Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.

The Decline and Fall of the Viral Microtrend

Fast spreading — and disappearing — online “microtrends” or “cores” have driven fashion conversation for young shoppers over the past few years. Now, the churn has started to slow.

Fashion's viral microtrend obsession may be tempering. (BoF Collage)

Joan Kennedy

10 January 2025

BoF PROFESSIONAL

From cottagecore at the height of the pandemic to 2022’s coastal grandmother to 2023’s “Succession”-inspired quiet luxury all the way to the fur-covered “mob wife” at the start of last year, consumers have been inundated with microtrend after microtrend on TikTok.

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BoF explains why online trends from cottagecore and quiet luxury to barbiecore and coastal grandmother bubble up and spread out — and how brands can find their footing in the fast-moving, jumbled space.

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About the author

Joan Kennedy

Joan Kennedy is Correspondent at The Business of Fashion. She is based in New York and covers beauty and marketing.

In This Article

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Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.

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