As we begin implementing our New Year’s resolution, many turn to their closets to redefine themselves. With gym memberships purchased and Goodreads downloaded, many turn to their wardrobes as they proclaim that this year, they will be sufficiently more stylish. Inevitably, the “new year, new me” adage is only realised through several purchases. It’s not groundbreaking to note that this phenomenon is fueled by consumerist capitalism, but consumers’ awareness of the flimsy logic of the “new year, new me” marketing scheme does not make it any less effective.
Alongside inviting style resolutions comes the “trend prediction,” often observing trend cycles and current social, economic and cultural trends that may permeate fashion culture. Fashion trend predictions have moved from print media to Tik Tok and Instagram, often allowing their advertising quality to be much more subtle. The yearly trend prediction used to be a staple of the uber-stylish, with Vogue and GQ expertly curating manuals for the fashion-curious. However, as 2025 wore on, consumers began to gain awareness, and ultimately disdain, for looking “trendy”.
At the beginning of 2024 and into 2025, the fast fashion cycle was moving at a rapid pace. New “must-have” trends were marketed monthly while prices plummeted as companies adopted cheaper and more unethical labour practices. There was increased awareness from consumers of the harmful environmental effects, such as the massive carbon footprint and water usage, of fast fashion. Consumers grew wary of massive “hauls” and were mortified at the egregious labor exploitation supplying them. The year saw a turn away from fast fashion companies, like Shein and H&M, as well as a recognition that even companies that aren’t deemed “cheap” still use non-ethical labour practices and encourage speedy trend shifts. But consumers weren’t only reacting to the ethical issues of fast fashion, but coming to terms with the fatigue it inflicted. The term “micro-trend,” which refers to short lived fashion trends which keep the ultra fast fashion cycle spinning, has garnered a connotation of being “online”. This means that wearing a lot of “micro-trends” signifies that someone spends a lot of time on their phone. As consumers begin to turn away from online spaces, deeming them exhaustive and inauthentic, the chasm between being fashionable and being trendy grew: to be truly fashionable was to not be trendy.
A way to achieve that, consumers found, was shopping second hand, and there was an uptick in the resale market, apps like Depop and Vinted. Vinted even emerged as the most popular clothing retailer in France. “Thrifting” grew exceedingly popular as a way to subvert the cyclical waste caused by gross clothing consumption. Trends began to see longer life spans, for example, polka dots have been a reigning trend since early 2025 and have seen little decline. The internet-using, fashion-conscious consumers had adopted the anti-trend trend. As we enter 2026, more emphasis is being placed on “personal style”. Having taste instead of being on trend is the trend.
It is impossible to discuss fashion trends in the last year without discussing the impact the economy has had on consumers. The internet has seen lots of the term “recession core” which labels how consumers’ habits change in response to a lack of economic certainty. As consumers sober up from the rapid trend cycles, emphasis is placed upon restraint and even survival. It is no coincidence that fashion trends of 2025 and now 2026 highlight minimalism and working with what you’ve got, because as the economy worsens, many people have no choice. A hallmark of fast fashion was influencers posting “hauls” where they spend hundreds of dollars on trendy clothing items. Internet users in the past couple years have become fatigued with this display of disposable income and lack of personal taste. As we move into 2026, influencers aim less to collect products but to curate them, now showing off items they have that no one else can, instead of showing off items that they have that everyone does.
While it is over generalizing and, quite frankly, ignorant to announce that fast fashion is dying, there has been a perceptible shift in the way that internet-using consumers shop.
As Artificial Intelligence infiltrates online spaces, ridding them of humanity, people are searching for authenticity wherever they can find it.
In the fashion world, this has meant a turn away from synthetic fabrics and mindless purchasing. People are tired of being advertised to, of being sold flimsy products, and of having no agency over what they buy, and 2026 is seeing a turn away from over-consumption habits.
Am I too optimistic in predicting authenticity, quality, and personal style as 2026 fashion trends? Probably. But as consumers become increasingly fatigued with rapid trend cycles and being sold to everywhere they look, a turn to personalization and ethical consumption is not a bad way to ring in the new year.
