Three TikTok fashion challenges to shake up your wardrobe

Unlike Instagram, where posts have usually been edited to within an inch of their life, and Twitter, which is essentially just a burning hell hole of bad takes where dreams go to die, TikTok has fast established itself as a space where creativity reigns – particularly when it comes to fashion. 

Among the countless chaotic memes and clips that leave you asking yourself ‘wtf did I just watch?’, a new gen of fashion enthusiasts are using the platform to showcase their love for clothes in wholly original ways – whether that’s through DIY videos demonstrating how to upcycle old pieces relegated to the back of the wardrobe, or, on the more berserk end of the scale, utilising whatever they find around the house to create their own pair of ‘Louboutins’ as part of 2019’s #LouboutinChallenge trend (seriously – do not try some of these at home). 

Unsurprisingly, with people around the world finding themselves with a lot more time on their hands thanks to government-sanctioned lockdowns, between March and April, TikTok recorded a 33 per cent increase in those joining the ranks of the platform. And what does more users mean? You guessed it: more fashion challenges. Here, we round up a few of the most imaginative ones happening right now should you want to get involved. We mean, what else have you got going on? 

THE ‘CHOOSE YOUR CHARACTER’ CHALLENGE

It’s likely you’ll be familiar with the premise of this challenge, given a quarantine meme employing its premise did the rounds on social media just a few weeks into lockdown. Drawing on the character selection sequence of iconique 90s console game Mortal Kombat and others like it, TikTokers ‘land’ in the frame as different characters (surprise) and gently sway as if suspended in motion. Usually soundtracked by Gorillaz “Dirty Harry’’ or the opening titles from retro Nintendo classic Super Smash Bros. fashion fans have co-opted the concept, using it as a way to cosplay cartoon and anime characters they want to portray or types of people they’ve observed – see the fashion student-dragging one here for an example of this. Tbh, aside from anything else, we’re living for a bit of Marine Serre cropping up on the platform. Avant-garde forever, baby. 

THE ‘WARDROBE TOUR’ CHALLENGE

With many of these videos accompanied by captions along the likes of ‘this took me all fucking day’, those getting involved dig into their wardrobe to try on a succession of different outfits before taking a single picture of each. Edited together to create a longer stop-motion clip, the videos are usually soundtracked by Belarusian post-punk band Molchat Doma’s “Судно” which has gotten pretty big across the platform in recent weeks (we see you LoveLeo). As well as taking your mind off the shitstorm the world’s currently facing for at least a few hours, it’s also likely to be a good way to re-think and get creative with unloved clothes you might not have considered for a while. Even Noen Eubanks has gotten involved.

THE ‘THROUGH THE DECADES’ CHALLENGE 

For this particular fashion challenge, TikTokers have been looking to the aesthetic of different eras and interpreting them in their own unique way. Starting off in the 50s (which usually means swingy circle skirts and cute little neckerchiefs, the videos run through the 60s (mini skirts and Twiggy-style make-up), 70s (Almost Famous inspired groupie-style looks), 80s (Molly Ringwald called she wants her look back), and 90s (minimal tailoring), before landing back in the 00s when Juicy Couture reigned supreme.

Take a look inside the LA Hype House where TikTok dreams are made – as seen in Dazed’s 2020 spring/summer issue – here, and check out the accompanying gallery below.