The Impact of Social Media on Fashion Trends: Instagram vs. TikTok – Fibre2Fashion

In recent years, social media platforms have dramatically transformed the fashion industry. No longer confined to runways and fashion magazines, trends now emerge and spread online at an unprecedented pace. Among the most influential platforms, Instagram and TikTok have emerged as key players in shaping global fashion trends. Both platforms boast massive user bases and have unique formats that cater to different kinds of fashion content, making them powerful tools for designers, influencers, and fashion enthusiasts.

These platforms have enabled the rapid dissemination of style, allowing new trends to go viral in a matter of hours. They have also given rise to emerging designers, who can now reach large audiences without the need for traditional fashion industry gatekeepers. Additionally, Instagram and TikTok have empowered fashion influencers to sway the preferences of millions, turning personal style choices into global trends.

According to the RetailX Global Fashion 2023 report¹, Google search has recently lost its top position as the primary source of inspiration for fashion shoppers, with platforms like Instagram and Facebook taking the lead. The report revealed that 52.4 per cent of global fashion e-shoppers now turn to Instagram, 51.6 per cent to Facebook, and 49.8 per cent to Google for inspiration. Other social platforms, including YouTube (41.2 per cent) and TikTok (28.1 per cent), complete the top five, highlighting social media’s crucial role as a key discovery channel for fashion.

However, while both platforms significantly impact fashion, their approaches, demographics, and overall influence differ in important ways.

Instagram: A Visual Platform for Curated Fashion

Aesthetic and Influence

Instagram, launched in 2010, has become synonymous with polished, aesthetically pleasing content. Its visual nature, combined with a focus on imagery, has made it the ideal platform for fashion brands, influencers, and enthusiasts. Fashion influencers on Instagram typically curate their feeds with carefully selected outfits, professional-quality photography, and engaging captions that connect with their audience. High-profile influencers like Chiara Ferragni² and Camila Coelho³ have leveraged Instagram’s platform to create personal brands and even launch their own fashion lines.

The fashion world quickly recognised Instagram as a powerful marketing tool. Designers and brands have used the platform to showcase new collections, collaborate with influencers, and engage directly with their audiences. Instagram Stories and shopping features allow users to interact with content, explore new products, and make purchases without leaving the app. This seamless integration of fashion and commerce has helped Instagram maintain its relevance in the fashion industry for over a decade.

A Meta-commissioned online study4 conducted by the consumer insights platform GWI found that nearly 97 per cent of internet users in India discover fashion brands on Meta platforms like Instagram. Among them, 52 per cent specifically mention Instagram Reels as a major source of fashion inspiration.

Target Demographic and Influence on High Fashion

Instagram’s audience leans towards slightly older people (compared to TikTok). The platform is utilised by 24.94 per cent of the global population⁵, with the 18-34 age group being the largest demographic, making up 31.7 per cent of the platform’s total user base.

The platform is particularly popular among millennials, many of whom have disposable incomes and are interested in luxury fashion. Instagram has thus become a hub for high fashion brands like Gucci, Dior, and Chanel, which use the platform to reach their target audience and create visually stunning campaigns that resonate with their followers.

Instagram’s focus on carefully curated content has also elevated the status of fashion influencers. Influencers often spend considerable time perfecting their images, working with photographers, and styling outfits to maintain a polished appearance. This emphasis on quality aligns Instagram with the world of high fashion, where attention to detail and aesthetics are paramount. As a result, the platform is often viewed as a space for aspirational fashion content.

TikTok: The Rise of Spontaneity and Viral Trends

A Platform for Creative Expression

In contrast to Instagram’s polished aesthetic, TikTok, launched in 2016, is known for its spontaneous, user-generated content. As of July 2024, approximately 16 per cent of TikTok’s global audience⁶ consisted of women aged 18 to 24, while men in the same age group made up about 19 per cent of the platform’s users.

TikTok’s short-form video format encourages creativity, experimentation, and authenticity. Fashion on TikTok is less about perfection and more about personal expression, which has made the platform a breeding ground for viral trends.

One of TikTok’s most significant contributions to fashion is its ability to democratise style. Users from all backgrounds can participate in fashion challenges, showcase their personal style, and contribute to viral trends. The platform’s algorithm favours engagement and creativity, meaning that anyone, regardless of their follower count, can have a video go viral. This has led to the rise of micro-influencers and everyday users who can set fashion trends with a single post.

The Role of TikTok in Fast Fashion

TikTok’s user base is younger than Instagram’s, with a large percentage of users in their teens and early twenties. This demographic is more likely to engage with fast fashion brands, which offer trendy, affordable clothing that can quickly adapt to the latest viral trends. Brands like Shein, Zara, and H&M have capitalised on TikTok’s influence by collaborating with influencers and creating content that resonates with the platform’s young, trend-conscious audience.

One of the most notable aspects of TikTok’s influence on fashion is the platform’s role in promoting fast fashion through viral challenges and hauls. Hashtags like #SheinHaul or #ZaraOutfits generate millions of views as users showcase their recent purchases, offering quick style inspiration to others. This rapid cycle of trend adoption and disposal has fuelled the fast fashion industry, as users seek affordable, trendy pieces that align with the latest TikTok fashions.

Instagram vs. TikTok: A Comparative Analysis

While both Instagram and TikTok influence fashion trends, their approaches and impacts are markedly different. Let’s compare these platforms across key dimensions:

1. Content Style

• Instagram: Known for its polished and curated aesthetic, Instagram is a platform where users, particularly fashion influencers, showcase carefully styled outfits and lifestyle imagery. The emphasis on quality, beauty, and professionalism reflects aspirational styles that resonate with audiences seeking luxury and high fashion inspiration. Influencers often work with professional photographers and stylists to maintain their sophisticated image.

