On January 1st, a majority of the world was writing resolutions and looking forward to a new decade. Needless to say, 2020 has not panned out the way we expected. Between the pandemic, social unrest, and political and economic turmoil, this year has been a life altering one for literally the entire world. Not only have individuals’ lives been affected, but countless businesses have come to a standstill. While some companies have come out on top during this time, many others have crashed and burned. Unfortunately, one of the biggest economic casualties of this pandemic has been the fashion industry.
Naturally, with great social and economic change comes great priority change. Life has been drastically transformed for everyone, and once simple pleasures can now feel gluttonous. Shopping for clothes and getting dressed up seems like a distant memory, and an even more distant future. It begs the question – how important is fashion, really?
The fashion industry employs roughly 300 million people worldwide. That includes designers, offshore laborers who sew garments, those who work in the retail sector selling said garments, and everything in between. The fashion industry has, and can, survive an economic crash, but what happens when the average person stops factoring fashion into their daily lives? These are uncharted waters. What we do know is that millions of fashion-related employees have lost their jobs and thousands of fashion companies are struggling to stay afloat, if they haven’t gone under already. Back in March it was estimated that the luxury fashion sector could lose up to $600 billion in sales in 2020. Some people may think of fashion as frivolous, but it is actually an enormous segment of the global economy. This multi-trillion dollar industry is not only financially critical, but it’s also significant on an emotional and creative level.
So how important is fashion? Do we get dressed for others or for ourselves? Based on social expectations or simply on what we like? Why get dressed if no one is going to see it? When you’re isolated and barely leaving the house, it’s easy to stay in sweatpants all day and only get dressed for a Zoom meeting. While that may seem liberating at first, I believe that long term it will have a negative impact on our daily motivation and morale.
Take the “lipstick effect” as an example. If you’re not familiar with that theory, it’s a psychological phenomenon in which women in particular feel an improved sense of confidence and positivity when wearing and purchasing cosmetics, especially during a time of crisis. Harvard Medical School even did a psychological experiment furthering this idea that demonstrated women wearing makeup had better cognitive function and performed better on tests as a result.¹ Just like with cosmetics, clothes can cause different psychological reactions, from providing a sense of comfort to boosting self-esteem, positivity, and motivation. You owe it to yourself to get dressed each morning in the clothes that make you feel confident, even if the world isn’t able to see them right now.
So what should you wear at the end of the world? Wear what you love, whether it be your favorite reliable white tee or the most extravagant shoes in your closet. Hell, wear both at the same time. At least when you walk by the mirror, you’ll feel a sense of joy. That’s what fashion is all about. It’s meant to be an expression of your taste and personality, and most importantly, it’s meant to make you feel good.
My Manolo Blahnik Xacactus sandals always make me feel happy
1 Comment
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Comments are closed.Excellent piece…And the shoes are exquisite!