Skip to content
1981
Volume 11, Issue 3-4
  • ISSN: 2050-0726
  • E-ISSN: 2050-0734

Abstract

In order to create their social identity, humans have a tendency to express their feelings and self in the form of views and opinions that they expect from their immediate society. In today’s tech-savvy world, social media has become the most important platform for expressing one’s feelings, experiences and creating self-identity. Subcultures based on these online identities have a direct or indirect effect on fashion, subculture, intercommunity (individuals within the subculture community) and intracommunity (individuals outside the subculture community) individuals. The rise in popularity of social media platforms has led to the recreation of such subculture communities as an online trend. The current article talks about the relation between fashion, social media and these online identities. Multiple identities that are shaped and expressed through fashion and style are created and enacted through social media. Multiple case studies were analysed for qualitative secondary research to understand the effects of recreation of multiple online subcultures, which was filtered down to the Cottagecore, E-girls and Dark Academia subcultures while keeping in mind the relevance on social media and availability of resources. These were taken as interviews from articles and blogs as secondary research pertaining to each subculture. The objective of the article is to understand the effects of recreation of online subcultures on the particular subcultures, its intercommunity, intracommunity individuals, as well as the fashion industry. Mixing and recreation of subcultures create different styles and aesthetics; thus, fashion keeps changing according to that, and trends keep coming up in the fashion industry.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1386/fspc_00147_1
2022-09-13
2024-10-14
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Abdi, A. (2020), ‘Meet dark academia, the bookish fashion trend that’s all over TikTok’, Refinery29, 8 October, https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2020/10/10079305/dark-academia-aesthetic-tiktok-trend. Accessed 12 April 2021.
  2. Aesthetics Wiki (2019), ‘Cottagecore’, Fandom Lifestyle Community, 25 February, https://aesthetics.fandom.com/wiki/Cottagecore. Accessed 13 March 2021.
  3. Aesthetics Wiki (2020), ‘Academia’, Fandom Lifestyle Community, 11 June, https://aesthetics.fandom.com/wiki/Category:Academia. Accessed 12 April 2021.
  4. Akdemir, N. (2018), ‘Visible expression of social identity: The clothing and fashion’, Gaziantep University Journal of Social Sciences, 17:4, pp. 138997.
    [Google Scholar]
  5. Akram, W. and Kumar, R. (2017), ‘A study on positive and negative effects of social media on society’, International Journal of Computer Sciences and Engineering, 5:10, pp. 35154, https://doi.org/10.26438/ijcse/v5i10.351354. Accessed 10 April 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  6. Alvarado, G. F. (2020), ‘Decolonizing Cottagecore: Confronting the dark reality of the dreamy aesthetic’, Giselle Flores Alvarado, 28 July, https://gfloresalva.medium.com/decolonizing-cottagecore-confronting-the-dark-reality-of-the-dreamy-aesthetic-14a0981defb1. Accessed 12 December 2021.
  7. Anon. (2018a), ‘Social identities and subcultures’, UK Essays, 19 July, https://www.ukessays.com/essays/sociology/social-identities-subcultures-1050.php?vref=1. Accessed 10 March 2021.
  8. Anon. (2018b), ‘Relationship between fashion and identity cultural studies essay’, UK Essays, 1 January, https://www.ukessays.com/essays/cultural-studies/relationship-between-fashion-and-identity-cultural-studies-essay.php#citethis. Accessed 10 December 2021.
  9. Anon. (2020), ‘TikTok and sorting hat’, Remains of the Day, 4 August, https://www.eugenewei.com/blog/2020/8/3/tiktok-and-the-sorting-hat. Accessed 12 April 2021.
  10. Arnault, L. (2019), ‘Future of fashion: From sustainable fashion to digital self identity and AI personhood’, Fibre2Fashion, January, https://www.fibre2fashion.com/industry-article/8259/future-of-fashion-from-sustainable-fashion-to-digital-self-identity-and-ai-personhood. Accessed 12 April 2021.
