Underconsumption Core: Why We Should Embrace This ‘Trend’ for Good

Have you ever stopped to think about the oldest item in your wardrobe? I have a few ancient t-shirts that have stood the test of time and I still wear my Dad's denim jacket which is in perfectly good nick (and is a good few years old now).

Good quality clothes last. And when they do, there's no reason to go out and buy more.

Does this mean I am an underconsumer? Maybe. If you too have seen articles, Tiktoks or have otherwise heard that term 'underconsumption' bandied around - then come and explore this 'new' trend and its counterparts.

What is Underconsumption Core, Really?

The Origins of Underconsumption

You can blame Gen Z for this new term to describe buying less tat you don't need, instead keeping and wearing items for longer.

Underconsumption core is a viral trend and originated on Tiktok. It largely stems from the cost of living crisis squeezing everyone's budgets while big companies continue to pump out their advertising to make you buy more stuff that you can't even afford.

To under consume doesn't mean you have to wear threadbare clothes or deprive yourself of pleasure, though. It's more about embracing a simple life that isn't flashy - and being confident to share that your leggings are 7+ years old on social media. This runs counter to the endless Shein or fast fashion hauls which are an aggressive form of overconsumption.  

Loud Budgeting

Are you 'loud budgeting'? This is another form of resistance against spending and overconsumption that has become pretty popular on Tiktok. An example is when your friend or colleague buys 'the shoe of the summer' and tells you that you need to buy them too. You decline and then say how exactly you will use that £200 instead - saving it for a little getaway, or for revitalising your whole wardrobe second hand, for instance. Again it's another way of rejecting buying stuff for the sake of it, bringing a more mindful, purposeful consumption. 

Normalcore 

Underconsumption core is also known as normalcore or normal consumption. For lots of you reading this blog right now, you probably already engage in this - that's why it's normal... But it has been transformed into a more radical act because the only real way we can stop fast fashion businesses from pumping out endless lines of new fashion is to stop buying it completely. The supply is there because the demand is too, sadly. So while it may seem odd to be sharing how old your jeans are and how many different repairs you've had done on them, it is normalising that circular idea of keeping and wearing clothes for longer. It's ok to rewear!

Again you may find that you easily complete some of the challenges that you find popping up on your social feeds. Like no-buy months for clothes. It is not entirely unreasonable to not buy a single piece of brand new clothing in a month, surely?

De-influencing and outfit blindness

De-influencing is where influencers use their platforms to stop people from jumping onto ridiculous microtrends just for the novelty of trends.

This goes hand-in-hand with outfit blindness which is when you let trends completely dictate what you wear to the extent you're not really wearing your personal style anymore.

So de-influencing is about de-trending your wardrobe, embracing clothes you enjoy wearing normally and celebrating those. 

There's no need to go and buy those trendy shoes if you already have a perfectly good pair that go with your daily outfits.

And you definitely shouldn't end up with a 'trend soup' - an outfit full of trendy clothing but nothing actually goes.

Just like we are missing those skills to repair or even make our own clothes, we are now lacking the ability to follow our own sense of style.

Fashion is of course, pretty subjective. If what makes you truly happy is wearing a bunch of trendy stuff you saw on the internet, then go for it. But the problem is when trends change so quickly that clothes end up unloved and languishing in wardrobes, or worse, going to landfill. 

But if we were to follow a few more de-influencers, or enlist some of our more fashionable friends for help, we could all make better decisions about our outfits and wardrobes that really celebrate our personal sense of style and identity, free of trends. Clothes that we can continue to love and wear forever.

Anti-Hauls

Anti-Hauls are a fashion haul video but you say all the stuff you AREN'T going to buy. It may be because of certain brand's ethics, their treatment of workers, animals, environmental policies etc.

De-coring Underconsumption

We think Agus Panzoni sums underconsumption core up best.

“The irony lies in the fact that underconsumption is a practice, while ‘core’ refers to an aesthetic,” Agus Panzoni (trend creator, Depop Trend aficionado). 

Taking on the underconsumption 'aesthetic' just for the sake of looking trendy is very problematic. Let's not forget that the people who underconsume most are those who genuinely can't afford to buy new clothing. 

We just need to embrace some of the ideas of underconsumption without turning it into an aesthetic for the sake of it. 

If you love the clothes in your wardrobe, then as per Charlie XCX, you should rewear [y]our clothes to death. Don't love them anymore? Pass them on - but do think about making any replacements by buying, swapping or otherwise finding clothes preloved. Decide that you have enough.

Need more help with your styling? Check out Helen's series and you'll be looking good, feeling good and doing good in no time. Read Part One here.