In the age of TikTok speak, trends colour the way that we categorize our seasons. In the wake of “brat summer,” we’re heading into “demure fall.” And by we, I mean the internet collective that determines the microtrend of the moment: millennials and Gen Zs on social media. But how did “brat” and “demure” gain traction as former internet-speak microtrends, catapulting into real-world cultural touchstones that influence our language, purchases and aesthetics?
Very demure, very mindful
The “demure” microtrend (TLDR: calling things “demure” that may or may not actually be demure) originated with Jools Lebron’s (@joolieanie on TikTok) viral video, in which she satirically intones that her thick eye makeup for work is very demure, very mindful.
“It opens up the possibility of what demure means,” Lebron said of her description.
The descriptive sound bite became a TikTok trend that has taken the internet by storm, with content creators and brands leveraging the trend’s virality to engage with its audience (the majority of TikTok users are Gen Z and millennial).
The Global Fashion Agenda defines a microtrend as:
“A niche or industry specific consumer behavioural trend which is mass market ready and actionable. With a shorter life span, micro trends usually filter down from Macro Trends and provide opportunities for innovators, designers, and marketers to tap into these emerging consumer mindsets.”
The Global Fashion Agenda also highlighted the fact that people crave a strong sense of unique identity. We all want to feel special, and taking on a supposedly “niche” aesthetic as a personality traits can provide texture to this sense of identity – via quirky cocktails and cowboy boots and corporate attire and indie movie references and micro skirts.
We’ve talked about the core-ification phenomenon before, exploring the rise of country-core and coquette-core, and this categorization of trends as lifestyles is inherent to the virality (and power) of current microtrends.
Microtrends differ from the subcultures of the 20th century (ie, “punk”) that were inherently political or subversive. There is one interesting unicorn to consider here, a microtrend that went macro, that became a core, that became a political player: brat.
Microtrends in Marketing
Before we explore the life cycle of “brat,” it’s important to peel back the layers of the microtrend onion.
There is a critical argument to be made for the connection between core-ification, subcultures and the birth of marketable microtrends as Alina Amin detailed in Title Mag:
“The problem lies in turning actual movements into fleeting trends without preserving their original values. Subcultures play an important role in creating a diverse understanding of society, even if their ideas do not reach the mainstream. While drawing inspiration from subcultures is acceptable, commercializing these aesthetics and labeling them “-core” diminishes their original meaning.”
In the 21st century, through the rise of the internet coupled with fast fashion and social media, microtrends have emerged as capitalistic consumption cycles. Microtrends pose a chicken or egg question: which came first, the aesthetic of the trend or its marketing?
The New York Times wrote that “a mere mood tone can be elevated to something offered as lifestyle,” ie, girls who wear red and exude “a certain Euro effortlessness . . . are called Tomato Girls, while others who prefer white are called Vanilla Girls.”
Herein lies the beauty of the microtrend: it might not have much in the way of substance, but through tapping into its aesthetic, language and *vibe*, it can be used to turn the eyes of its audience base towards a variety of products or businesses (ie, in 2024, an airline can be “demure”).
Take the “brat-ification” of . . . well, everything, this summer (even vegan hot dogs). Through the “brat” phenomenon, Charli’s fan base (known as “Charli’s Angels”) melded with followers of the “brat” aesthetic (aka, anyone with a phone not living under a rock) to create a black-hole magnetic pull of attention to everything that brat touched. When Charli tweeted that Kamala Harris IS brat, she leveraged the most powerful trend of the summer into a political stance that has had real-world effects, even if “brat” was a highly manufactured marketing campaign for her latest album. That doesn’t matter now. Polls are showing a surge of support for the Democratic party from Gen Z voters.
The brat pipeline illustrates the evolution of a microtrend (messy partying in the wake of 2023’s “clean girl” aesthetic) into a worldwide phenomenon (brat) via a smart marketing team that branded an artist’s album and image. In an interview with NY Mag, Charli XCX said that the paparazzi outfits she wears to lunch were planned a year in advance. Cultivating the aesthetic that was so specific as a microtrend (messy eyeliner, ripped tanktop) into a power vacuum took work and planning, in order to convey a just-rolled-out-of-bed, recorded-this-on-my-iPhone look and feel.
In our last blog, we talked about the Blake Lively drama, and how people crave authenticity from celebrity brands. The same could be said of microtrends. An air of artifice is off putting. But if you’re successfully able to adopt the aesthetic (get a head start with this peek at the predicted microtrends of the season), consider the influence that viewers and scrollers (aka me and you) have in terms of purchasing power as a collective.
From “It” to ick
Jumping on the bandwagon of a microtrend is a time-sensitive marketing tactic: jump too late and you risk landing in “cheugy” territory. The fleeting nature of trends (especially those spurred from viral moments, like the “Hawk Tuah Girl”) means that their stock can rise high — before crashing. It’s important to consider the quality, quantity and messaging of the microtrend that’s gracing your FYP before creating content in its vein. To do so successfully, you either need to have your finger on the pulse to understand, tap into and leverage a microtrend in real-time, or you need to outsource to a creative agency that gets it.
If you’re looking to harness the power of microtrends to market your products or business, we can help you to leverage trending aesthetics with authenticity that aligns with your unique brand. Check out our range of services today!
FAQ
The “very demure, very mindful” trend originated from a viral TikTok. It’s since been used as a catchphrase to describe — well, pretty much anything, applying this viral soundbite’s global range to a variety of brands and businesses.
“Brat summer” came from the marketing campaign for Charli XCX’s latest album, “brat.” It was constructed by her team to promote the partying aesthetic behind her music.
A microtrend is a “niche” trend that, in today’s day and age, is typically cultivated on the internet by a brand or influencer to push a specific product that aligns with a key aesthetic.
A microtrend is a trend that usually trickles down from an overarching macrotrend (ie, Y2K fashion is a macrotrend, and low rise jeans are a microtrend). Microtrends tend to be more fleeting, or “of the moment.”