  11. Bateman, K. (2020), ‘Why Cottagecore and Prairie dressing are fashion’s biggest trends in 2020’, Teen Vogue, 8 May, https://www.teenvogue.com/story/cottagecore-prairie-dressing-fashion-trends-2020. Accessed 12 April 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  12. Bateman, K. (2021), ‘Academia lives: On TikTok’, New York Times, 30 June, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/30/style/dark-academia-tiktok.html. Accessed 12 August 2020.
    [Google Scholar]
  13. Bateman, K. (2022), ‘The TikTok subcultures shaping fashion right now’, W-Magazine, 27 January, https://www.wmagazine.com/fashion/tiktok-fashion-trends-subcultures-goths. Accessed 6 June 2022.
    [Google Scholar]
  14. Best, P., Manktelow, R. and Taylor, B. (2014), ‘Online communication, social media and adolescent wellbeing: A systematic narrative review’, Children and Youth Services Review, 41, pp. 2736, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2014.03.001. Accessed 6 June 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  15. Choudhary, A. S. and Pandey, D. (2016), ‘The culture of fashion: Identity and globalization’, BEST: International Journal of Humanities, Arts, Medicine and Sciences, 4:3, pp. 6370.
    [Google Scholar]
  16. Cohen, R. B. (2015), ‘Comparative effects of Facebook and conventional media on body image dissatisfaction’, Journal of Eating Disorders, 3, p. 23, https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-015-0061-3. Accessed 6 June 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  17. Correa, T., Willard, A., Homero, H. and Zúñiga, G. (2010), ‘Who interacts on the Web? The intersection of users’ personality and social media use’, Computers in Human Behavior, 26:2, pp. 24753, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2009.09.003. Accessed 6 June 2022.
    [Google Scholar]
  18. David, A. and Fredericka, E. A. (2017), ‘Exposure to thin-ideal media affect most, but not all, women: Results from the perceived effects of media exposure scale and open-ended responses’, Body Image, 23, pp. 188205, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2017.10.006. Accessed 6 July 2020.
    [Google Scholar]
  19. Dittmar, H. (2009), ‘How do “body perfect” ideals in the media have a negative impact on body image and behaviors? Factors and processes related to self and identity’, Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 28:1, pp. 18.
    [Google Scholar]
  20. Drye, B. (n.d.), ‘Inclusivity in your visual social media content (without appropriation or tokenism)’, Wedding Academy, https://www.weddingacademyglobal.com/inclusivity-in-your-visual-social-media-content-without-appropriation-or-tokenism/. Accessed 6 September 2021.
  21. Fardouly, J. and Vartanian, L. R. (2016), ‘Social media and body image concerns: Current research and future directions’, Current Opinion in Psychology, 9, pp. 15, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2015.09.005. Accessed 6 July 2020.
    [Google Scholar]
  22. Franchina, V. and Coco, G. L. (2018), ‘The influence of social media use on body image concerns’, International Journal of Psychoanalysis and Education, 10:1, pp. 514.
    [Google Scholar]
  23. French, G. (2015), ‘How fashion is undergoing a subcultural revival’, i-D Vice, 27 January, https://i-d.vice.com/en_uk/article/pabgbb/how-fashion-is-undergoing-a-subcultural-revival. Accessed 12 June 2021.
  24. Ganda, M. (2014), ‘Social media and self: Influences on the formation of identity and understanding of self through social networking sites’, BA honors thesis, Portland, OR: Portland State University, https://doi.org/10.15760/honors.64. Accessed 12 June 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  25. Ganeshan, A. (2020), ‘An ode to the E-girl: A dissection of subcultures in fashion looking at TikTok-based fashion trends through postmodern theory’, 34th Street, 3 July, https://www.34st.com/article/2020/07/tik-tok-e-girl-boy-dick-hebidge-subculture-style-postmodern-marxist-theory-upenn-penn-ivy-league. Accessed 25 December 2020.
  26. Gillespie, K. (2020), ‘TikTok’s Cottagecore influencers explain the trend’, PAPER, 24 April, https://www.papermag.com/cottagecore-explained-tiktok-trend-2645826366.html?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1. Accessed 20 June 2020.
