The most crucial aspect is, by the time the trend has appeared in your consciousness, whether or not you’re actually able to get the look yourself. This is where stores come in. For trends to promulgate in real places, they need to be available in real stores at affordable prices. One aspect of trends is that many of them can be found in thrift stores and discount shops — one of the reasons that the earliest adopters of fashion trends are typically poor students with lots of time, freedom, and ability to play. And because of innovations in production, fast-fashion brands (especially overseas) are able to riff on trends they see on social media many seasons before established designers who operate with a six-month delay are able to get to it. That means thrift stores and especially fast-fashion retailers can be the first places where you can shop a trend.