Microtrends are a big fat fallacy
By ABHINAYA KASAGANI— akasagani@ucdavis.edu
In an age where microtrends permeate every aspect of daily life, allow me to let you in on a secret: you do not need five iterations of the same thing to feel a sense of joy and there is no “shiny new thing” that will instantly fix all your problems. Mass conglomerates are lying to you about everything they call “essential” — if it were, in fact, essential you would be struggling to live without it.
This trap is easy to fall into and I will not fault you for being dazzled by this benevolent sequined slit in the sky which drenches you in style. What is alluring about microtrends is the extent to which they offer their consumers the illusion of novelty, while at the same time being plagued by eventual obsolescence. We know this and producers know this. But we still bite.
The microtrend culture is seasonal — being “on trend” is no longer reserved for fashion or tech enthusiasts. The novelty of microtrends can make you feel as if you are in on the joke when, in truth, the joke is on you. The consequences of consuming and adopting microtrends without regard for whether or not they are truly necessary for our well-being is what’s dangerous about overconsumption. We purchase, discard and purchase again. This overconsumption is unsustainable and clearly influential to cultural homogenization, financial spending, environmental degradation and market saturation.
The very nature of microtrends is transient. Fashion brands like Zara, H&M and Shein capitalize on the rapid turnover of styles by mass-producing cheap and disposable clothing that eventually ends up in landfills. The technology sector further perpetuates this cycle of obsolescence by contributing to e-waste. Prioritizing trends over substantive content affects culture at large, trading longevity for instant gratification.
What is troubling about this is the extent to which trends dictate personal style, taste and eventual consumption. In this way, cultural homogenization arrests true and effective thought, flattening range and diversity. Local identities and cultures are rendered insignificant. A monoculture, where aesthetics, ideas and schools of thought are replenished and repeated, leaves less room for innovation. Similarity is rewarded and reward is prioritized.
The environmental consequences of microtrends are staggering, with brands pedaling rapid product cycles that cause consumer fatigue. Both the fashion and technological sectors tend to be notorious polluters of the environment, responsible for producing nearly 100 billion new garments each year. What trends dictate, the planet bears.
The market struggles to compete with the demand for microtrends, forcing brands to accelerate their production cycles — often causing lessened product quality or market oversaturation. Consumers, overwhelmed by the multitude of choices and new releases, struggle to distinguish genuine innovation from cheap imitation. Caught in a cycle of perpetual spending, they suffer from buyer’s remorse, eroded self-worth and financial instability all at once. The pressure to spend in order to avoid the fear of missing out (FOMO) or any lingering feelings of inadequacy that follow, makes consumers feel as if they are obligated to spend — that if they don’t, they will fail to be relevant.
The allure of microtrends is understandable — everyone wants to be in the know. Marketed as subcultures, microtrends tend to be removed from the mainstream and considered as having a broader value system. However, the “core-ification” of most things commercializes them. The costs proceed to outweigh the benefits.
Supporting sustainable products, along with prioritizing quality over virality, creates an environment that values substance over surface-level appeal. Some microtrends can be useful, but, as consumers, we must make this decision with care and deliberation. Our desire to have the next shiny, new thing is our Achilles’ heel, fashioned into a pair of bright red Louboutins. It is clear that we are yet to learn that moderation is the new excess, and we must work on internalizing this crucial lesson.
Written by: Abhinaya Kasagani— akasagani@ucdavis.edu
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by individual columnists belong to the columnists alone and do not necessarily indicate the views and opinions held by The California Aggie.
