Trends are DEAD! : How Trends Have Changed Post-Pandemic

Trends have been at the forefront of fashion, music, and lifestyle. They tell one what to wear and how to wear it. However, since the end of the pandemic, trends have changed from presenting a specific style that everyone aspires to to showing different niches or aesthetics. The surge of collaborative and community-based social media, such as TikTok, spearheaded the shift. The weight of trends on the general public has changed post-pandemic due to the rise in social media.

Before the world shut down and everyone had to communicate online, the word trend was described as a worldwide style that society was required to follow. Everyone wore the same outfits, the same accessories, the same hairstyles. It was tough to find anything that strayed from the “norm.” One could find the same styles amongst most mainstream stores in the mall, such as Forever 21, H&M, and ZARA. Influencers would be seen wearing very similar outfits and were ostracized if they were to deter. The goal was to push this standard look and have everyone fit in. Being an individual was looked down upon, and different aesthetics were not discussed. Social media was already a prevalent part of a person’s lifestyle; however, everyone viewed the same content. One could ensure that one’s friends at school have seen the same video or meme one has seen the night before. Another big difference between pre-pandemic and post-pandemic was the length of the trend. These trends tended to last for the entire fashion season, Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter. The same goes for social media trends; they would last 3-4 weeks before dying out. Towards the end of 2019, however, the quickness of popularity rose, and virality lasted about three weeks max.

Once the pandemic hit, everything went online. People now had to find community in a surprisingly unfamiliar way. Instead of gaining entertainment and sharing talents in person, the general public had to present themselves over social media so as not to feel so alone. A sense of community grew on social media as people started becoming more vulnerable and sharing more aspects of themselves. They would find and communicate with other like-minded people and begin to create content within that group. They were able to find individuality within the community that they found online. Finding one’s niche became more critical, and the words “aesthetic” or “core” became a big part of the social media language. TikTok is the foundation for this shift. TikTok was a pretty popular app in 2019 but did not become popular until 2020 during the pandemic. TikTok functions in a way that other social platforms could not by fielding a space of universal participation. Its algorithm will pump out content that caters to each user so accurately that finding one’s niche is as easy as opening the app. The combination of the vulnerability of the content creator who presents the many facets of their style, the TikTok algorithm curating “for you pages” for each user, and the interaction of the user with content they enjoy and relate to has turned all-encompassing trends into trendy pieces of content within each niche group. This combination has demolished the need for assimilating and has heightened the appreciation of individuality within a community. Due to TikTok, groups like “Fairy Core,” “Clean Girl Aesthetic,” and “Grunge Core” are receiving followers and fitting into the new normal.

This shift in attention from assimilation has thrown a significant wrench in how fashion forecasters predict the newest “trend.” In the past, they could easily follow this natural fashion flow of a resurgence of trends from the past decade every 1 - 2 years. For example, the 2010s reflected the ’80s, going from electric, bright colors with bold elements to relaxed and muted-toned camp wear after the rise of Stranger Things. The tastemakers were the couture designers presenting these findings on the runway during previous fashion seasons. After the pandemic, the tastemakers became the consumers, Generation Z especially. The consumer would inform forecasters what would be popular and what would not. Then, on top of the increase in individuality through these niche groups, the forecasters have to stop looking for a common denominator to bring everyone together, foster these different styles, and predict future trends within these groups. If one were to research trends for the Spring/Summer 25-26, they would notice all the groups represented and the mini trends within them.

The entire world changed after the pandemic. The word normal became abnormal as individuality became popular. The rise of collaborative social media has toppled this release of the traditional meaning of fashion trends. TikTok was at the forefront of this cultural shift. The app plays to one’s interests and curates a “playlist” or “for you page” that makes one feel less alone. TikTok is changing how users use social media, and these other platforms must catch up.