What is a microtrend?

Escaping the microtrend trap is possible. Microtrends are short-lived fashion or lifestyle aesthetics that blow up on social media, dominate branding for a hot minute, and vanish just as fast. Think: one week it’s “clean girl,” and the next, it’s “eclectic grandpa.” Blink and you’re behind.

When Margot Robbie stepped out as Barbie? Boom—Barbiecore was born. Suddenly everyone had to wear pink.

To be a “coastal cowgirl”? Just throw on a bikini, a breezy coverup, and a cowboy hat with a few bead accents. One purchase, and you’ve bought your way into the fantasy.

Tomato-girl summer had everyone cosplaying life in a Tuscan villa—red nails, gingham skirts, and headscarves while slicing heirloom tomatoes in your tiny kitchen.

And remember winter 2023’s “mobwife” moment? Fur coats, red lips, and oversized bling. Think Carmela Soprano meets Christmas party. It wasn’t new—just rebranded. Jewel tones and glam always come back for the holidays.

Microtrends live by the mantras: “dress for the job you want” and “fake it till you make it.” If you buy the stuff, you can become the girl. Or at least that’s the pitch.

But here’s the catch: microtrends usually have more to do with self-perception, image, and identity-based spending than genuine joy. That’s not to say they’re all bad—drawing inspiration can be so fun.

What’s fun about microtrends?

When beauty sparks imagination and creativity.

What’s not?

 Basically everything else.

Why microtrends need to chill

Thanks to TikTok Shop, Pinterest ads, and the “influencer to Insta-cart” pipeline, microtrends burn bright and die faster than your last situationship. In 2023 alone, Vogue documented 13 major microtrends. That’s more than one per month.

To keep up, we overconsume. And when everyone’s chasing the same aesthetic, we lose personal style, fall into herd mentality, and end up buying stuff we don’t really love—or even like.

Worse? It fuels fast fashion. Brands like Shein, Boohoo, Forever21, and even H&M crank out cheap, one-wear pieces made under questionable labor and environmental conditions. Many are produced in countries like Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Cambodia, where factories are now facing steep tariffs. China? Even steeper—with triple-digit fees.

Translation: that $5 Temu top might soon cost a lot more.

Microtrends thrive on fast fashion. Fast fashion thrives on low wages, waste, and throwaway culture. So, where does it stop?

How to fight the microtrend machine (and still look fab)

The point of the new tariffs is to bring manufacturing back to the U.S. and keep dollars from disappearing overseas. But in the meantime, that $12 dress you only wear once? It’s not just hurting the planet—it’s hurting your budget.

Let’s be honest: microtrends can kill creativity. When you buy whatever TikTok tells you to, you’re letting the algorithm dress you. But building your own personal style? That’s how you opt out.

Try this instead:

• Thrift with purpose – Secondhand stores, Poshmark, vintage markets. You’ll save money and find pieces that no one else has.
  
• Buy less, choose well – Invest in timeless, flattering staples you actually love to wear.
  
• Shop your closet – What pieces already scream “you”? Learn what colors, cuts, and vibes flatter you best.

You can still nod to trends without drowning in them. I’m all for “balletcore” elegance—but I didn’t need to buy a whole new wardrobe. I added a blush tulle skirt for dressy occasions and called it a day.

Style should reflect your inherent dignity, not your latest swipe through the For You page. Your closet isn’t a microtrend graveyard—it’s your runway.