What is a trend?
as some people say, ‘Trends aren’t that deep.’ Semantic inflation doesn’t just alter definitions — it also changes how we engage with these words in a cultural context. What was once deep, strategic, and long-term has been reduced to shallow, fleeting moments.
Is it time to rebrand trend research? - MediaCat
While the general rule in fashion is that trends and items begin to reappear after two decades, at this point teenagers — who were too young to participate the first time around and who are some of TikTok’s most ardent users — are already remixing styles that were popular just five or ten years ago, as is the case with the 2014 Tumblr aesthetic.
Rebecca Jennings • Fashion is just TikTok now
Trend cycles are shortening
(In The Death of Trends, Vox's Terry) Nguyen is examining a more abstract consequence of this rapid acceleration, which is that it saps trends of their subcultural context, reducing them to status symbols that represent status itself, like a trail of breadcrumbs leading to more breadcrumbs. Her piece is focused on fashion trends, or aesthetic ... See more
Haley Nahman • #100: New idea trending
Blueberry-milk nails. Hot rodent boyfriend. Tomato-girl summer. What do these things have in common? Absolutely nothing. They are all utterly meaningless. That and, within the last year, each one has become a micro-trend, a niche and short-lived yet pervasive fad that sweeps the Internet.
Cazzie David • The "Vibe Trends" Are Out of Control
- Physics 101: remembering the true definition of force — does this actually have weight and sustained energy?
- Psychology 101: remembering the human — does this actually mean something to a real person, not an algorithm?
- Business 101: remembering ROI — does this actually move a needle and is a sound investment of time, energy, and resources?
Matt Klein • ‘Trends have lost all meaning’
It has become clear that there is nothing in this world too far-fetched to become a vibe. The vibes are out of control. Anything can become a vibe. Even “zero vibes” could soon be a vibe trend, as long as you market it correctly
Cazzie David • The "Vibe Trends" Are Out of Control
Everything, everywhere all at once
70% of people would rather brands ‘serve their needs by understanding what they care about’ vs. 30% of people who’d rather brands ‘appear relevant by leaning into the latest trends’.
Matt Klein • ‘Trends have lost all meaning’
I’ve been thinking a lot about what is (or is not) a trend . Merriam-Webster defines “trend” as “the general movement over time of a statistically detectable change.” If fashion publications are all eagerly covering a particular item or style, thus causing a “statistically detectable change” in how much coverage something is getting, does that make... See more