    [Google Scholar]
  27. Gillig, T. K. and Murphy, S. T. (2016), ‘Fostering support for LGBTQ youth? The effects of a gay adolescent media portrayal on young viewers’, International Journal of Communication, 10, pp. 382850.
    [Google Scholar]
  28. Gomillion, S. C. and Giuliano, T. A. (2011), ‘The influence of media role models on gay, lesbian, and bisexual identity’, Journal of Homosexuality, 58:3, pp. 33054, https://doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2011.546729. Accessed 25 December 2020.
    [Google Scholar]
  29. Grabe, S. W. (2008), ‘The role of the media in body image concerns among women: A meta-analysis of experimental and correlational studies’, Psychological Bulletin, 134:3, pp. 46076, https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.134.3.460. Accessed 12 July 2020.
    [Google Scholar]
  30. Gündüz, U. (2017), ‘The effect of social media on identity construction’, Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 8:5, p. 85, https://doi.org/10.1515/mjss-2017-0026. Accessed 20 March 2020.
    [Google Scholar]
  31. Helal, G. and Ozuem, W. (2017), ‘Social identity matters: Social media and brand perceptions in the fashion apparel and accessories industries’, in W. O. Guida Helal and I. R. Association (eds), Global Branding: Breakthroughs in Research and Practice, New York: IGI Global, pp. 32661.
    [Google Scholar]
  32. Herring, S. C. and Kapidzic, S. (2015), ‘Teens, gender, and self-presentation in social media’, in N. J. Smelser and P. B. Baltes (eds), International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences, 2nd ed., New York: Elsevier, pp. 14652, https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-097086-8.64108-9. Accessed 25 December 2020.
    [Google Scholar]
  33. Hildebrand, C., Häubl, G., Herrmann, A. and Landwehr, J. R. (2013), ‘When social media can be bad for you: Community feedback stifles consumer creativity and reduces satisfaction with self-designed products’, Information Systems Research, 24:1, pp. 1vi, https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.1120.0455. Accessed 25 December 2020.
    [Google Scholar]
  34. Hsiaoa, S.-H., Wang, Y.-Y., Wang, T. and Kao, T.-W. (2019), ‘How social media shapes the fashion industry: The spillover effects between private labels and national brands’, Industrial Marketing Management, 86, pp. 4051, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2019.02.022. Accessed 11 July 2020.
    [Google Scholar]
  35. Hu, H. and Severijnen, K. (2020), ‘How to become an E-girl on TikTok’, Diggit Magazine, 27 July, www.diggitmagazine.com/articles/how-become-e-girl-tiktok. Accessed 10 June 2021.
  36. Huxley, C. J., Halliwell, E. and Clarke, V. (2015), ‘An examination of the tripartite influence model of body image: Does women’s sexual identity make a difference?’, Psychology of Women Quarterly, 39:3, pp. 33748, https://doi.org/10.1177/0361684314554917. Accessed 8 April 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  37. Hyland, V. (2020), ‘While we weren’t looking, the VSCO girl took over high fashion’, Elle, 6 January, https://www.elle.com/fashion/a30380602/vsco-girl-fashion/. Accessed 12 March 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  38. James, P. (2018), ‘Are fashion and sexuality linked? How style has become more liberating for all UK’, Pink News, 17 July, https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2018/07/17/fashion-sexuality-link-fluidity/. Accessed 15 March 2021.
  39. Jameson, D. A. (2014), ‘Crossing public-private and personal-professional boundaries: How changes in technology may affect CEOs’ communication’, Business and Professional Communication Quarterly, 77, pp. 730.
    [Google Scholar]
  40. Kaiser, S. B. (n.d.), ‘Fashion and identity’, Love to Know, https://fashion-history.lovetoknow.com/fashion-history-eras/fashion-identity. Accessed 8 April 2021.
