When it comes to fashion, many people think about what’s trending in London, Paris and New York. But what about the rest of the world? How do the people of Russia, China, and South America dress? More importantly, how do they wear it? Let’s take a look at how social media and vloggers are educating us about clothing around the world.
Style From The Top Down
We see fashion influencers parading luxury brands’ merchandise on their Instagram feed, demonstrating the fashion industry’s trickle-down approach. But the top doesn’t just influence those at the bottom — fashion spreads across social media showing a cultural perspective, highlighting different ways of dressing.
Take, for example, the gorgeous Alejandra Mateos, who is a model and a Vogue spokesperson. She regularly shares outfit inspiration with her more than three million followers. While many of her photos feature fashion influencers wearing luxury brands’ garments, there are also plenty of style influencers who show their followers unique ways of dressing. After all, the fashion industry is constantly changing and evolving, and people from different walks of life can find inspiration everywhere.
The Rise Of The Vlogger
If you follow fashion and lifestyle influencers on Instagram (which, let’s be honest, you probably do), you’ll notice a noticeable shift toward vlogging. The videos don’t just exist to show off a fashion influencers’ outfits — often, they’re used to educate and inspire their followers. In the last year, the number of fashion vloggers increased by 74%, according to a Vogue article on the subject.
The style vloggers showcase everything from day-to-night dressing to international travels. They also frequently show us their fashion influencer uncles — people who have had a massive impact on their style. We see influencers modeling designer items and posing with luxurious living atmospheres, while their daily vlogs give us an insight into their personal style quirks. These influencers create a unique visual experience for their followers — and it’s something the fashion industry seems to be grasping onto.
International Fashion Influencers
While vloggers are educating us about style, other digital influencers are showing us international traveling and shopping excursions. Take, for example, Karishma Arora, who documents her travels around the world for her 1.5 million Instagram followers. In March 2021 alone, she visited 15 countries and made 27 shopping stops, buying a total of 62 outfits along the way.
Instagrammer TikTok is also regularly sharing fashion and lifestyle content from around the world, creating a hub for anyone wanting to become more aware of global fashion trends. With over 500 million downloads globally, TikTok’s #OOTD (outfit of the day) challenge has inspired countless people to explore fashion trends around the world, educating them about lifestyle differences and inspiring them to travel.
Online Shopping For Fashion And Lifestyle Influencers
With the opportunity to connect with retailers and brands remotely through online shopping, influencers can now sell merchandise alongside their content. The convenience has proven to be highly appealing, resulting in a rise of online shopping for fashion and lifestyle influencers. According to a Dove campaign survey of 1,500 influencers, 72% of respondents said they’d vacationed because of online shopping — and 34% said they met their spouse through the platform.
Traveling and shopping for luxury brands are two of the more traditional motivations behind a gap year. But with pandemic restrictions and a limited number of jobs available, many are taking advantage of the situation to pursue a solo trip around the world, #OMGing — an activity that previously required joining a group—or to take a closer look at a destination they’ve always wanted to see.
The Future Of Style And Fashion
With the opportunity to learn about style and fashion from various walks of life, it’s not just the future of travel and shopping for luxury brands that’s exciting — it’s the future of style and fashion in general. As people become more accustomed to virtual life, the lines between the virtual and real worlds are blurring. Celebrities are already using social media to educate us about fashion and inspire us to dress better — why not follow their lead, and take inspiration from all sides of the globe?