Tik Tok has taken the fashion world by storm. New trends rise and fall quickly. As a fashion start-up, aligning your product with the right trend can boost your popularity and revenue. So how do you know which trends can work for your brand and won’t waste your time and money.

Tik Tok has taken the world by storm, and it has become one of the most popular social media platforms among Gen Z and millennials. With over a billion active users, it’s no wonder that many fashion businesses are turning to TikTok to reach and engage with new customers and stay ahead of the trends. 

The app has become a go-to platform for discovering and sharing new fashion trend. This makes it an essential platform for fashion startups looking to optimize their launch by using trends. Popular fashion trends can get clever descriptive names like “coconut girl”, “coastal grandma”, “cottagecore”, “indie sleaze”, “twee”, and many others. 

Some of these names fade in popularity quickly, and some have some real staying power.  J.Crew started promoting it’s linen clothing on Instagram using the “coastal grandma” hashtag. Aeropostale and River Island promote using the “cottagecore” title, hashtag, and trend. Some of the trending names will become a permanent part of the fashion lexicon. 

If you are watching trends. Some that might explode in the coming months could be “royal core”, “night luxe”, or “Miley Stewart summer”. The important thing to remember is that on Tik Tok there are many trends emerging, sustaining, and fading all at once. There is a real danger in investing heavily in something that may not work for you. This blog will give some tips for fashion startups looking to use and stay ahead of trends on Tik Tok. 

Don’t chase trends - use them:

Trends on Tik Tok can be very seductive. Just because something is hot on Monday does not mean it will still be popular on Friday. If you try to chase every trend that gets hot, you could end up spending a lot of time, effort, and money trying to alter your brand for a trend that goes out of style the next month. 

You need to understand how your brand can fit into a trend. When you see one that works with your fashion line’s brand identity, then you may have a match. To capitalize on that trend, create clever content that features your brand embracing the trend. 

To identify the trends that are popular and may be useful, keep an eye on fashion influencers, popular hashtags, and trending videos to get a sense of what's popular. You can also use TikTok's search feature to find videos related to your niche and see what's getting the most views and engagement.

Another way to stay on top of fashion trends is to attend fashion events, and to network with other fashion industry professionals. This will give you an opportunity to see what's trending in the fashion world, and to connect with other designers and influencers who can help you stay ahead of the curve.

Trends Boost sales:

It’s very important to embrace the right trends that align with your brand. They can be a significant boost to sales and new customers. Searches for linen pants increased by 66% in May of 2022, thanks to “coastal grandma”. Searches for pleather bodysuits spiked 83 per cent on Google as videos featuring “fetishcore” flooded Tik Tok. 

You must remember that Tik Tok trends and their associated sales bump are not forever. “Crochet” products took Tik Tok by storm last spring but by early April, key sales indicators dropped over 23%. That was not a long, sustained trend. If you moved late and changed your business model or products to embrace it, you could have been left holding a lot of unsold inventory.

Constantly monitor analytics:

To stay ahead of trends on Tik Tok, it's important to use analytics to track the popularity of the trend and your content performance. Tik Tok’s analytics can help you identify which trends are most popular as well as which hashtags to use. 

Tik Tok's analytics tool can also help you track your own views, engagement, and follower growth. This can help you see what types of content are resonating with your audience.  Use this information to refine your content strategy and to stay on top of the latest fashion trends. 

It’s also important to keep an eye on fashion influencers, popular hashtags, and trending videos to get a sense of what's popular. You can use Tik Tok's search feature to find videos related to your niche and see what's getting the most views and engagement.

Engage Influencers:

Collaborating with fashion influencers is another great way to stay ahead of trends on Tik Tok. Influencers have a large following and can help you reach new audiences and showcase your products in a creative and engaging way.

To collaborate with influencers, start by researching popular influencers in your niche and reach out to them to see if they're interested in collaborating. You can offer them free products or services in exchange for promoting your brand on their Tik Tok channel. Make sure to only choose influencers who align with your brand values and who have a following that matches your target audience.

Content is everything:

To stay ahead of trends and capitalize on the opportunity they present, it is important to create content that is engaging, creative, and shareable. Embrace a  popular TikTok trend that fits your product’s niche. Then create content that resonates with your audience and showcases your products in a fun and creative way. Always follow your analytics to know what type of your content appeals most to your followers and customers.

You can also create "how-to" videos that show your audience how to style your products or how to incorporate them into their wardrobe. Use Tik Tok’s trending music, special effects, and filters to make your videos stand out. Limit the length so that your videos are short and snappy and keep your audience engaged.

Embracing emerging trends can give your fashion line a significant sales boost and increase your brand’s popularity and customer loyalty. Be careful to only embrace the trends that make sense for your niche. If you need to change your product for a trend, you risk that trend going out of style before you have a product to offer. 

It’s important to understand that you cannot chase all emerging trends at once. You should only embrace the ones that make sound business sense to your fashion line. They can give you the opportunity for a significant sales bump. Also, you need to understand that trends fade, and it is important to know when a specific trend is not working for you. 

If you stay aware of emerging trends on Tik Tok and use the right ones to move your brand forward, you can end up with a more successful start up and a lot of new, brand loyal customers. 

Stuck on product Production? At V.Mora we can help you through the entire production process from designing, to sourcing and so on through our Production Development services. If you are in need of the following Development and Production services: 

• Sourcing 

• Technical sketches   

• Pattern Making

• Prototype making 

• Sample Making

• Fittings 

• Digitizing and Grading

• Marker Making

• Manufacturing

Please contact us at: vmorainquiry@vmora.com

About the Author

Fashion expert, Allison Howmann, graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology where she majored in Fashion Design and Minored in International Trade and Marketing. She has spent over 6 years in the NYC Fashion Industry utilizing her Design and Marketing skills. Allison has worked with several successful brands to help create their winning fashion development, small business operations, and sales and marketing strategies. You can find her creating original content on the V.Mora blog and the V.Mora Instagram.