Hot Takes #4: Fashions Vibe Shift
Are the vibes really vibing? Is the shift really shifting?
Hot Takes is a place where I explore and analyse what's going on in the realm of fashion in a relatable and helpful way, basically my bullet point thoughts on fashion's hottest issues. These posts get to the heart of why people are talking about what they’re talking about, what this means and where this could go next.
Think: what direction is fashion heading in? What’s new, innovative and exciting? What could do with a little less showmanship and a little more thought? And also, what's going on in fashion that's really pissing people off?
Hot Takes ties fashion topics to a wider cultural and social context, and digs into why these topics are important and the often more significant meanings behind them. I hope they give you a little more food for thought.
So sit back, relax and let's get into it. Here’s Hot Takes #4.
Hear ye, hear ye! Fashion as we know it may be coming to an end, or is it? Writer and trend forecaster Sean Monahan coined the term “vibe shift” in a Substack article in June 2021, and culture hasn’t been the same since - with fashion being no exception. He describes the vibe shift as: “A return to scene culture, elements of ‘naughty aughties’ nostalgia. The players are personalities more interested in the literary than the artistic, more interested in the who follows, than the how many followers.”
Monahan was onto something. Have you noticed how fashion is at a major point of flux? How the fashion landscape is constantly at odds with each other? Certain fashion terms become a part of the zeitgeist such as repair, reuse and resale which are all flavours of the moment right now but are in direct contrast to the logo-heavy branding and luxe streetwear that dominates social media. What’s up with that? In a bid to be the best, the most important, the most relevant, fashion players are all competing to come out on top, and the vibes may not be vibing but the fashionable shift is shifting.
Fashions social currency
Social currency is the real fashion moneymaker these days. But what's socially current today won't necessarily be the same tomorrow, so brands are having to undergo a radical reckoning and rethink their approach to capture the hearts, minds and wallets of their target audience. It’s the purpose versus profit conundrum and the intention versus action gap, and it’s an ongoing battle to stay on top. Savvy branding, clever collaborations and innovative products may be enough to put some brands ahead of the cultural curve for now, but it won't be enough long term. Brands either have good social currency or they don’t but that can differ depending on who you're talking to. But one thing is for sure if they want to thrive in the ultra-competitive fashion landscape, then building good social currency with consumers and their intended target market is one way to do it.
A new era of consumerism
With a culture that directly or indirectly promotes throwaway fashion, and with trend forecasters and the world at large calling for an end to excessive and mindless overconsumption, attitudes to how much we buy and why are changing, and this is ushering in a new era of consumerism more in line with what's going on in the world at large. Out goes aspirational, out-of-touch shopping, and in comes a little more thought and consideration to where we buy, what we buy and why. People are tired of the superfluous wealth flaunted by the likes of the Kardashian clan, and shows like The White Lotus and movies like The Menu where rich people are increasingly seen as not living in reality are popular for a reason. And that reason is new consumer values and behaviours are leading them to shop with their morals more, with the time for mindful consumption being right here right now.
The future of fashion trends
Another day another dollar, or another day another zillion micro trends making the rounds on the internet. I don't need to tell you that the influence of TikTok and the rise of core aesthetics has a part to play here, with the virality and speed of social media making the word trend essentially lose value and meaning. Is it a real trend if it's in one month and out the next? Can it be a trend if its influence hasn’t even had a chance to enter the wider fashion collective consciousness and shift the public fashion appetite on a grander, longer-term scale? Different fashion styles, moods, subcultures, histories and eras are now intertwined all at once, and with the tyrannical push for newness, trends are divorced from their original meaning and nuance due to the sheer speed they come and go. Fashion fatigue is setting in and the future of fashion trends is thrown into doubt.
My two cents.
The culture of fashion is changing. The focus on the “vibe shift” highlights how people are keen to escape the strict fashion parameters that they’re used to living by, they are eager for something new, something less categorised, something a little different to what they’ve come to expect. There’s now a focus on nicheness and individuality, on uniqueness and craftsmanship, on personality and real swagger.
Change is afoot in fashion. Culture is first and foremost, social currency is on the up, and the relentless trend cycle is out. Fashion is fragmented, fashion is a little broken, and fashion is conflicted. But this new age of consumerism sees people pushing back which is having a ripple effect in the industry, one that poses real food for thought. But will this last?
What do you think of these kick-starter thoughts that I hope encourage you to think a little more deeply about this topic? Do you think fashions vibe shift will last? And does it signal meaningful change within fashion at large?