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The ‘one-time-wear’ pandemic: fashion’s dirty secret
Whilst the world is currently aware of one global pandemic, there is another that has gone under the radar. One-time-wear and fast fashion have gone hand in hand to create their own pandemic within the fashion industry. One-time-wear is wearing an item of clothing once before eventually banishing it to a landfill site. But do we truly understand the impact this is having on our planet? Making just one pair of jeans can create as much greenhouse gas a car driving for 80 miles. One t-shirt takes 2,700 litres of water to make, the equivalent of 1,350 days of drinking water for one person. Imagine having this much impact on…
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The Relationship Between Fashion & Psychology
It is rare that we stop to think about the effects of psychology when it comes to what we wear. Often, as consumers, we make purchases that impact to satisfy our psychological needs and desires. Maslow outlined this motivation behind buying behaviour in this theory of hierarchical needs. There are many psychological influences involved in consumer purchasing decisions. Most of these, we tend not to be aware of. What is colour psychology? Little research has been conducted into colour psychology and the effects that it has. Ultimately, it is the study of how colours affect human perceptions and behaviours. Despite a lack of research, colour psychology has become a key…
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My Lockdown Transformation: Shopaholic to Conscious Consumer
My shopaholic realisation: Forty-three days ago, when all of this madness began, I, like most girls my age, was a self-confessed shopaholic. My daily hobbies consisted of scrolling through online shops for hours at a time and eagerly waiting for those glorious parcels to arrive at my door. So, as you can imagine, when news of lockdown broke out, I was delighted to have all the time in the world to be doing my favourite pastime completely guilt-free. Before long, I had overloading baskets sprawled across different sites ready for me to buy. “But what was I actually buying these clothes for?” I thought to myself. I had ‘going out…
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Fashion, Suppliers & the Global Crisis
The role of mainstream media during the Covid-19 global pandemic The media is undoubtably an incredible tool which allows news to be presented on a variety of platforms to the entire nation and beyond. Despite its positive implications, the delivery of news through media outlets can often cause negative emotions and provoke panic. This is something that we, as a nation, have experienced throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. There have been criticisms surrounding how Covid-19 news updates have been presented by the media. The focus has heavily been on the negative aspects of the pandemic, without a healthy balance. The positive aspects, such as communities coming together and showing a united…
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COVID-19: Consumer Behaviour and Sustainable Fashion
On the 23rd of March, Boris Johnson ordered a nationwide lockdown due to the growing rate of coronavirus cases in the UK. This lockdown demanded that for the foreseeable future, any non-essential businesses were to be closed to the public, and any non-essential workers now needed to work from home. While supermarkets have continued to serve the public and are struggling to keep up with panic buying demand, other businesses such as those in the fashion industry are struggling to stay afloat in the new climate. The pandemic has led to an estimated 40% drop in average market capitalization from the beginning of January to the end of March, and…
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Sustainability out the Window? Corona is the new Trend
How coronavirus is pushing sustainability to the side Prior to the outbreak of COVID-19 back in January 2020, sustainability was becoming a major talking point among fashion retailers, but now Coronavirus has taken over every aspect of our lives. Consumers were becoming hungry for information from their favourite brands in relation to how garments were being created in the fast paced environment. But has COVID-19 caused consumers to forget about sustainability? Post-pandemic The fashion world prior to the outbreak was ready for a change, with big brands focusing on how they can incorporate more sustainable and environmentally friendly practices into their production and supply chain processes. This has come as…
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The COVID-19 Consequences
On December 21st 2019, the first case of an unknown pneumonia surfaced in China. In such a crucial date in the calendar, nobody would have suspected the impact to be encountered 5 months on. The world as we know it has come to a standstill for one disease, COVID-19. Nation to nation, critical measures are put in place to reduce the spread of the disease. Limiting social contact, furloughing millions of employees and the closure of businesses worldwide has led to the current state; lockdown. When will it all end? The answer everybody wants to know, but no one does know. Frustration is on the minds of the world’s population,…
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Social Media Has its Own Pandemic
Imagine you are in quarantine, it shouldn’t be hard as you most likely are. Now imagine you are quarantining in one of the most affected parts of the UK. On top of that, add the fact that six other people are quarantined with you, including your parents. OK, good so far? One more thing: your mother is asthematic and diabetic, vulnerable. The picture you should have in your head right now is a perfect illustration of my situation. Yep, I’m homebound in the city of Sunderland with a mother who is too frightened to even walk out into the garden. So, believe me, I, more than anyone, eagerly consume the…
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How the global pandemic will affect the fashion industry
The global pandemic of COVID-19 has brought the world to a standstill, with numerous countries in lockdown to slow the spread of the disease. While it is difficult to escape the news and panic surrounding this, businesses like the fashion industry can provide some escapism from the new reality. However, this current situation highlights how insignificant the latest trends can be. This is having a huge effect on the industry as people are turning to news articles rather than fashion blogs. Many companies have been forced to close for safety reasons and economic loss. With everyone staying indoors as advised by the government, retail therapy is out of the question…
