Maybe the Return of “Twee” Is a Good Thing For Trend Cycles
An optimistic look at the non-stop “resurgence” in fashion.
It's mid-January, two weeks past the holidays, three weeks into a scary coronavirus surge (in the U.S., at least, and about six weeks into the dreary winter months. It's bleak, and quite frankly, no one is handling it well. The coping mechanism for those of us who are chronically online tends to include some version of frantically scouring social media for any sign of a trend that we can complain about. In the last two weeks, this trend appears to be something known as "twee."
Yes, my Millenials out there, you read that right: according to TikTok, the twee girl is back. For those unfamiliar, twee was the quaint retro-esque style that was huge in the early 2010s. It was popularized by celebrities like Zoey Deschanel and Alexa Chung, who were known for their frilly collared tops paired with cutesy skirts and patterned tights. This resurgence has also been coupled with the return of the 2015 "Tumblr aesthetic," which is much of the same thing, just romanticized with close-up editorials of lace and glitter.
I'm not in the boat of shaming the trend itself; people can like whatever they want. The thing is, it's been less than ten years since the style was dominating the racks at every single fast fashion store in the world. The Y2K resurgence hasn't even had time to dry, and here we are moving through the millennium at lightning speed. In part, I think this happens because of our attention spans. We are so inundated with each trend that its both impossible to ignore, and no surprise that we get bored of them so fast.
On the brand side, their ability to shift and adjust with trends every week has gotten so advanced that they will latch onto the slightest whiff of a trend. For example, Shein often boasts that they bring 1,000 styles to market each week. Their technology allows them to see what people are talking about and produce small quantities available for sale. So if you were to see a TikTok that says frill Peter Pan collars are back, then search for it on Google; you might find that exact style new and ready for you to purchase at a moment's notice. In this sense, the constant switching up of micro trends is both instigated and perpetuated by the fast fashion brands that constantly need us to buy new clothing to make money.
There is, I think, a potential positive side to the cycle becoming faster than I ever imagined possible. It's only been seven years since this aesthetic was popular, so the likelihood that those who liked it have grown out of it is lower than, say, a trend that is 20 years old. You are more likely to have your fedora from just a few years ago stashed away in a box somewhere than have your spaghetti strap tank top from high school. This also means that the availability of these styles on resale apps might be higher too. Twee wasn't my thing, but if it were, you would bet that I would curate my shop on Depop to sell some pieces to younger people looking to buy in.
This might be wishful thinking, but who says that this super fast trend cycle can't backfire on the brands? What happens when things spin fast? You can't see them, and they get out of control. If micro trends are coming and going within a matter of years, who's to say you ever have to grow out of them? Maybe it could be a wake-up call that following a trend is more likely to put you out of style than keep you in the know. It's a good moment to hone in on your personal style instead of following the cycle presented to you on social media. It’s also a moment where I think small innovative designers can really shine. I love following accounts like 1granary to see what young fashion students who don’t have a consumer to answer to are making. They are often designing in a space where the art of fashion can really shine. Not everything needs to be bought and copied, sometimes clothing can just be appreciated for what it is.