Gen Z’s festive shopping playbook: From Instagram trends and Reddit reviews to upcycling and bargain hunting

For Gen Z, festive shopping is no longer simply about spotting a trend and buying it. Young shoppers are discovering styles on Instagram and Pinterest, checking Reddit reviews, comparing prices and finding ways to refresh old outfits before making a purchase. A recent Snapchat-GWI study found that seven in 10 Gen Z consumers use creator content to discover products, while four in 10 actively seek opinions or advice before buying.

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‘Upcycling remains a favourite’


You may call Gen Z unserious, but they don’t kid when it comes to shopping. “My favourite hack has to be upcycling mom’s saris and suits. Last year for Diwali, I turned my mom’s silk saree into a coord set, and it turned out great. That’s one hack I like to follow. I also use my mom’s and nani’s jewellery that I can style in my own way. I like to use trending prints as borders on simple outfits to make them shine for the festive season. Gota patti was trending recently, and I used a flashy gota patti lace and asked my tailor to stitch it on my plain kurta. It turned into a completely new outfit,” shares Aanvi, 21, a working professional.

Karnika Chandana, 27, adds that while following trends is fun, she prefers a blend of traditional outfits and trendy looks, “I don’t want my festive outfits to feel too trend-driven because traditional silhouettes have a timeless charm. But I do like adding a modern touch through the blouse, draping, jewellery, colours or styling. For me, the outfit should still feel festive and Indian but not look dated.”

Tracking trends, hunting deals

For some, online shopping is an easier way to get the best deals and keep an eye out for trends. Dippra Pathak, 25, a working professional, notes, “With online shopping, I can check out the same outfits from multiple places at different prices. I can see the reviews and check the quality, and whether it looks the same for other shoppers. I usually prefer Reddit for reviews because they’re very honest.” She adds that, to avoid missing out on sales, she keeps her cart and wishlist updated and checks them regularly to keep track of price drops.

Young shoppers have also incorporated AI to compare prices, find trends and look for the best deals online. Prompts to analyse and differentiate between bot and real reviews have been popular online. “I have used AI occasionally when I’m trying to compare options or find out what’s trending. But I usually use it as a starting point rather than relying on it. I still check Instagram, ecommerce websites and customer reviews before buying something,” Karnika says.

I mostly come across festive fashion trends via Instagram and then do a deep dive research about them on Pinterest to see whether I like them enough to buy them‘Instagram and Pinterest are major sources of reference’

Social media not only sets trends but allows shoppers to find out what the latest festive season fashion is looking like. Kanishka Mukhija, 20, student and makeup artist, says, “Social media has impacted all the possible aspects around festivals, in my opinion. I tend to go for make-up products to even accessories being suggested in reels and trends much more than any other suggestion. I mostly come across festive fashion trends via Instagram and then do a deep dive research about them on Pinterest to see whether I like them enough to buy them.”

Aanvi adds, “Influencers start posting like a month before the festive season. You get an idea of what the trends are going to be this season. Also, what a celeb is wearing to an event. So that becomes a trend and then eventually everybody starts replicating it. Instagram and Pinterest are major sources of reference.”

From Lajpat Nagar to online carts

Putting her own spin on luxury trends, Aanvi compares designer pieces with dupes, DIY options and online prices to get the best deal. “Personally, if I like a high-end design, I first check how much the designer is selling it for and then look for a dupe online. If I find it significantly cheaper online, I’ll buy it there. If the price is similar to getting it stitched, I’d rather get it hand-stitched by a designer and go the outfit from scratch route,” she explains, adding that Lajpat Nagar is her go-to for its wide variety of traditional and modern clothing options.

Kanishka uses a mix of options. “My go-to shopping hacks include local market scouting, where I go to places like Sarojini Nagar, Lajpat Nagar and Chandni Chowk in the first half of the day to avoid crowds and find good deals, along with constantly looking out for pre-festive deals on e-commerce platforms, etc. I browse markets before buying because it definitely comes in handy for cost-effectiveness as well as in terms of variety to choose from.”

(with TOI inputs)