The mirror selfie, that ubiquitous social media post, is not what it seems. A TikToker has revealed that the pose is often created using two cameras and no mirror at all. ‘Realness’ may be a form of cultural capital online, but people are open to using artificial means to create visual ‘authenticity’.

A Moschino bag designed to look like a croissant on a chain has gone viral online. In a year when people have been stuck inside, stressed and increasingly bored, many people have looked to experimental and whimsical style as a much-needed source of novelty and fun.

Sweatpants and slippers reigned supreme in the early stages of the pandemic as people enjoyed the laid-back novelty of working from home. But as time goes on, athleisure apathy has set in. People are seeing the emotional and psychological benefit of getting dressed, and as they look to boost their mood through clothes, quality comes before quantity.

The fashion world was upheaved by COVID-19 as people reexamined their buying habits and switched up the ways they participated in culture. How might a decentralized approach to influence impact style? And how can brands respond to the shopping habits of younger generations?