Lost in the Internet
Vogue Australia
“THIS is how you’ll achieve the glowy warm coco chocolate latte bronzy makeup look that’s trending right now!”
“RUN don’t walk to your nail salon, because light blueberry milk nails are IN and pastel sugarplum pink is OUT!”
“Crying because tankinis are trending but I HATE tankinis and now I have to wear them”
“Retiring my low-waist baggy jeans because Alix Earle is wearing high-waist skinny jeans to her family dinner!”
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These are real (or somewhat exaggerated) phrases I’ve heard across my TikTok feed. At some point, I stopped questioning them. But recently, I paused and thought: Wait… whatttttttt?
Because… WHO exactly is holding you at gunpoint to wear tankinis? Who decided you can only wear clothes that are in your ‘seasons color palette’? And WHY do we accept this constant shifting of what’s in like it’s the law?
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Our generation is having an individuality crisis right now, and I believe a lot of that is attributed to the era of ultra-micro trend consumption that has become highly normalized.
Ash Callaghan
The Microtrend 'Final Boss'
In 2023 alone, we saw the rise (and rapid fall) of clean girl aesthetic, office siren, Scandinavian coastal, and tomato girl summer (whatever that means). Each one felt like the look to achieve, dominating our feeds with curated visions of perfection. But just as quickly as these trends rose, they were replaced: mob wife winter, corporate core, and glamour aesthetic swept in to claim their spots as the new cultural obsessions. That’s the thing about micro-trends: they’re designed to have a shelf life that’s measured in weeks, not seasons.
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It’s not just the speed that’s concerning; it’s the intensity. These trends aren’t just a suggestion anymore, they’re presented as mandates. The language of social media reinforces this urgency: “RUN don’t walk to your nearest Zara,” or “THIS is the hairstyle you have to try right now.” Suddenly, what started as a trend feels more like a demand, and we’re left scrambling to keep up, discarding what we loved last month in favor of something new.​
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Emily & Jessica, Circa 2020
I can’t even hate, though, because I’ve been a victim of this my whole life. Back in summer 2020, I was fully on board the cow print look. I remember feeling trendy until the fall came and the cow print went from ‘fashion statement’ to ‘cheugy’ (… as it should). Into the back of the closet it went!
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Then there were the fox eye eyelash extensions. I got them twice—TWICE—because every influencer I followed said I needed them if I wanted to go for the ‘lifted’ look. Both times, I spent an entire week avoiding mirrors, convinced they didn’t suit my features at all, before I plucked them off in frustration. Yet, I went back because, in my mind, maybe I just hadn’t given them a fair chance. (Spoiler: It wasn’t the lashes).
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In 2021, I convinced myself that the Harley Davidson Y2K craze was sooooo me! Except…it wasn’t me. At all. I actually kinda hated it. But I bought into it anyway because the trend cycle doesn’t give you time to ask yourself whether it aligns with your personal style. It pushes you to act fast, to adopt the aesthetic before it’s replaced.
Ash Callaghan
It wasn’t until I moved this past month that I truly stopped to reflect on this pattern
As I packed up my closet, I saw the graveyard of trends I had fallen for. Clothes I wore once (maybe twice) before the next big thing came along. Each item felt like a snapshot of a different version of me, one I tried on temporarily before abandoning it for something else. And for what? So I can ‘stand out’ with these new fashion movements, only to end up fitting in?
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Something had to change. This endless cycle of buying into fleeting trends wasn’t just exhausting - it was unsustainable. It made me question what I actually liked, what style made me feel like myself, and why I kept chasing aesthetics that didn’t resonate with who I was.
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Because the truth is: these ultra-micro trends aren’t designed to help us express our individuality. They’re designed to keep us consuming, to ensure we never feel ‘enough’ in what we already have. And while I can appreciate the creativity and fun that trends bring, I don’t want to lose myself in the process. I don’t want to go to my hairdresser feeling the need to say ‘I have to get the Hailey Bieber cookie butter salted caramel highlights right now!’
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This move wasn’t just a physical shift for me; it was a mindset shift. I don’t want to keep buying into fleeting versions of myself. I want to slow down and start building a lifestyle life reflects who I truly am, not who the TikTokers on my FYP tell me I should be.
Citations
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Written By:
Emily Lu