Have you ever bought an outfit because it was trending on TikTok, only to lose interest in it a few weeks later? In this blog, I will be looking at how Fast fashion became a major part of modern consumer culture, with brands like Primark, Shein and Zara producing more affordable clothing that is able to follow rapidly changing trends. However, fast fashion is not just about clothes but also how media, capitalism and consumerism can influence people’s everyday life. The theory of the culture industry helps to explain why people are encouraged to constantly buy more.
What is the culture industry?
The theory of the culture industry was developed by Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer. They had argued that culture had progressively become a commercial product that had been manufactured for mass consumption, rather than simply created for artistic or personal expression. Their theory also suggested that industries use pop culture to encourage consumption and maintain the existing capitalist systems.
Although their work focused more on the entertainment industry, these ideas can also be applied to the world of fashion. For example, Shein produces large collections of trend-led clothing, whereas Zara regularly introduces new styles. This encourages consumers to purchase new items on a regular basis. It also raises the question of whether fashion choices are individual or influenced by commercial interests.
How social media fuels fast fashion
Social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok have streamlined the spread of fashion trends. Influencers promote clothing hauls, outfit inspirations and discount codes that encourage audiences to purchase clothing and makeup products to recreate popular looks. Shein, in particular, is frequently promoted through haul videos and influencer content, while Zara items gain popularity through styling videos and viral outfit posts. Alongside these posts would usually be shopping links and discount codes which makes buying new clothes feel more exciting and effortless for the consumer.
This connects to Adorno and Horkheimer’s theory that commercialised culture encourages standardisation. Although consumers tend to believe they are expressing their individuality, they may actually be following trends that have been promoted by brands and influencers. When a particular aesthetic becomes popular, similar styles start to appear across many retailers, making unique looks widely available.
However, fast fashion is not completely negative. Affordable retailers such as Primark allow people with different budgets to experiment with clothing and participate in trends. The problem starts to arise when there is constant advertising and rapidly changing styles that influence unnecessary purchases and making existing clothing feel outdated.
Can fashion escape the culture industry?
Fast fashion demonstrates that culture can become closely connected to profit. Brands turn active and popular trends into products, while social media helps promote them to the mass market. This tend to encourage overconsumption and raise concerns over textile waste and the environmental impact of clothing production.
Ultimately, the culture industry provides a much more useful way to understand modern fashion. Clothing is a form of creativity and self-expression, however commercial pressures do influence what people wear and how they understand their identities. The next time we buy an outfit, we should ask ourselves: do we really want it, or have we been persuaded to buy it because it is trending?
