How Fashion reads the room
An insight into how recent current events have affected mainstream trends.
written BY Edwina Keary
responsive visual content by esme fisher
There is no question that fashion is used to outwardly express our interior selves. Not only is it a vital mode of communicating who we are aesthetically, but it is also used to express our response to the world around us. Fashion, therefore, serves as a barometer for what is going on in the world. Take the hemline index, for example. Coined in 1926, the theory states that the economic state of the world is dictated by the length of women’s skirts. In 1978 a Fort Worth Star telegram voiced this concern: ‘If you see a guy in a three-piece suit staring out the window at female legs this autumn, don't jump to sexist conclusions. Maybe he's not just a chauvinist pig, after all: he could be diligently seeking clues to the financial future.’ To claim that skirt lengths have any real effect on the economic future is outlandish, however, the inverse of this statement- that the state of the economy affects fashion trends- is significantly more grounded. When the world is in a state of decline it is reflected in our fashion choices as we re-evaluate our consumption habits, demonstrating the role of fashion as a visual language that documents our social response to current events.
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Andrew Bolton, Wendy Yu Curator in charge of The Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art states that “fashion functions as a mirror to our times, so it is inherently political.” Fashion is made political due to its commercial nature, tying in our self-expression with the economic and environmental consequences of such a huge industry. Such consequences came more into focus during Covid-19, as consumption habits dropped, and people began to reconsider the effect of their spending habits on the wider world. The UK’s halt in consumption can be attributed to the recent economic recession that came as a result of the pandemic. A decline in the average disposable income caused consumption to drop, and as people’s job security and income plummeted their priorities shifted. The World Economic Forum states that the UK’s clothing sales decreased by 50% from March to April 2020. At a time when our lives were being quite literally drawn to a halt, it felt a tad gauche to indulge in the materialistic. Instead, health and well-being became a top priority. The demand for clothing centred around functionality and comfort skyrocketed as lockdown restrictions kept people from going outside; loungewear was now a key component of people’s outfit repertoire. This is evident when looking at Boohoo’s sales. They tailored their marketing towards affordable loungewear sets, leading to an increase in sales by 41%. Fast fashion brands, like Boohoo, profited hugely off the pandemic because of their accessibility. With a dip in disposable income, people find appeal in cheaper, more affordable clothing.
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Another trend informed by the pandemic, and has extended long after, is the idea of dopamine dressing. Karen Pine investigated this notion in 2012, focusing on the concept of wearing certain clothes to produce dopamine. Pine found that when participants in her study wore certain clothes, they drew upon the positive associations of said clothing, leading to an increase in perceived confidence. The symbolic importance of clothing was not derived solely from colour in Pine’s study; however, colour is used to signal different emotions. During the pandemic, there was a surge in bright colours as a clothing trend. Karen Hallers states that "colour is a great way to lift our spirits and boost our moods in an instant…because of how we take the colour in through our eyes and through to the part of our brain where our emotions reside”. Confronted with the reality of having to stay indoors 24/7, the way we dressed played a role in uplifting a sullen mood. The adoption of bright colours and patterns was a way of using fashion to derive some positivity. Examples of dopamine dressing cropped up in multiple different collections, a notable example of this can be seen in Valentino’s designs. Their autumn/winter haute couture 2021 collection saw an array of vibrant blues, pinks and yellows. More recently, an ensemble from their pink autumn/winter 2022-23 collection was worn by Sebastian Stan at the 2022 Met Gala, demonstrating an adoption of bright colours within high fashion events as a way to uplift and elevate mood post-pandemic.
