TikTok and Fashion
The clock is ticking on one of the most popular social media apps in the US.
TikTok – the short-form video sharing app with around 1.5 billion global monthly active users – will be banned in the US starting on January 19 if the new law is upheld by the Supreme Court. But even with its future uncertain, it’s worth taking a look at Tiktok’s influence on consumers in the US, particularly as it relates to the fashion industry.
ByteDance, a Beijing-based tech company, created TikTok in 2016. It came to the US in 2018 and, after merging with another popular short-form video sharing app, Musical.ly, in 2018, immediately ballooned in popularity. In just five years, TikTok surpassed Facebook and Instagram and became the most used social media app in the world. Around 170 million of its users are in the US. That’s right: More than one-third of the US population is on TikTok.
Tiktok’s role in the fashion industry stems in large part from advertising. With such a large audience all on the same app, brands and influencers – sometimes brands hiring influencers, sometimes influencers starting their own brands – began tailoring their advertisements to fit the platform. According to Vogue Magazine, with trendsetters like Bella Hadid posting TikToks and labels like Saint Laurent and Louis Vuitton live-streaming their fashion shows on the app, it has quickly become the newest hub for the cutting edge of fashion.
A large part of TikTok’s influence on the fashion industry is its proliferation of micro-trends. Promoted by influencers, these hyper-specific trends highlight unique styles and niche items. Trends like “checkered prints” and “ugly dad sandals,” for example, took hold of the TikTok fashion sphere around 2021 and briefly inspired a purchasing-renaissance for their eponymous items. As the name suggests, micro-trends stay in the spotlight for only a few weeks – sometimes even days – and are then replaced by the newest, hottest thing. You’d be hard-pressed, for instance, to find any influencer touting their “ugly dad sandals” in a video today.
The fast-paced, short-form nature of TikTok encourages consumers to seek instant gratification in the marketplace. As a means of capitalizing on these trends, notable fast fashion brands such as Shein and Zara will quickly mass-produce cheap clothing to match the churning cycle of TikTok popularity. This leaves most TikTok users with little alternative if they want to keep up with the current “it” item they’ve seen on the app. Want the latest trend at the cheapest price?
Find it on sale at H&M!
The problem with this consistent practice – according to a Marketing Charts survey, 39% of Gen Z TikTok shoppers are directly influenced to buy a product after seeing it on the app – is the scale of waste it creates. Quickly-made, trendy clothing items are rarely crafted to stand up to wear and tear. Even if they were, many people discard their “outdated” clothing to make room for next week’s newest buy. There’s only so much space in one’s closet, after all.
As we’ve highlighted before, over 11 million tons of textile waste end up in US landfills each year. While it’s unfair to lay this entirely at the feet of the average consumer, a problem of such massive scale will require all of us to examine our own consumer habits and make more sustainable choices.
It’s clear that the effects of TikTok on the fashion industry aren’t going anywhere. Even if TikTok is no longer an option for US consumers, other forms of social media will swiftly emerge. With the spectre of a TikTok ban looming large, US-based users are flocking to another Chinese video sharing app called RedNote. According to a BBC report, grassroots fashion designers have created RedNote accounts to advertise their clothing brands and stay “ahead of the curve.” Understanding how TikTok has shaped consumer habits over most of the last decade can help us understand how other similar apps may do the same.
On the other hand, it’s also worth noting that TikTok has helped democratize the fashion industry. A viral video from an unknown user can have as much impact as a high-profile influencer, diversifying the industry’s sources of inspiration. Since trends can come from anywhere and anyone, it’s also possible for small businesses and those focused on sustainability in fashion to share their voices with vast audiences. A great example of this was the “Coastal Grandmother” trend in March 2022, where less prominent influencers promoted an aesthetic of “easily layered, time-honored pieces that can be found in thrift stores or even in the closet of a mom, aunt or grandma.”
But while TikTok has made the fashion industry more accessible and assisted a number of smaller boutiques and businesses in marketing their products, it also clearly perpetuates unsustainable consumption patterns and business practices. When using the app, or other, similar forms of social media, it’s important to keep these things in mind. Try to resist getting swept up in the latest micro-trends, and instead lift up creators that are working for a better future for the fashion industry.
It’s up to us, folks. Here’s to a happy – and sustainable – 2025!
Alec Matulka
Doo Dah Apparel
