Psychology of Fashion
This article marks the third in Urban Times’ EcoFashion Series. We hope to shed some light on the eco fashion industry by exploring elements such as the sustainability, culture, ecology, psychology, labour and future of fashion. Our authors explore to what extent eco fashion is on the cusp of becoming the next big trend.
Previous episode: Culture of Fashion
Could you Become Accustomed to Buying Eco Fashion?
A model walks fiercely on the catwalk; an actress talks to the presenter about her Golden Globes’ dress; mothers waiting for their children to come out of schools exchange views on the latest fashion item they bought; and a woman opens her drawers to find out her favourite shirt is missing.
Fashion is everywhere; it’s hard to miss it. Through fashion, people succeed in feeling accepted by other people; through fashion they feel they can express who they really are; and yes; through fashion they make statements; many of them, especially if your name is Lady Gaga.
Image courtesy of Jason Hargrove on flickr.com
Today we can say that people are accustomed to buying their clothes from high street shops to haute couture boutiques; it really depends on your finances and personal tastes.
However with eco fashion becoming more of a certitude on catwalks and national and international television, could people become accustomed to buying sustainable fashion as well?
When we speak about eco fashion we mean all those fashion items that have been produced by paying a particular attention to the social and environmental impact they had had throughout their total lifetime.
There are many eco-criteria to consider when choosing an eco-fashion item and these are: vegan, products made without the use of leather or animal tissue; ethically produced, products made with respect for people and the environment; artisan; custom, made to order; fair-trade certified; recycled; and vintage/second hand.
According to Dr Lorraine Whitmarsh, people could become accustomed to buying eco fashion. Speaking exclusively to Urban Times, Dr Whitmarsh, who is lecturer at the school of Psychology, at Cardiff University, said:
“I’ve written a bit about this, and think the answer could be to do with (a) habit and (b) identity. i.e., you can get people to develop a habit by getting them to regularly do it in the same context (e.g., same shop or type of product). And for eco-shopping, seeing yourself as ‘the sort of person who buys green/ethical’ is also very important in getting them to ‘want’ to establish this habit – because people like to act consistently with their self-image.”
In her work, “Green identity, green living? The role of pro-environmental self-identity in
determining consistency across diverse pro-environmental behaviours”, Dr Whitmarsh, who is also
Partner Coordinator at the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research and Research Associate for the ESRC Centre for Business Relationships, Accountability, Sustainability and Society (BRASS), says:
“Recent studies suggest behaviour may be clustered in some way that reflects either similar ‘types’ of behaviour, in respect of context or frequency or different levels of environmental commitment (easy/difficult), or similar individual characteristics, such as values or demographics. Barr and colleagues’ (Barr, Gilg, & Ford, 2005) UK study identified three such clusters – which they label ‘purchase decisions’ (shopping, & composting and reuse), ‘habits’ (domestic water and energy conservation), and ‘recycling’ – and found these relate to different lifestyles (i.e., socio-demographic characteristics and values).”
But how can people psychologically become accustomed to buying eco clothes? Do we need more advertising campaigns like Patagonia’s? Or do we need more celebrities to wear them?
Patagonia's "Don't Buy this Jacket" campaign
Patagonia’s campaign was an ad campaign of the popular outwear retailer Patagonia telling consumers “Don’t Buy This Jacket”. The advert aimed to persuade consumers to buy only what they need.
“Because Patagonia wants to be in business for a good long time – and leave a world habitable for our kids – we want to do the opposite of every other business [on Cyber Monday],” the company commented on its website. “We ask you to buy less and to reflect before you spend a dime on this jacket or anything else.”
According to Patagonia, every needless item purchased corresponds to a number of wasted resources and damage to our planet; moreover, most of Patagonia’s products are produced by using recycled materials.
Another interesting influence which could lead consumers to become psychologically accustomed to eco fashion is the celebrity factor.
With Livia Firth going green on the red carpet and many fashion stylists following her example, it seems like it’s only a matter of time before the general public will start to purchase eco fashion more and more.
Moreover, Mrs Firth’s EcoAge Company has recently begun a Facebook campaign where it gives fans the opportunity to see exclusive backstage videos that show the Firths getting ready for the glamorous events of the year.
Despite the impact celebrities might have on influencing the general public into buying eco, there is another aspect which could lead more and more people to opt for eco fashion: collective behaviour could be a strong driving force in what we decide to wear.
Image courtesy of Jason Hargrove on flickr.com
Collective behaviour usually takes place when laws and norms are absent or unclear; according to Roger Dooley author of “Brainfluence: 100 Ways to Persuade and Convince Consumers with Neuromarketing” and publisher of the popular blog Neuromarketing, behaviours could become habitual if a consumer is initially motivated in that direction.
Speaking exclusively to Urban Times, Mr Dooley said:
“In many cases, buying an “eco” product isn’t a rational economic decision – the product may be more expensive, not perform as well as some non-eco products, and may (from an individual buyer point of view) have minimal impact on the environment. The Toyota Prius is a great example of this – when first introduced, there was a price premium that was unlikely to be recouped in gas savings even after several years of driving. But, it was in high demand. The typical Prius buyer, in my opinion, wasn’t concerned about saving money or having a material effect on the environment. Rather, that buyer was signalling to others that he/she was an environmentally concerned person. To that end, I think that for some buyers having eco fashions that are identifiable (via a logo or other design elements) could lead to higher sales.”
Mr Dooley who is also founder of the Dooley Direct, a marketing consultancy, and co-founder of the College Confidential, the leading college-bound website (now part of Hobsons, a DMGT unit), also added:
“Even without obvious labeling, people tend to make decisions consistent with their past behaviour and their self-image. Therefore, a person who drives a hybrid car (or no car at all), recycles fastidiously, etc., would be likely to buy eco fashion items if they were available and styled appropriately for the buyer’s taste.”
A model walks on the red carpet flashing her Patagonia jacket to the photographers; Livia Firth talks about her latest eco dress at The Oscars next month; a woman spends her Sunday browsing through 60s fashion stands at a vintage fair in London.
Yes, maybe people can become accustomed to green fashion, maybe they already are.
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