Social Media’s Power Over the Public: The Green Dress Phenomenom
In the fashion world today, people’s personal style is heavily inspired by social media. Social media can be a healthy place, but it can also be a place of scandal and deception. The fashion industry is no exception.
It’s no secret that social media clothing trends heavily influence users' purchases. Today, many brands offer incredibly cheap replicas of your favorite influencer’s closet. On apps such as TikTok, Instagram, and Pinterest, users flaunt their newest clothing items through videos or posts. The comments are drowned in “where did you get this?” the user may have a brand deal with the company or just has a passion for fashion. Due to this fast-paced environment, micro trends emerge. These trends rise in popularity quickly and fall even faster.
An example of this phenomenon is House of Sunny’s Hockney dress, which gained recognition when Kendall Jenner was seen wearing it. Many people worship Jenner’s style, and House of Sunny quickly became a nationally known brand. The dress retailed for around 100 dollars, which is relatively affordable compared to the rest of Jenner’s closet.
Due to my tailored algorithm, my feed was flooded with “the green dress.” Users filmed videos of unboxing their packages, trying on the dress, and showing knock-offs. Trends like the green dress lead to unethical brands creating knock-offs to get users to buy their cheaper and poorly made products. Conversations surrounding the green dress became controversial. People were trying anything to get their hands on the green dress. The original dress was being sold online for 1,500 dollars, but simultaneously you could get a similar print on Amazon for 20 dollars.
In a matter of weeks, cancel culture entered the fashion industry. People began calling the green dress basic and unoriginal. On TikTok, users would leave hate comments to those who were seen wearing the green dress. The rise and fall of the green dress was quick, but memorable.
From a brand perspective, social media and influencers are the best way to influence the public. People worship influencers and will buy anything they wear. Partnerships with celebrities and other idolized figures are the best way to gain brand awareness. Also, platforms where you can buy fast fashion products, such as Amazon and Shein benefit from big brand partnerships.
Today, I have seen no one wearing the green dress. People will pass judgments calling a person “basic.” But, due to trends emerging on social media platforms, one could argue that anything “on trend” is basic. Now, we are presented with the question: Does social media help or hinder the fashion industry? How does one develop their personal style?
In my opinion, fashion is a way to express yourself. I miss the days when a magazine was our main platform for researching fashion. If anything is the downfall of the fashion industry, it will be micro-trends and internet trolls. Now, we are waiting for the next green dress. I do not doubt that trends will continue to cycle at a fast pace if they continue to be born on social media.
