Fashion Enthusiasts Seek Algorithm-Free Shopping Inspiration on Substack

Substack, an online platform that provides publishing, payment, analytics, and design infrastructure to support subscription newsletters, has become the go-to destination for young fashion enthusiasts wanting to escape algorithms.

On a thread in the biweekly Substack shopping newsletter Magasin’s group chat, one user posed the question, “Friends, what’s a good dupe for that beautiful Khaite cardigan I definitely can’t afford?” The query sparked a flood of responses, with commenters swiftly offering up affordable alternative options. At the same time, another user posed a question about the trendy cotton pants that retail for $860 on Moda Operandi.

Rapidly, Substack is becoming the go-to spot for fashion lovers to get the inside scoop on style and shopping. Those wanting to detox from search engines and social media algorithms are jumping on this trend. Creators and their followers on the Substack platform are increasingly willing to subscribe for monthly fees, seeking better recommendations and a sense of community with like-minded individuals.

Sasha Mills, creative and digital culture specialist at The Digi Fairy agency, said, “Creators and audiences alike are feeling fatigued after a decade of visual content ruling online, and negative sentiment towards short-form trend-led content is rising.” She added, “Creators have to work harder to stand out on platforms that offer increasingly dwindling returns. Substack allows them to diversify their income and content offering and build relationships with their audiences that are centred around their opinions and unique viewpoints, rather than their visual output.”

Affiliate links, brand partnerships, and subscription payments on Substack are catalyzing a new era of social shopping. However, while the platform’s pull lies in its minimal advertising approach, this very aspect brings about a hurdle for brands seeking to leverage its potential.

An active participant in Magasin’s group chat, Allegra Samsen, who has a tab with Substack open on her work computer at all times, explained, “Substack holds my attention span more than other social media because it’s where I’m finding the most thoughtful consumer insight.”

Samsen frequently shares eBay’s finest finds that aren’t her size and sells her own designer pieces on the platform too. She said, “When it comes to Substack, I think the theory of ‘strength in weak ties’ really holds up.” She added, “This is a chat of people I don’t know, yet am bonded with through a shared interest in each other’s taste. We can be objective due to that degree of separation, which is something I am not afforded on Instagram or even a group chat with friends.”