In the midst of a society overcome with fast fashion trends, a new idea is beginning to surface; what people are calling “underconsumption core.”
Underconsumption core, or “de-influencing,” is the trend of shopping for clothes sustainably by thrifting or repairing old clothes, which has blown up on Tiktok in response to the era of hyperconsumption. Influencers have started urging their followers to stop buying into fast fashion brands, such as Shein or Temu, and begin buying sustainably, thrifting, or upcycling things they already own. The trend could have a long lasting impact on people and the environment.
“I think that it would just be even more helpful in terms of reducing environmental impact,” said social studies teacher Kiela Ross.
In a recent report from secondhand clothing platform ThreadUp, 65% of Gen Z consumers said they desire to shop more sustainably, but following fast fashion can be a hard habit to break, especially with fast fashion hauls from large influencers found almost everywhere on social media.
“I definitely have watched several influencers, on Instagram mostly, that are talking about their Amazon hauls,” said Ross.
The truth is, many Americans just can’t afford to buy new clothes all the time, so constantly seeing influencers telling you to buy new products can be harmful. This new trend of showing what “normal” people’s lives are like on social media, could be life changing for many Americans who possibly rely too much on what others are telling them. The celebration of reusing things you already own, thrifting clothes and furniture, and sustainably replacing things when needed speaks to the lives of so many people who feel left out of the constant buying.
“I think consuming fast fashion and getting sucked into trends can have a tendency to just make you feel like you’re always trying to keep with the latest thing, which is all in your head,” said Ross.
“I think it would allow for more representation of wearing things that I like specifically instead of what other people want to wear,” said Livi Ambory (9).
Another trend rising to counteract overconsumption is “Project Pan”. The idea of this challenge is to completely finish all of your cosmetic products before considering buying new products. Ask yourself, when was the last time you finished a makeup product to the last drop? Could that number be any higher? Project Pan could be a great way for people to save money and reduce waste from the millions of makeup products that are constantly being thrown away.
“I try to fully empty products, but I do have a lot of extras because I buy a lot of it,” said Addie Haag (9).
As underconsumption grows, so do the use of secondhand apps and thrifting. The need for renewable and sustainable sources of clothing and cosmetics has grown exponentially in recent years, paralleling the uptick of climate change. Finding ways to reduce our impact on the environment will forever change the way we live and support the end of climate change. If we all start to be mindful of not buying things when we don’t necessarily need them, the world will only become a better place for us.
