Substack Could Be Your New Fashion Statement

Your first question might be, "What the heck is Substack?"

Substack is a free email newsletter platform that lets publishers have direct access to their audience. Creators using Substack can grow their portfolios, find new audiences, and earn money in the process. Since it doesn't rely on algorithms, creators can freely express themselves by posting directly to websites or through email without constraint.

The platform is a little light on features, which makes it primitive by today's standards, so that's a downside. They also take a 10% cut of subscription revenue, which adds up.


But here's the kicker. Substack, mostly known for publishing newsletters, is becoming a mover and shaker in the fashion industry.

How can this be?

Unlike Instagram, TikTok, and other platforms, Substack puts a great deal of emphasis on authenticity and personalization when it comes to shopping recommendations. One of the coolest things about Substack is that its users can leave the vetting to the platform and not worry about having to sift through the garbage for the jewels.

So, for fashion brands that have a hot reputation, Substack could be a platform to consider.

No longer only a hangout for well-known writers, novelists, and academics covering everything from film to food and science, Substack is taking a walk down the fashion runway. The surge in fashion content is already in play, with subscriptions in the fashion and beauty category already up by 80%, according to Substack's very own calculations.

A big reason for Substack's sudden fashion sense is that social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok are becoming inundated with "fashion experts" being hip, slick, homogeneous, and sort of hard to rely on for genuine reliability. Buying clothes from users only promoting because of a "paid partnership" on these platforms is becoming a little shady.

Basically, it's hard to know who to trust on social media platforms.

On Substack, editors and stylists dish out shopping recommendations to subscribers. These are the new experts. Personal shoppers answer subscribers' questions or give specific tips or suggestions to help Substack users make the best fashion statement they can.

Nobody has time to browse the internet for the elusive perfect outfit. With Substack, users can let the platform filter, separating the good, the bad, and the ugly.

The experts on Substack still earn money when they recommend, but instead of cultivating paid partnerships with brands, it's done through affiliate links, so they earn a small commission from sales driven by their recommendations. The bottom line, they don't make recommendations to please the brand and keep the bank account full. It's just a bit more authentic than taking the word of some Instagram or TikTok user following a script.

So, if you're tired of the glitz, glamor, and uncertainty of the "influencers" on the other socials, maybe it's time to join the simpler, more genuine approach on Substack.

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