For example, high-end fashion influencers like Aimee Song⁷ and Olivia Palermo⁸ use Instagram to create a highly polished visual narrative that reflects their luxurious tastes.

• TikTok: In contrast, TikTok thrives on authenticity and creativity. Users create spontaneous, unfiltered content that mirrors real-life experiences with fashion. Fashion challenges, thrift hauls, DIY styling tips, and outfit transitions are common forms of content on TikTok, making the platform feel more accessible and playful.

An example is the viral ‘Outfit of the Day’ (#OOTD) videos, where users casually showcase their daily outfits in a fun and relatable manner. Influencers like Wisdom Kaye, a fashion model, gained immense popularity on TikTok by creatively showcasing bold and experimental outfits through short, engaging videos.

2. Demographics

• Instagram: Instagram’s user base tends to skew slightly older compared to TikTok, with a strong presence among millennials. This demographic, often ranging from 25 to 40 years old, typically has more disposable income, making Instagram a favourite platform for luxury and high fashion brands.

For instance, brands like Louis Vuitton, Balmain, and Gucci frequently collaborate with top influencers and celebrities on Instagram to target an affluent audience with visually stunning campaigns.

• TikTok: TikTok is primarily dominated by Generation Z, a younger demographic known for its values of self-expression, sustainability, and inclusivity. Gen Z users, typically in their teens and early twenties, are drawn to TikTok’s fast fashion and thrifted clothing trends, as well as emerging designers. This generation embraces a more diverse range of fashion influences, focusing on creativity and individuality.

Brands like Shein and Zara have found success on TikTok by aligning with the platform’s trend-driven culture, frequently collaborating with younger influencers to launch viral fashion challenges and hauls.

3. Influencer Culture

• Instagram: On Instagram, influencers are often viewed as aspirational figures, with large followings built on their carefully crafted online personas. These influencers, who often collaborate with luxury brands, set trends for consumers seeking high fashion and premium experiences. Influencers like Chiara Ferragni⁹ and Danielle Bernstein¹⁰ have become synonymous with luxury fashion, frequently appearing in high-end campaigns and fashion events. Their feeds are curated to exude a sense of exclusivity and refinement, reflecting the platform’s emphasis on elegance and sophistication.

• TikTok: In contrast, TikTok’s influencer culture is built on authenticity and relatability. TikTok fashion influencers often create content that feels accessible to a wide range of viewers, regardless of their backgrounds or budgets. Many viral trends on TikTok are driven by micro-influencers and everyday users, who bring a democratic approach to fashion influence.

For example, creators like Nava Rose¹¹ and Addison Rae¹² use TikTok to share styling hacks, fashion DIYs, and fun outfit challenges that feel genuine and relatable. This approach resonates with TikTok’s audience, who value creativity and experimentation over perfection.

4. Trend Cycle

• Instagram: The trend cycle on Instagram tends to evolve more slowly, allowing trends to feel more established and long-lasting. Influencers and brands invest time in crafting their content, ensuring that trends are presented in a refined and aspirational manner. Fashion trends on Instagram are often inspired by luxury collections, runway shows, and fashion weeks, which provide a steady source of inspiration for users.

For example, runway-inspired trends like ‘oversized blazers’ and ‘statement sleeves’ may take months to fully permeate Instagram feeds, as influencers adopt these trends and incorporate them into their content.

• TikTok: TikTok’s trend cycle is fast-paced and constantly changing. Viral fashion trends can emerge and fade within days or weeks, driven by the platform’s algorithm, which encourages rapid content consumption. This quick turnover allows TikTok users to experiment with bold and unconventional styles, participate in viral challenges, and try new fashion ideas without hesitation.

For example, trends like ‘cottagecore’ and ‘e-girl fashion’ gained widespread popularity on TikTok in a matter of weeks, as users embraced the aesthetics and quickly moved on to the next big thing. The platform’s trend-driven nature keeps fashion fresh and constantly evolving.

The Intersection of Instagram and TikTok in Fashion

While Instagram and TikTok have distinct cultures and formats, the two platforms often intersect in the world of fashion. Fashion influencers frequently cross-post content from TikTok to Instagram, allowing them to reach a wider audience and maintain visibility across both platforms. TikTok’s fast-paced trends often spill over to Instagram, where users replicate viral outfits, styling tips, and challenges on their feeds and Stories. This cross-platform interaction helps sustain fashion trends longer, giving them a broader appeal and extending their influence.

Brands, too, recognise the value of maintaining a presence on both platforms. High fashion brands may continue to focus on Instagram for its polished and curated aesthetic, which aligns with their image of luxury and exclusivity. However, they also embrace TikTok’s playful and trend-driven nature to connect with younger, more casual audiences.

On the other hand, fast fashion brands are highly adept at leveraging both Instagram and TikTok, using TikTok to create viral trends and Instagram to reinforce brand identity with more structured campaigns. This dual approach helps brands maximise their reach and appeal to diverse demographic groups across different social media platforms.

Conclusion: The Future of Fashion on Social Media

As social media continues to evolve, Instagram and TikTok will remain at the forefront of fashion trendsetting. While Instagram continues to dominate high fashion with its curated visuals and influencer culture, TikTok’s rise highlights the importance of creativity, spontaneity, and authenticity in shaping future trends. The two platforms offer complementary spaces for fashion, with Instagram serving as the hub for aspirational style and TikTok as the epicentre of fast fashion and experimental trends.

Fashion brands, influencers, and consumers alike will need to navigate both platforms to stay relevant in this fast-paced, ever-changing digital landscape. By understanding the unique characteristics of Instagram and TikTok, brands can better tailor their strategies to engage with audiences and shape the future of fashion.