushing the trends? Or are they responding to them?\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fast fashion\u2019s negative impact on the environment and labor practices is not new but has continually gotten worse with the emergence of micro-trends and dupes. Fast fashion companies are producing twice the amount of clothes today than in 2000. This dramatic increase in production has had a tremendous impact on waste. The average U.S. consumer throws out 81.5 pounds of clothes each year, and the number of times a garment is worn has declined by about 36% in the last 15 years.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt&#8217;s not just about the production of clothes. It&#8217;s also textile production and water contamination,\u201d Brown says, \u201cThe only way to really be sustainable with your clothing is not to buy.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2de0a3f e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"2de0a3f\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-65c3584 elementor-widget elementor-widget-html\" data-id=\"65c3584\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"html.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"infogram-embed\" data-id=\"399318f2-784c-46ce-832e-1f1c066d77de\" data-type=\"interactive\" data-title=\"fast fashion market graph\"><\/div><script>!function(e,n,i,s){var d=\"InfogramEmbeds\";var o=e.getElementsByTagName(n)[0];if(window[d]&&window[d].initialized)window[d].process&&window[d].process();else if(!e.getElementById(i)){var r=e.createElement(n);r.async=1,r.id=i,r.src=s,o.parentNode.insertBefore(r,o)}}(document,\"script\",\"infogram-async\",\"https:\/\/e.infogram.com\/js\/dist\/embed-loader-min.js\");<\/script><div style=\"padding:8px 0;font-family:Arial!important;font-size:13px!important;line-height:15px!important;text-align:center;border-top:1px solid #dadada;margin:0 30px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/infogram.com\/399318f2-784c-46ce-832e-1f1c066d77de\" style=\"color:#989898!important;text-decoration:none!important;\" target=\"_blank\">fast fashion market graph<\/a><br><a href=\"https:\/\/infogram.com\" style=\"color:#989898!important;text-decoration:none!important;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">Infogram<\/a><\/div>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2b7b68b e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"2b7b68b\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0670ba0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"0670ba0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cEverybody, in this day and age, wants to be an influencer\u2026so everyone feels like they must stay on top of all the trends. As you said, they&#8217;re buying the Zara version or the fast fashion version [of the trend], just so they can like posting it and like put it on TikTok and Instagram,\u201d Detwiler says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With trends continually emerging and disappearing, there is no end in sight for the micro-trend obsession. However, there are some practical and legislative things that we can look at to help challenge our consumption habits.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI think that the fast fashion companies will continue to go along as they have been because there&#8217;s nothing stopping them. Oil and gas companies have specific regulations and taxes on them because of the environmental damage that they cause, but the fashion industry is one of the top five polluters and no one\u2019s ever heard that\u2026they just think of oil and gas,\u201d Brown says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We can also look at our shopping habits. Rather than focusing on the quantity of items, focus on the quality. What if instead of buying a dozen cheap shirts, you invested that same amount of money into a nice jacket that will last you forever? When Detwiler shops, she asks herself, \u201cis this something that is classic and my grandkids will want to wear if I handed it down to them?\u201d<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Without significant shifts in our consumption habits and legislative action, the cycle of micro-trends and micro-seasons shows no signs of slowing down. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The relentless pace of production and consumption creates a culture of disposability, resulting in environmental degradation. Only through concerted efforts to promote ethical practices, reduce waste, and foster greater transparency can we steer the fashion industry toward a more sustainable future.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>From Decades to Days: Unraveling Gen-Z&#8217;s Micro-Trend Obsession by Kate Hammond From ballet-core to cottage-core to quiet luxury, fashion\u2019s trend cycle seems nearly impossible to keep up with.\u00a0 Micro-trends, characterized by their rapid ascent and departure within the fashion cycle, last anywhere from mere days to weeks. Particularly among Gen-Z consumers, these shifts significantly influence [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_header_footer","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-70","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ascjcapstone.com\/spring-2024\/katehamm\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/70","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ascjcapstone.com\/spring-2024\/katehamm\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ascjcapstone.com\/spring-2024\/katehamm\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ascjcapstone.com\/spring-2024\/katehamm\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ascjcapstone.com\/spring-2024\/katehamm\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=70"}],"version-history":[{"count":174,"href":"https:\/\/ascjcapstone.com\/spring-2024\/katehamm\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/70\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":356,"href":"https:\/\/ascjcapstone.com\/spring-2024\/katehamm\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/70\/revisions\/356"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ascjcapstone.com\/spring-2024\/katehamm\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=70"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}