Everchanging aesthetics and consumption
Makeup
and style have always been staples in cosmetic and fashion culture and have evolved within each generation and era. The modern rise of the social media platform TikTok has contributed to the fast-changing pace of aesthetics. With seemingly new trends every week, these fast and influential changes make it difficult for the main population to keep up with the makeover madness.
TikTok is the focal point of these style trends. It’s a massive platform filled with an onslaught of aesthetics that caters to every user’s interests.
For instance, the “Clean Girl” aesthetic prioritizes skin care and requires minimal makeup usually paired with slicked-back hair and dainty gold pieces. The Y2K aesthetic, a booming rebirth as a product of Gen Z’s nostalgia, consists of colorful eye makeup, scant clothing, fun hairstyles, funky and shiny jewelry. There tends to be an obsession with upkeeping these images and companies use that as an advantage. More products are made every day, paired with more people persuaded by the media. Keeping up with new aesthetic trends every week tends to be overwhelming, but people do it anyway.
“It’s simple,” Deerfield Beach High School sophomore Venus Joseph said, “People change aesthetics to fit in.”
Social media’s significant impact on beauty standards and its influence on appearance and attire has also caused environmental issues. As Gen Z becomes more environmentally conscious, the damage that ever-changing style causes has become difficult to avoid. Land dumps have overflown with incorrectly discarded recyclables and clothes that no longer fit the current trend. Fast fashion brands like Shein and Fashion Nova make thousands of pieces daily to feed the trend-following consumer. While these brands do offer a cheaper alternative to consumers on a budget, these pieces usually end up in the trash after a few uses.
“Aesthetics lead to a lot of fast fashion, which contributes to pollution,” said DBHS junior Sierra Higgs.
“I think people are constantly trying to fit in, and things become trends quickly nowadays,” said DBHS sophomore Victoria Depaula. “So, people are constantly adapting to be seen as cool or aesthetically pleasing to society.”
When asked how they keep up with style trends without breaking the bank, Joseph, Higgs, and Depaula all agreed that thrift shopping was the way to go. There is nothing wrong with wanting to change style or to match a mood. However, becoming consciously aware of the environmental damage should be advertised just as loudly.
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