Fashion victim
Meaning
A person who slavishly follows current fashion trends, often at the expense of personal comfort, suitability, or good taste.
Origin
The phrase "fashion victim" emerged in the late 20th century, a period marked by the explosion of mass media, consumer culture, and rapidly changing trends. As designers pushed increasingly daring or impractical styles, and magazines dictated what was au courant, a new form of social critique arose. The term targeted individuals who blindly adopted every fleeting vogue, regardless of how ill-suited or uncomfortable it might be, sacrificing personal style and comfort on the altar of perceived trendiness. It painted them as unwitting casualties in the relentless, and sometimes absurd, world of high fashion.
Examples
- She looked like a fashion victim in that oversized, sparkly jacket, clearly just following a trend without considering her own style.
- He became a true fashion victim after buying a pair of those ridiculously uncomfortable, yet highly sought-after, designer shoes.