Ten years after Steve Huffman, Alexis Ohanian, and Aaron Swartz launched the “front page of the Internet”, I created my first Reddit account. Armed with a miserably quirky username and a curious mind, for me the user-driven platform became a democratic one-stop for everything under the sun—from exchange programme open calls to some very niche lovemaking advice. It has been another decade since then, and not much has changed. Within the ever-multiplying number of subreddits that populate the website, there is plenty out there for those in search of a community. And, more often than not, they find one—thanks to the many moderators who volunteer to keep things clean, positive, and supportive.
The life of a Reddit moderator is a chaotic, often frustrating but ultimately rewarding, world of virtual gatekeeping. For the mods of India-based fashion subreddits like r/IndianFashionAddicts and r/IndianFashionTribe, the job goes way beyond just browsing people’s outfit choices.
The individuals who step into these moderator roles are as diverse as the content they oversee. Take u/momo_licious, for instance, a consultant with an MBA from a top-tier college. Their journey into moderating on Reddit began in an unlikely place: a subreddit for CAT exam preparation. “I had recently graduated and had a good understanding of the exam and interview process, so I put my knowledge to good use,” they say. This experience laid the groundwork for them to moderate a total of five subreddits, including the bustling r/IndianFashionAddicts, which has 161K weekly visitors.
For u/EmbarrassedBread1804, a marketer at an MNC, the motivation was more personal. “As a woman, I found the fashion space to be cluttered with abusive users,” she recounts. This led her to create r/IndianFashionTribe, a 35K-strong space dedicated to being “judgement-free, inclusive, and healthy”.
This commitment is shared by other mods, like u/Puzzled_frogy, who “jumped right into it” after a friend asked them to join the mod team, and u/Which_Ad_8583, for whom moderating felt like a way to “give back” to a community that had helped them.
Even with full-time jobs, these mods dedicate at least “two hours daily to review posts and comments”, a routine that starts with coffee and a check of the “modmail and pending reports in the mod queue”, says Puzzled_frogy. It’s a job that requires endless patience. “Having previous moderating experience helps, but it is not a deal breaker,” says momo_licious. “I would say that attention to detail is the most important part.” While users primarily love to “flaunt their outfits” and ask for style opinions, the feed is a vibrant mix of everything from “daily fit checks to polls on wedding lehengas”. The subreddits serve as a living, breathing style guide for a generation that sees clothing as a form of self-expression rather than a basic necessity.
The mods reveal that the most active users are typically between 18 and 34 years old. Moderator Which_Ad_8583 notes a particular trend: “More men ask for fashion tips.” This, Puzzled_frogy says, is a direct result of the “social conditioning that being fashion-forward comes naturally to women”. Their subreddits are helping to dismantle this bias, giving everyone a safe space to learn without judgment. EmbarrassedBread1804 adds, “The Indian audience is still warming up to experimental styles, with more people from tier-2 and tier-3 cities joining. It is a very exciting space to be in.”
We have encountered so many impersonators who take any influencer’s picture off Instagram and post it on our subreddit with the face hidden,”
The very anonymity that makes Reddit a sanctuary also makes it a battleground. Mods are constantly battling a unique blend of threats. “Whenever someone makes a post, even if it is a great one, there are always comments being rude or straight-up misogynistic for no reason,” says momo_licious, recalling how a user was doxxed after a tiny part of their office ID card was visible in a post. “Although it might not seem like a big deal, it can very easily become one,” they say.
The mods have developed a series of defences against this. Hive Protector and Image Sourcery, two automated bots, are their first line of defence against nuisance-makers and fake profiles, but human instinct is key. “We have encountered so many impersonators who take any influencer’s picture off Instagram and post it on our subreddit with the face hidden,” momo_licious shares, perplexed by the phenomenon of karma-farming—the act of intentionally accumulating karma points on Reddit through low-effort posts, reposts, asking for upvotes, or using bots—for no tangible real-world gain. Puzzled_frogy’s approach to dealing with trolls is often simple: “I just hit the mute button and send their nasty hate comment to the depths of our archive folder.”
What, then, makes them tick?
“It’s the positive connections that make moderating worthwhile,” says EmbarrassedBread1804. For them and others, these communities offer a more powerful, democratic vision of fashion.
The influence of peer-to-peer fashion advice is backed by data. A 2023 study by GWI and Meta found that nearly 97 per cent of Indian consumers discover fashion brands on Meta platforms, with 52 per cent crediting Instagram Reels as a significant source of inspiration. On Reddit, this is hyper-focused within dedicated communities focusing on categories like bags, thrifting, even specific brands. For mods like momo_licious, the reward is seeing “a properly well-tailored outfit” receive the attention it deserves or watching a user’s style evolve. As Puzzled_frogy says, “The community doesn't lash out at anyone; the advice is genuine and well-meaning. Most people here aren’t snarky or vicious. They’re kind.”
The community doesn't lash out at anyone; the advice is genuine and well-meaning. Most people here aren’t snarky or vicious. They’re kind.”
These subreddits are about building a sense of belonging in a digital world. With India’s Reddit user base growing rapidly—it’s now at an estimated 64.1 million monthly unique visitors—these niche communities are becoming vital spaces for self-expression. This is particularly crucial for marginalised groups. Which_Ad_8583 echoes this, highlighting the appreciation from “non-binary and gender-non-conforming members who say they feel safest on our sub”.
For EmbarrassedBread1804, the “most creative looks” and “small wins” shared by users are a heartwarming reminder of why she started the subreddit. “I think that might be the sweetest way people use Reddit here, creating a space where there is empathy, understanding, and where people are rooting for each other to thrive despite our differences,” Puzzled_frogy concludes.
In a world of fast fashion and even faster comments, these mods are the quiet heroes, curating fashion spaces that focus on building confidence, celebrating the mundane, and making the internet a little less terrible.
