Instagram or Instaglam?

Fashion

Instagram

     Instagram has slowly taken the world by storm with one hashtag connection at a time.  Countless teenage girls have found a passion for posing in front of the camera with the now ever popular "selfie" uploaded to one of their various social media outlets, namely Instagram.   This form of social media has led many average people to glamorize their otherwise mundane lives with some fancy filters and intriguing hashtags.  However, this outlet for peoples' lives is not simple effecting individuals who post their own photos on this site. 

The Fashion Industry

    This site is now a location for all major companies to advertise their products in a way that makes it seem like they are just part of the regular crowd.  An article in the New York Times, Fashion in the Age of Instagram, discusses the actions of viewers at a recent Paris fashion show.  The audience members were not simply sitting viewing the show, but rather were illuminated by it.  This illuminating light was coming from their smartphones.  The audience was snapping photos and videos of the show and immediately uploading them to Instagram.  This gets the clothes out without the designer doing any extra advertising.

A Positive or Negative

   The designers admit in the article that they often fall into the trap of designing clothes based on how they will photograph verses how they will present in a showroom.  The younger generation is wired differently.  We are not trained to see clothes for the first time in person, rather we see what we want online first.  Thus, designers are concerned more with the photogenic qualities of an outfit.

   Does this create a vicious cycle?  Are we as viewers prompted to join the #selfie craze because our clothes just look so fabulous in photos? Gone are the days of simply putting on an outfit and looking with pride in the mirror at how good you look and heading out for the day brimming with confidence.  Now the thought process is, "I look good, better Instagram this, hope I get a lot of likes!"   

   I think that social media has given designers a great outlet to reach their target audiences, but I don't think the audience should only wear the clothes for the virtual world.  Let's stay in the real world.  But hey, if you're working it, mine as well share it.