Human beings inherently imitate one another in many fields such as fashion and consumer goods. From my perspective, I partly agree with this viewpoint.
Admittedly, there exists a compelling reason why not all people are copying. One major reason would be individual preferences. To be more precise, a myriad of consumers purchase items based on comfort and quality. To exemplify, many people harbor a hostile feeling towards fast-fashion as it causes many potential dangers to the environment such as overloading landfill and a throw-away society in an era when many consumers are easily swayed into discarding their old items by the advertisements. Another rationale would be the showcase of individuality. To be more precise, many people adopt their unique styles and products to make them stand out from social norms. Take ghost culture as a vivid example where people do not follow the fast fashion or sometimes they make clothes by themselves rather than short-lived trend fashion paid on e-commercial apps such as Shoppe, Tiktok or Lazada.
However, I am convinced that imitation is a powerful driving force behind the ubiquity of modern consumer goods. The first and perhaps the most obvious reason would be social cohesion. It is scientifically proven that herd mentality is a precursor to the tendency of mimicry in humans. Once they dress the same as many people do, it not only brings them a sense of belonging into the community but also helps them feel accepted. Another major driving force behind this trend would be celebrity endorsement. By this I mean, endorsement and advertising persuade people to replicate lifestyles of public figures. This is especially true in the case of IT girls who are wholeheartedly supported by their fans. When you wear some luxurious clothing such as Chanel or Dior, such celebrity influences may sway their fans into buying this item to create a moment with their idols.
In conclusion, I agree that even supposedly independent choices often reflect wider social trends, suggesting that imitation is more pervasive than it initially appears. Nevertheless, copying others largely explains the popularity of fashion and consumer goods, individual values and needs also play a role