Aah, the internet. Like it or loathe it, it has become a major game-changer in the world of fashion, and before any of us even knew it we were scrolling through a whole host of stylish accounts on the ‘gram. Whilst the runways and the biggest trends were pretty exclusive to elite circles for decades, we can now find out about the next-big-thing sunglasses on the Cosmo website a few minutes after Kate Moss was wearing them at lunch. Brilliant, huh? Here’s how the web has changed things up in the industry.
Influencers everywhere
What is an influencer, and where did they come from? Basically, it’s a person with a lot of followers on social media, and all of these followers are waiting to find out what said ‘influencer’ is going to be wearing next. This is a great thing for fashion brands, who are sending out free clothes to the Instagram famous like there’s no tomorrow. Trends can be made through influencers, and they don’t have to be runway models to do it.
Everybody can have their say in fashion
OK, we might still wonder what Suki Waterhouse has decided to wear today, but with the development of the internet we can all influence the next trend. All you really need is a phone, a willing friend to take photos of you in your new outfit, and an Instagram page to put these photos onto. Oh, and you’ll probably need some basic tech knowledge. If you don’t know how to use Facetime on Mac or how to track your followers, then get learning!
Here today, gone tomorrow…
Whilst fashion fanatics of the past would have been working a trend on a seasonal basis, the role of the internet means that on-trend outfits change like the weather. Nobody has to wait for fashion magazines and catwalks anymore, oh no. No sooner have you paid for that stylish garment, than somebody on the web has decided that something new is the groundbreaking ‘thing’. Sigh, at least you can get a refund, right? To keep up with the latest online, you do of course need a good connection, so looking out for internet providers near me remains as important here as ever.
Shopping, shopping, shopping
And of course, because things are changing so quickly out there now, we can get our hands on them without even leaving the comfort of our bedrooms. No more queuing up in a store trying to buy the things that you want, ladies, you can have a friendly postie bring them right up to your door. This is brilliant for so many reasons (next-day party and no time to go shopping? No problem) but it does mean that fast fashion is becoming a serious issue.
So…
The internet has changed many of the ways in which we live our lives. It has changed the way we think, the way we communicate, and the way that we dress. Most of us have a love-hate relationship with it, and so does the fashion industry. Whilst it helps to create the next major trend, we have to ask ourselves: did the magic of fashion get lost somewhere along the way?