  41. Kasperiuniene, J. and Zydziunaite, V. (2019), ‘A systematic literature review on professional identity construction in social media’, SAGE Open, 9:1, pp. 110, https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244019828847. Accessed 8 April 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  42. Kennedy, M. (2020), ‘“If the rise of the TikTok dance and E-girl aesthetic has taught us anything, it’s that teenage girls rule the internet right now”: TikTok celebrity, girls and the coronavirus crisis’, European Journal of Cultural Studies, 23:6, pp. 106976.
    [Google Scholar]
  43. Khatib, H. (2020), ‘How fashion is embracing TikTok’, Vogue, 26 February, www.vogue.in/fashion/content/why-fashion-industry-cant-ignore-tiktok-celine-prada-myntra-charlie-damielio. Accessed 30 January 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  44. Kloster, Caroline. (2020a), ‘A comprehensive guide to the academia aesthetic’, L’Office, 15 December, https://www.lofficielarabia.com/fashion/a-comprehensive-guide-to-the-academia-aesthetic. Accessed 8 April 2021.
  45. Kloster, C. (2020b), ‘The digital nostalgia of today’s TikTok E-girls and boys investigating the controversial online identity and how it’s reviving early 2000s subculture’, CR Fashionbook, 26 August, https://crfashionbook.com/culture-a33669498-tiktok-e-girl-fashion-trend-billie-eilish-doja-cat/. Accessed 20 December 2021.
  46. Lynn, M. (2020), ‘Developing the self in the digital space’, Confluence, 18 October, https://confluence.gallatin.nyu.edu/context/independent-project/developing-the-self-in-the-digital-space. Accessed 10 March 2022.
  47. Mair, C. (2018), The Psychology of Fashion, New York: Taylor & Francis.
    [Google Scholar]
  48. Malayawilliams (2020), ‘Why body positivity on social media is more important than you think’, Voices of Youth, 18 August, https://www.voicesofyouth.org/blog/why-body-positivity-social-media-more-important-you-think. Accessed 10 March 2020.
  49. Manago, A. M. (2015a), ‘Emerging trends in the social and behavioral sciences’, in S. M. Kosslyn (ed.), Emerging Trends in the Social and Behavioral Sciences, Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, pp. 116.
    [Google Scholar]
  50. Manago, A. M. (2015b), ‘Facebook involvement, objectified body consciousness, body shame, and sexual assertiveness in college women and men’, Sex Roles, 72:1–2, pp. 114.
    [Google Scholar]
  51. Manoilova, Y. (2021), ‘Everything you need to know about E-girls?’, Diggit Magazine, 8 February, https://www.diggitmagazine.com/articles/everything-you-need-know-about-e-girls. Accessed 8 April 2021.
  52. Marbles, J. (2020), ‘Giving myself an E-girl makeover’, YouTube, 9 January, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYowCBOR2SI. Accessed 8 April 2021.
  53. Markey, C. (2020), ‘Body positivity on social media is a work in progress’, Psychology Today, 17 August, https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/smart-people-don-t-diet/202008/body-positivity-social-media-is-work-in-progress. Accessed 28 March 2021.
  54. Marples, M. (2021), ‘Cottagecore has us yearning for a bygone era that never was’, CNN Health, 7 February, https://edition.cnn.com/2021/02/07/health/cottagecore-nostalgia-mental-health-wellness/index.html. Accessed 8 April 2021.
  55. Morris, A. N. (2017), ‘Fashion, social media, and identity expression: An intersectional approach to understanding the fashion consumption patterns of black middle-class women’, Ph.D. dissertation, Austin, TX: The University of Texas at Austin.
    [Google Scholar]
  56. Nesi, J. P. (2015), ‘Using social media for social comparison and feedback-seeking: Gender and popularity moderate associations with depressive symptoms’, Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 43, pp. 142738, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-015-0020-0. Accessed 12 December 2020.
    [Google Scholar]
  57. Nikola, B. (2006), ‘Identity and the meaning of style in subculture’, Filozofija i drustvo, 30, pp. 23350, https://doi.org/10.2298/FID0630233B. Accessed 10 April 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  58. Nikola, B. (2010), ‘Youth subcultures and subversive identities’, Facta universitatis series: Philosophy, Sociology, Psychology and History, 9:1, pp. 4558.
