How To Avoid Short-Lived Micro-Trends This Autumn

Certain fashion items and styles often experience a fleeting viral moment thanks to the likes of TikTok and Instagram, which ultimately leads to the overconsumption of fast-fashion and the absence of style individuality. With colder weather just around the corner, many people feel it’s time to add a completely new supply of autumn clothing to their already existing collection.

There’s no doubt that micro-trends have pushed a narrative that your clothes for each season need to be replaced in order ‘keep up’ with what everyone else is wearing.

Micro-trends have been an overbearing phenomenon in the fashion world over recent years. The trends themselves don’t necessarily have to be specific items of clothing but rather general styles and aesthetics.

One of the first major examples of this was the takeover of the ‘VSCO girl’ aesthetic back in 2019. Since then, the fashion trends on social media swiftly jump from one style to the next through transient viral moments.

@lottielashley 25 microtrends in landfill by the end of 2025 #slowfashion #microtrends #2025fashion #summertrends #charityshop ♬ original sound – Lottie🐞

Here are some ways to keep your style up this autumn and to shop without giving in to the micro-trend phenomenon…

1. Before buying, ask yourself if you will wear it next year

If you see clothing items in your wardrobe from last autumn and think ‘I won’t be wearing that this year’, that’s a sign to put an end to the cycle.

If you believe that something only has a temporary appeal, it’s important to question if you actually need it or not. Every time you find yourself interested in buying a current viral item, ask yourself ‘will i wear this next year’ or even question if you’d buy it in 5 years’ time. If you can’t see yourself getting use of an item once its online craze has ended, it’s for the best to leave it behind.

Taking this shopping habit into consideration will decrease the volume of clothing items living in the back of your wardrobe!

2. Focus on building a good base of staple clothing

Basics are fundamental for building a wardrobe that has enduring value beyond the time it was bought. More specifically, clothing for autumn and winter should be staples in your wardrobe that comes back year after year as dependable options.

Investing in basics doesn’t necessarily mean buying clothing plain in their style, it’s more related to the guaranteed use that you will get out of them. Such clothes may be a good quality sweater, a reliable winter jacket or a pair of jeans that suit you rather than just suiting the people you see on social media.

If there is a particular style that suits you and that you feel comfortable in, keep that style in great consideration every time that you shop, so that you can create a wardrobe that is timeless in your own terms.

3. Turn to platforms such as Vinted or Depop

If your wardrobe is overloaded with clothes that never see the light of day, turning to Vinted or Depop is the best option for an ethical clear-out.

These platforms, specifically Vinted, are perfect for both buying and selling all types of clothing. Rather than just adding to your already overflowing supply, you can align your spending with your selling. For example, restricting yourself to buying something only when something else is sold. This is a perfect way to pass on items that you only wore when they were a short-lived trend.

Sticking to this balanced ‘one in, one out’ system, can assure that every item in your wardrobe has value. On these platforms you can curate a feed that corresponds with your sense of style for much lower prices, rather than buying firsthand clothing experiencing a viral moment.

Avoiding micro-trends may be a challenge when shopping, especially due to the influence from social media. Giving these three methods a try this autumn may prove to be beneficial for a solid collection of clothing as well as a long-lasting style!

Words by Leah Foran