Clothing designs that seem impractical yet are visually alluring continue to go viral on social media. More and more US brands are jumping on the trend of clothing that is slightly impractical, extremely divisive, yet strangely alluring at the same time. These designs seem to exist less for the sake of practicality and more for the sake of an eye-catching photo shoot that spreads quickly on social media. The trend can be traced back to the 1970s and ’80s when designers would create shocking ensembles in the hopes of ending up in influential fashion magazines. Then — and now — the point of producing shocking and impractical designs was not to sell the actual piece itself. The point was to get more photographers shooting the designer, and magazine editors writing and talking about them. Now, the point is to get more followers and customers talking about the brand, with the goal of increasing shares and reposts to spread the word and gain more attention.

Going on Instagram is effective for quick brand recognition, but it doesn’t always lead to long-term impact. At some point, people will start to see through the viral marketing tactics and crave authenticity. Consumers will tire of the impractical designs.