The Pros and Cons of Fashion TikTok

TikTok aficionados know that the addicting app does not present the same content for every one of its many junkies. Instead, TikTok has seemingly endless “sides” that serve the various user niches. Those on the app attempting to learn trendy dances and to follow popular influencers might have little content overlap with users intensively immersed in the world of Harry Potter fanfiction. As someone who is obsessed with all things fashion, the TikTok algorithm quickly corralled me into a side of the app that I refer to as Fashion TikTok. My feed is full of creatives sewing exquisite outfits, knitting extravagant sweaters, exhibiting miraculous hauls, and starting entire fashion labels. Being on Fashion TikTok is an emotional journey: I constantly flip-flop from feeling inspired and amazed to jealous and lesser-than. While it can be incredibly exciting to see other’s outstanding outfits and products, it can also feel extremely overwhelming and can fuel my personal insecurities. So, last week I thought to myself: why not simply delete the app and rid myself of these negative thoughts? Of course, TikTok users know that erasing the app is not a decision to ever take lightly. Therefore, I decided to make a pros and cons list in order to determine the app’s fate on my phone. By sharing my list with readers, I hope to assist and relate to other users experiencing this exceptionally challenging dilemma.

Pro 1

TikTok inspires me to create. The endless number of talented users designing incredible pieces of clothing and art inspire me every time I use the app (meaning, every day). Creators construct unique outerwear out of upholstery material, embroider beautiful imagery onto old fabrics, and conjure up dreamy outfits out of mesmerizing racks of clothing. And all these videos inspire me to create my own clothing and to develop my own style. For example, after watching countless videos of users chopping up ratty shirts and rearranging them into cute matching sets, I broke out my old sewing machine and decided to stop procrastinating the task of fixing it. I spent a warm July day unjamming the needle and re-learning the machine basics. One week later, I had created a personal pajama set out of stretchy, purple butterfly-patterned fabric. Two months later, I have drastically improved my sewing skills and have sewn many wearable garments. This is thanks to TikTok! Seeing other young twenty-somethings all around the world construct beautiful pieces from their childhood bedrooms stimulated and inspired me to pursue my fashion-creation dreams.

Con 1

I inevitably compare my creations to the creations of others. Let me walk you through my constant mental cycle while using TikTok: First, I get inspired by something I watch. Next, I attempt to re-create a similar garment. Then, I go back and watch more TikTok videos and immediately begin to compare what I made to the hundreds of users designing superior pieces. I end the cycle feeling dejected and inferior, telling myself that nothing I make will ever be good enough. After feeling pride in the heart of flowers I embroidered onto an old-pillowcase, for example, TikTok responded with a video of a user embroidering a complex and intimate scene of motherly love onto a shirt. The style of the video (that of all videos on the app, which has a 60-second limit) made the creation appear effortless and quick. The user was just another young woman embroidering in her pink bedroom, it wasn’t as though she was some professional in Paris. Consequently, I immediately started to doubt myself and my talent. While comparing myself to images on the Internet is nothing new, the fact that I now have unlimited access to thousands of creators amplifies my insecurities. In short, I never feel good enough on TikTok.

Pro 2

TikTok unites creators and fosters a like-minded community. During quarantine, I was stuck at my parents’ house in the middle of a small town composed mostly of older, white couples. Needless to say, it is not the creative center of the universe. I turned to the internet to find my fashion community. And TikTok delivered. Having constant access to countless creators keeps me excited and invested in the fashion world. It allows me to follow trends, discover emerging designers, and connect to individuals that have similar passions to me. I have access to a never-ending creative community that fuels my fashion obsession at the touch of a button.

Con 2

Fashion TikTok fosters my constant urge to purchase new clothing. My TikTok feed is constantly overflowing with trendy girls and their gigantic shopping hauls. Users purchase pieces from pricey fast-fashion brands such as Unif, OMIGHTY, and Princess Polly, and show the world every new garment they receive. While I always enjoy a good haul, seeing video after video of the same creators ordering endless goods promotes hyper-consumerism and pushes the message that people (meaning me) should continually purchase new pieces. Instagram already ignited the concept that outfits should only be worn once. TikTok just adds fuel to the flame.

Pro 3

I have learned how to make my own replicas of coveted pieces using TikTok videos. Not only does the app inspire me to create, some users actually teach viewers how to construct their pieces. I have learned how to sew the furry Unif tote, the DIOR saddlebag, and bucket hats through the app. Creators post sewing patterns, tips, and tricks for anyone to use. Free classes!

Con 3

I waste my days on TikTok without actually producing anything. TikTok is addicting: the app makes it surprisingly easy to spend hours on my phone. And while I know this is not just a Fashion TikTok dilemma, it is especially frustrating for me because I am supposedly on the app to get inspired to create. Unfortunately, I end up spending my day watching others create without actually making anything myself. As I watch users design Vivian Westwood-inspired corsets and flip Nike hoodies into bodycon dresses, I get lulled into the false notion that I, myself, am being productive. In reality, this is far from the truth. In short, Fashion TikTok makes it extremely easy to feel more creative and productive than I actually am.

While the constant creative content on TikTok provides endless inspiration for my fashion-obsessed brain, it also fuels my insecurities and prompts constant comparison between myself and others. Do the pros outweigh the cons and rationally permit me to keep TikTok installed? It’s hard to tell. Will I delete the app? Probably not. I have sewed and crocheted more over the past five months than I had in the past years. And while quarantine of course gave me newfound time, I doubt that I would have immersed myself in the crafts world as wholeheartedly without the help of this little app. Thank you, TikTok - for now.