Forecasting with fashion: how trends react to the economy

In recent years, as national anxiety and political chaos grip societies worldwide, one thing has become abundantly clear, any and all period's of instability can breed its own distinct fashion aesthetic. Whether it’s the ‘clean girl’ aesthetic (think linen, gold jewellery, slicked-back buns, and acai bowls), or the rough-around-the-edges ‘bloke core’ with its football jerseys, jorts and dad shoes, it feels as though we’re continuously confronted with new and ever-evolving fashion trends. Yet, with the advent of the ‘recession core’ aesthetic amid the ongoing global economic downturn, it’s clear that fashion has become a mirror reflecting deeper societal struggles. 

But this isn’t the first time that economic hardship has given rise to distinct fashion trends. 

In the pages of Vouge, Christian Allaire suggests that just as ‘recession core’ gains traction in 2025, we may also witness the unexpected resurgence of ‘indie-sleaze’. Influenced by the likes of Alexa Chung and Kate Moss, who are making appearances on the 2025 fall runways, the era of grunge and untamed, black leather looks is coming back into fashion. But what does this say about the state of the world? More importantly, how do these fashion movements directly respond to economic turmoil?

The ‘clean girl’ aesthetic, which flourished particularly during the isolation of the pandemic, became the epitome of aspirational simplicity, with smooth, sleek hair, pastel Pilates gear, and a meticulously curated lifestyle. For many, this style offered a comforting sense of order during a time of chaos. Social media flooded with images of well-groomed figures cultivating ‘perfect’ routines, pristine spaces, and polished appearances, all centred around a notion of personal well-being and control.

While the pursuit of self-care can undoubtedly be valuable, this aesthetics’ emphasis on perfectionism often results in the cultivation of unrealistic beauty standards. More than that, it spawns a culture of excess consumerism, with many obsessed over acquiring the right products to maintain the ‘clean girl’ persona, an ironic twist, given the minimalist ideals it ostensibly promotes. In addition, it cultivates a culture of perfectionism that diminishes individuality and autonomy while promoting a narrow definition of femininity.

Enter indie-sleaze, a term that, while once synonymous with early 2000s fashion, is now making a triumphant return. At first glance, indie-sleaze can easily be seen as another arbitrary fashion aesthetic, just one that came before the labelling of such. However, its return is a reflection of a mood. For Allaire, indie-sleaze was ‘all about skinny jeans (suffocatingly tight) paired with leather jackets and striped shirts and vests’. It was a look ‘loosely characterised by vintage-inspired fashion, graphic tees and an eclectic blend of styles, all combined with intentionally unkempt hair and makeup.’ Indie-sleaze was a fashion statement born out of rebellion and resourcefulness. It was all about embracing chaos, using what you had, and rejecting the pressure to conform to neatness and order. In a time of economic uncertainty, this laid-back, messy aesthetic was a statement of defiance against the polished, high-consumption norms that dominated the previous decade.

Amber Rawlings, writing for Hunger magazine, explains that the fashion of 2024 is imbued with nostalgia, rebellion, and ‘celebrating messy vibes and boldly embracing our birthday suits.’ 'These trends hint at a craving for authenticity and a rejection of the ‘perfect’ and ‘clean girl’ aesthetics that have dominated previous years,' Rawlings writes. The return of indie-sleaze and the rise of ‘Brat Summer’, another fashion movement, signal a collective desire to break free from the hyper-curated images that saturate social media.

The emergence of Brat Summer, rather than relying on sheer nostalgia as a coping mechanism for the current state of the world, offers an alternative response to social pressures and concerns. While indie-sleaze reject the hyper-curated images that dominant much of social media, the ‘bratty’ lifestyle celebrates unfiltered self-expression. Spencer Korbhaber for The Atlantic writes, ‘when the hipster diva Charli XCX titled her new album, Brat, she crystallized a cultural mood: Seeming a little immature, a little selfish, a little nasty, has taken on an air of new glamour.’ From haphazardly applied eyeliner to DIY nail art, brat summer represents a rebellion against the overwhelm of societal pressures and the commercialisation of femininity. Contrary to previous fashion rebellions like the ‘hot girl summer’ of 2019 and 2022’s ‘feral girl’, it is less overtly sexual and more focused on claiming power through self-expression. It is also much less focused on consumption than the clean girl aesthetic. According to Charli XCX, it's ‘just a pack of cigs, a Bic lighter and a strappy white top. With no bra.’ With this as a checklist, it’s impossible to miss the similarities between Brat Summer and indie-sleaze.

What’s interesting here is how this modern movement mirrors the early 2010s indie-sleaze scene. Both are expressions of a youth culture that is at once weary of conformity and acutely aware of economic uncertainty. While the indie-sleaze aesthetic rose in response to the 2008 financial crash, Brat Summer seems to be a response to the collective trauma of the pandemic, where consumerism and image-driven lifestyles became suffocating.

The deeper message here is the implicit rejection of overconsumption. Both indie-sleaze and Brat Summer are an antidote to the hyper-commercialised, perfection-obsessed world of ‘clean girl’ aesthetics. By embracing a carefree, messy attitude, these movements advocate for less consumption and more self-expression. In a world where financial hardships are affecting so many, these trends, with their roots in authenticity and defiance, may just be the rebellion we need. After all, less attention to appearances means less reliance on the consumer-driven pressures that seem to plague our lives.

In the end, as we face an uncertain economic future, fashion may be offering us a subtle but powerful message: sometimes, the best way to survive tough times is not by striving for perfection but by embracing imperfection, and rejecting the very consumption that fuels it all.