How digital cameras changed fashion

There were days when you got your fashion fixes from monthly glossy magazines. And while these still exist, those in-the-know are now getting their wardrobe inspiration from a variety of sources - from social media accounts to blogs.

And the one thing uniting these new sources of ideas is the digital camera. 
  

Early days
In the late 90s and early 00s digital cameras stopped being something that appeared in sci-fi films and started popping up on the high street. They gave users the freedom to shoot many more photos and delete ones they didn’t want.

This freedom meant that people no longer were just using cameras for special occasions but on a daily basis. Those with an interest in fashion could use them to capture inspiration whether that was out shopping or attending a concert. They could then take these ideas home with them for analysis, instead of previously having to rely on remembering what an outfit looked like.

The fast turnaround time and ability to quickly adjust digital images also allowed professional photographers to capture images that could be distributed to the world faster.

When websites and blogs launched, this meant images from fashion shows, foreign countries and exclusive events could be seen by fashion fans on a daily – not just monthly – basis.

And as cameras became a common site in everyday life people started to respond to them differently. Whereas photographing strangers at events or on the street was frowned upon in the past, digital cameras meant people became more comfortable using them and posing for them. 
  

Rise of social media
But the true impact of the digital camera on fashion came when social media became big news.

Add to this the fact that almost everyone had a decent camera attached to their phone and all of a sudden you had thousands of amateur fashion photographers and a free place online to showcase their images.

Suddenly blogs, Instagram and Twitter accounts started appearing aimed solely at street fashion. No longer were the big fashion houses and celebrities the taste makers and drivers of fashion – it was now in the hands of everyone.

People who had no background in fashion were becoming bigger style icons than head designers as they had a good eye and thousands of followers online.

The quality of photos taken was also rising thanks to technological advances and fun features such as filters. It meant that amateur photographers could produce pictures that could pass for professional, blurring the lines even further between industry professionals and the amateurs.

Social media also made the world smaller. Teenagers from Croydon could now see what their counterparts in Tokyo were wearing that season.

As bloggers rose in popularity, retailers and designers started to also embrace social media. Now you no longer had to wait until the new season’s range hit the high street or was reported on a month later in magazines – you’d get photos from fashion shows instantly.

These days, there are many places to get your fashion fixes - from blogs (like ours!) to social media accounts – or you could use your digital camera to show what fashion trends you’re into at the moment.