    [Google Scholar]
  59. Pan, Z., Lu, Y. and Chau, P. (2017), ‘Who do you think you are? Common and differential effects of social self-identity on social media usage’, Journal of Management Information Systems, 34:1, pp. 70101, https://doi.org/10.1080/07421222.2017.1296747. Accessed 25 June 2020.
    [Google Scholar]
  60. Reifenrath, P. (2020), ‘From goth to punk: Has subculture changed the way we dress?’, L’Essenziale, 23 January, https://essenziale-hd.com/2020/01/23/from-goth-to-punk-has-subculture-changed-the-way-we-dress/. Accessed 28 April 2021.
  61. Renner, N. (2019), ‘How social media shapes our identity’, New Yorker, 8 August, www.newyorker.com/books/under-review/how-social-media-shapes-our-identity. Accessed 29 March 2021.
  62. Samantha, B. (2011), ‘Fashion and sexual identity, or why recognition matters’, in J. Kennett and J. Wolfendale (eds), Fashion: Philosophy for Everyone Thinking with Style, Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, pp. 12034.
    [Google Scholar]
  63. Shipin, S. (2020), ‘5 Black women on embracing Cottagecore as an act of rebellion’, Glamour, 18 September, https://www.glamour.com/story/black-women-on-cottagecore. Accessed 14 June 2021.
  64. Slone, I. (2020), ‘Escape into Cottagecore, calming ethos for our febrile moment’, New York Times, 10 March, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/10/style/cottagecore.html. Accessed 21 July 2021.
  65. Southern Utah University (2020), ‘Identity and the impact of technology and social media on communication’, 22 July, https://online.suu.edu/degrees/business/master-arts-professional-communication/tech-social-media-communication/. Accessed 12 December 2020.
  66. Spellings, S. (2020), ‘What is an E-girl?’, The Cut, 28 February, www.thecut.com/2020/02/what-is-an-e-girl.html. Accessed 12 May 2021.
  67. Tajfel, H. and Turner, J. (2004), ‘An integrative theory of inter-group conflict’, in M. J. Hatch and M. Schultz (eds), Organizational Identity, New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 5663.
    [Google Scholar]
  68. Tajuddin, F. N. (2018), ‘Cultural and social identity in clothing matters “different cultures, different meanings”’, European Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 1:4, pp. 2125, https://doi.org/10.33422/EJBS.2018.07.63. Accessed 12 May 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  69. Valencia, M. J. (2017), ‘How online social media persona affects personal identity and self’, BA honours thesis, Portland, OR: Portland State University.
    [Google Scholar]
  70. Vogel, E. A. and Rose, J. P. (2016), ‘Self-reflection and interpersonal connection: Making the most of self-presentation on social media’, Translational Issues in Psychological Science, 2:3, pp. 294302, https://doi.org/10.1037/tps0000076. Accessed 12 December 2020.
    [Google Scholar]
  71. Whittle, A. (2020), ‘Immerse yourself in soothing content’, W Magazine, 23 July, https://www.wmagazine.com/story/soothing-content-baby-in-a-wig-cottagecore-window-swap/. Accessed 10 January 2022.
  72. Yang, C.-C., Holden, S. M. and Carter, M. D. K. (2017), ‘Social media social comparison of ability (but not opinion) predicts lower identity clarity: Identity processing style as a mediator’, Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 47, pp. 211428, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-017-0801-6. Accessed 12 May 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  73. Young, L., Kolubinski, D. C. and Frings, D. (2020), ‘Attachment style moderates the relationship between social media use and user mental health and wellbeing’, Heliyon, 6:6, pp. 17, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04056. Accessed 10 January 2022.
    [Google Scholar]
/content/journals/10.1386/fspc_00147_1
Loading
/content/journals/10.1386/fspc_00147_1
Loading

Data & Media loading...

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a success
Invalid data
An error occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error