Flaunt or Resist?

Eid this year saw the farshishalwar make a dramaticcomeback at iftars andEid dawats.

Yet, as Gen Z embraced andflaunted the grandeur of thefarshi shalwar, others stoodout by opting out of adding yetanother trendy piece of clothingto their wardrobe, hinting at aquiet resistance towards thepressures of indulging in overthe-top trends.

This raises the larger questionof whether Pakistan’s Gen Z,influenced by trends and virality,is beginning to resist or evenreject overconsumption, despitebeing constantly bombardedwith curated algorithms fromthe moment they wake up untilthey go to bed, leading themto spend on things they do notnecessarily need. Signs arethat this generation is shifting tominimalism in response to thedaily overstimulation they face.This shift is not limited to fashion.In tech, lifestyle and otherareas, Gen Z is increasinglyquestioning the virality ofthings rather than succumbingto a ‘must-have’ culture. Butis this motivated by financialuncertainty or by a genuine pivottowards sustainability born fromclimate anxiety, or is it simply justanother trend?

For many consumers, resistingthe impulse to add yet anotheritem to their shopping cart hasbecome a conscious strategyto stay afloat in the face oftoday’s inflationary pressures,as evidenced by the TikTok ‘NoBuy 2025’ trend that has gainedtraction all over the world.As part of this trend, manypeople are committing to buyingonly essentials and swearing off‘influencer buys.’ Many are alsoposting lists on social media ofthings they refuse to buy, suchas new clothing, cosmeticsor electronic gadgets, as wellas eating out less frequentlyand limiting other impulsivepurchases. The goal is to breakaway from problematic spendingbehaviours. Rebecca Sowden,a popular American influencerknown for her personal financeand budgeting advice, recentlyshared extensive and rigorous‘No Buy 2025’ rules, promptingher followers to rethink how theyspend their money this year.Sowden went from not buyingnew clothes to not even buyingthrifted clothes, no new shoes(until the existing ones are wornout), no new makeup (unlessdermatologically recommended),and putting money asideevery week for essentialtransportation, groceries, andclothing expenses.

‘No Buy 2025’ has become thevoice of many young adults whoare struggling in this economy. Canwe then foresee a ‘No Buy 2025’in Pakistan? Given the plethora ofvideos on social media bashing thehike in the price of Eid collectionclothes, this is not entirely out ofthe question. Instagram influencersand celebrities may have flauntedtheir Eid outfits, but for Pakistan’sGen Z, what was once aspirationalhas become overwhelming forthem because of the financialpressures they face.

Gen Z is becoming morefinancially conscious, which inturn is influencing their aestheticpreferences. Today, they areabout ‘less is more’, ‘quality overquantity’, and finding ways to savemoney without compromising onstyle. This is also influenced bythe rise of ‘anti-haul’ videos andother forms of ‘de-influencing’content, where digital creatorsencourage their followers to thinktwice before spending their hardearned money.

However, is ‘de-influencing’just encouraging people to buysomething better? We haveseen Pakistani influencerspromoting cheaper and localdupes over imported andexpensive makeup and gadgets(very close to de-influencing).

De-influencing is aboutcombatting overconsumptionand impulse buying, but is itactually preventing us fromdoing just that? All the ‘do notbuy the Dyson Airwrap’, ‘donot buy the Charlotte TilburyContour Wand’, ‘do not buy theStanley Cup’, and ‘do not get theAirPods Pro Max’ were usuallyfollowed by ‘Here’s what youcan buy instead’ or ‘It is lessexpensive and available locally’.Anti-hauls were the rage inthe 2016-2019 YouTube beautyguru era, when YouTubers inthe beauty industry would post‘anti-hauls’, expressing theirreluctance to buy a product,either due to the ingredients,a negative experience, animaltesting, limited shade ranges orother reasons. But still, it camedown to, ‘This is the product,and this is why I won’t buy itagain…’ followed by, ‘Here’s whatyou should buy instead.’ Greatsentiment, but it misses the pointof combating overconsumptionby promoting yet anotherproduct. So it’s not reallyde-influencing per se, but ‘dupepromoting’, which is essentiallypromoting dupes and cheaperknockoffs of the same product.

The other question is whetherGen Z is taking a step in termsof consumption because ofeconomic pressures or dueto rising awareness aboutthe environmental footprintof overconsumption. Thriftingand circular fashion havebecome popular, but how can ageneration that can’t get enough‘shopping hauls’ on social mediaever lead a sustainable lifestyle?There is, in fact, a constantpush-pull between their desireto consume responsibly and yetstay on style and buy productsthat make them feel good, evenif it means splurging a little bit.

Many small fashion businessesin Pakistan have started topromote sustainable fashion byfocusing on slow fashion, reusingfabrics and sourcing from localartisans. Similarly, there is agrowing social media culturethat promotes pre-loved items – such as makeup, bags, shoesand wedding wear – makingit a popular way to promotesustainable fashion by providingaffordable alternatives thatreduce waste. For many GenZers, buying thrift or local itemsor from non-boycott list brandsis more about the environmentalimpact and social implicationsrather than about savingmoney, and in this way, theyare transitioning to sustainablepractices. For instance, slowproduced fabrics or garmentsmade from recycled materialsare highly sought after. Manybrands are also incorporatinghistory and heritage by usingtraditional Sindhi ralli and kanthatechniques; other brands areprioritising quality over quantityby producing a small number ofarticles using ethical practices orrecycled materials.

Maha Shahid is a marketingexecutive, Dawn Media.mahashahidd10@gmail.com