Low rise jeans and diet culture

I know this headline sounds confusing, but fashion, wellness, and diet culture have one common denominator... consumerism.

I remember the multiple fashion meetings I attended, sitting around a large table with the design and merchandising team, and of course, those of us in production. We would sit around every quarter and view all of the new designs that were being made, and maybe (if the price was right) be in the stores within the new season. Without a shadow of doubt, there were always, and I mean always, designs resurfacing from last season or seasons before, but with a new addition. And when I say new addition, I mean new color, pocket, altered length, etc.

Why am I reminiscing about my days working in fashion? Well, I did work in the industry for 9 years and have The Devil Wears Prada -esque stories to tell. But also because I am still fascinated by the hyperconsumerism of fashion and really anything. Yes, of course, when I was working for fashion houses, I thought this was normal and standard. I mean, it is, in a way, but the word hyperconsumerism was never a part of my vocabulary.

Capitalism is defined as an economic system in which a country’s trade, industry, and profits are controlled by private companies instead of by the people whose time and labor power those companies.

Consumerism is the theory that an increasing consumption of goods is economically desirable.

Keeping up with the Joneses

I posted the above about a week ago because I keep noticing the constant headlines on what style is trending. Let me say this, trends always come and go and will always change, but I think it’s so important to remember that we don’t have to follow each one. I remember low-rise jeans from the early 2000s. I also remember owning a couple of pairs of them because they were fashionable back then. I was also in my teens and early 20s. I am now 40 years old and have zero desire to constantly check to make sure nothing is being seen from my jeans riding too low. And this goes without saying, but these are my personal thoughts and feelings, and people are free to wear what they choose. That’s actually the whole point of me saying all of this. Wear the clothes that you love and that you find comfortable.

The queen of low-rise back in the day - Ms. Britney Spears. You could never get me to wear this style ever again.

And of course, me being me, I can’t help but notice the role consumerism plays in multiple industries. I don’t want to say that I am constantly on social media because I am trying to actively decrease my time scrolling; however, every single time I see one of those restocking videos on social media, my anxiety goes up. There is something about seeing people purchasing multiple versions of juice, snacks, and produce, and then proceeding to take them out of the packaging that they already come in, and then transfer them to other containers. I mean, pouring out juice from its carton and then pouring it into another container and writing “orange juice” on the front is necessary, how? I get that social media is about aesthetics and careful curation, but I mean, a little ridiculous, right?

I need to emphasize that the reason I find it ridiculous is because none of this is actually needed. Juice already comes in a plastic container, so there really isn’t a need to pour it into another plastic container. And many of these folks are continually purchasing new containers in order to create carefully curated content. This was is my gripe with the Stanley cups (the water bottles, not hockey trophies) because the whole point of having a reusable water bottle is to save on plastic, space, and money, so it really is confusing to see people with multiple Stanley bottles. And I mean multiple because I am seeing some purchasing them in every new color that comes out. The same thing with tote bags. Trader Joe’s has mini tote bags that went viral last year, and folks were purchasing multiple bags in all the colors. They are coming out with new colors for Spring this year, and folks are already gearing up to purchase more.

But this type of consumerism also reminds me of clothes, fashion, and, of course, diet and wellness culture. (And yes, I promise I am going to explain how.) TikTok shop