• by Erik Sass , Staff Writer @eriksass1, March 26, 2014

Fashion is all about getting “the look,” dahling, so it’s no surprise that young fashionistas favor image- and video-focused social networks, including Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube when it comes to pursuing their fashion passion.

That holds implications for e-commerce and traditional retail, per a new survey of millennial fashion plates by Teen Vogue, which polled 1,074 members of its “It Girl” community, ages 13-29.
 
Overall, social media plays a major role in fashion decisions, Teen Vogue found, with 85% of respondents saying they have purchased something after seeing it on a social-media network. However, there is a whole decision-making process that follows the initial discovery, also facilitated by social media.
 
The most popular platform for discovering new items is Instagram, which was also the top choice when respondents were asked: “If you had to pick just one social network to use, what would it be?” and “What is the social network you'll be talking about in the coming year?”

Many respondents also turned to Pinterest (48%) to find additional product images.
 
When it comes to finding how best to wear or apply the product, YouTube was the top choice (52%), and the video site also dominated reading reviews and recommendations (43%). Finally, Facebook was the most popular site for seeking out sales and deals, at 36%.
 
Turning to e-commerce, 26% of respondents said they have made a purchase directly from a social network, and 47% said they would like to see social networks integrate e-commerce capabilities for products they view in the networks’ feeds. Fashion and beauty brands can also step up their game, with 81% of respondents saying they’d like to see more product sampling, 65% saying they can provide location information for the closest store to buy a particular product, and 56% saying they can post more looks and products that make sense for where they live.