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Another trend informed by the pandemic, and has extended long after, is the idea of dopamine dressing. Karen Pine investigated this notion in 2012, focusing on the concept of wearing certain clothes to produce dopamine. Pine found that when participants in her study wore certain clothes, they drew upon the positive associations of said clothing, leading to an increase in perceived confidence. The symbolic importance of clothing was not derived solely from colour in Pine’s study; however, colour is used to signal different emotions. During the pandemic, there was a surge in bright colours as a clothing trend. Karen Hallers states that "colour is a great way to lift our spirits and boost our moods in an instant…because of how we take the colour in through our eyes and through to the part of our brain where our emotions reside”. Confronted with the reality of having to stay indoors 24/7, the way we dressed played a role in uplifting a sullen mood. The adoption of bright colours and patterns was a way of using fashion to derive some positivity. Examples of dopamine dressing cropped up in multiple different collections, a notable example of this can be seen in Valentino’s designs. Their autumn/winter haute couture 2021 collection saw an array of vibrant blues, pinks and yellows. More recently, an ensemble from their pink autumn/winter 2022-23 collection was worn by Sebastian Stan at the 2022 Met Gala, demonstrating an adoption of bright colours within high fashion events as a way to uplift and elevate mood post-pandemic.
Valentino
Autumn/Winter haute Couture 2021
Model: Sokhna Cisse
Photo: Filippo Fior / Gorunway.com
Christian Dior
Bar suit from “Corolle” collection, 1947
Photo from Vogue
The economic recession brought on by the pandemic, like all recessions, inspires newness in fashion trends. The post-WW2 recession saw the birth of Dior’s ‘New Look’. The 1980s saw the rise of bold neon colours and sharp, shoulder-padded silhouettes. 2008 brought on the era of the newly coined ‘Indie Sleaze’. This pandemic-induced recession saw the rise of the tracksuit, but what after? Lockdown restrictions have been lifted for some time so the circumstances under which we made fashion choices no longer stand. There is no doubt that there is a deeper appreciation for comfort post-pandemic, and within the fashion world, this is reflected in the favouring of nostalgic aesthetics. Solace is found in reminiscing the trends and consumption of our youth- an attempt to escape from the modern climate of uncertainty. In 2022, top-selling categories on Depop include ‘vintage’ (from the last twenty years or so) and ‘Y2K’. Popularised on TikTok, which surged in popularity during the pandemic as a means of staying connected whilst people were trapped indoors, the Y2K style has been adopted widely by Gen Z. The popularisation of the early 2000s is epitomised by the rebirth of the juicy tracksuit, now a popular item sold by the fast-fashion brand Urban Outfitters. There has also been a huge resurgence in low-rise jeans, Uggs, and the midi denim skirt – an elevated Lizzy McGuire if you will.
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Covid-19 called into question our regular consumption habits, and sustainability is arguably at the forefront of fashion. Whilst a decline in disposable income makes fast fashion appealing, there is also a desire to spend less in the name of sustainability. In fact, 80% of our generation now buys second-hand goods. We see a rise in second-hand clothing that made appearances in trend cycles over the past twenty years. An example of this is the reintroduction of the Ugg boot, no longer a fashion pariah. The popularity of pre-owned clothing is clear when looking at Depop’s success. In 2020 it made over $70 million in revenue sales. The mixing of second-hand pieces with mainstream fast-fashion items creates a theme of eclecticism in current fashion trends.
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Today’s trends cannot be pinpointed to an exact moment in time. People take inspiration from past epochs of fashion to inform their own stylistic choices. With a rise in the popularity of period dramas such as Bridgerton, certain TikTok aesthetics have adopted the early modern ballgown. Direct inspiration was taken from Penny Lane of Almost Famous as people donned similar Afghan coats and bell-bottom jeans. The demand for comfort is satisfied with a renewed appreciation for 90s grungy baggy jeans and cargos with oversized jumpers. Low-rise jeans and velour pay homage to Paris Hilton and the tacky glam of the 2000s. It seems that we find comfort in any era that is not the one we are currently in. This reflects the romanticisation of the past as a means of finding comfort in an uncertain present. So, it appears that Y2K is still saturating the mainstream, but at the next sign of trouble who knows what direction the fashion industry will take?
written BY Edwina Keary
escapism
2023
esme fisher's artwork
as a creative response to this article, she visually deconstructs the themes of escapism and dopamine dressing through the destructive medium of collage