It is not just a matter of cost, which however remains a significant obstacle to overcome for any ethical choice. When, while we are conscious about all the “green consequences” of our fashion purchases, we still buy non-sustainable clothes or accessories, there are a lot of factors that play a big role, as stated by fashion psychologists Carolyn Mair and Dawnn Karen
by Massimiliano Viti
Today more and more often we are used to reading news about the effort of brands in order to improve the sustainability in the fashion industry. These are usually compared to the positive trend of Asian super fast fashion and of European fast fashion. Clearly, it is not just a matter of the younger consumers who, on the one hand, strongly declare themselves “green” in the surveys and, on the other one, they buy items at the lowest price. It is a much wider behaviour that concerns generations. Why, if most consumers are aware that low-cost fashion is non sustainable, do we continue to buy it?
Fear of Missing Out
As stated by the psychologist Carolyn Mair, author of the global bestseller The Psychology of Fashion, the answer is simple. Consumers purchase fast fashion, even if they are aware that it is not sustainable, “because they tend to try to ease the discomfort due to the cognitive dissonance that occurs when an action (in this case the purchases) comes into conflict with the values (in this case, sustainability)”. The psychologist claims that this behaviour is usually alleviated by justifications like “my behavior is not that impactful, it doesn’t shift the balance”.
In fact, Mair explains that most brands – not only fast fashion ones – rely on psychological strategies that push the consumers towards social anxiety, in particular to FOMO, acronym of “Fear of Missing Out”. In other words, the fear of being excluded and left out. “Even the immediate gratification plays an important role – underlines Mair – as fast fashion provides a cheap way to feel fashionable and rapidly receive social confirmation. This decision making process is supported by the restricted accessibility of sustainable alternatives, in terms of costs and convenience”.
The price issue
It is clear that the main obstacle that the consumer needs to overcome in order to embrace sustainable choices is represented by the higher cost of “green” products. But, as stated by Mair, there’s more. For example, psychological and social blocks need to be considered. “A key factor is represented by our tendency to adopt a habit that drives us to buy familiar brands and to resist the attempts to break down these entrenched buying patterns. Another one is the decision fatigue that leads us to choose convenient and mainstream options rather than to search for sustainable alternatives”.
Mair claims that most consumers, also due to greenwashing, have a restricted awareness about what constitutes truly sustainable fashion, and this worsen the issue. “Then – she continues – we tend to conform our behaviour to social norms. So, if sustainability is not considered as a priority by our peers, it is likely that it is not for us either”. We need advertising and educational campaigns, better accessibility and better convenience in terms of eco-friendly fashion. Costs that right now no one wants to bear but that sooner or later private or public companies will have to share in order to provide an actual change.
Apparently unintentional purchases
“When the consumers are not aware of their beliefs, emotions or frame of mind, they tend to buy and buy in an apparently unintentional way. But, I must say that, after the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers seem to be more conscious about how they feel, and about what they feel about themselves wearing that particular piece of clothing, that pair of shoes or that bag”, as stated by Dawnn Karen, founder of The Fashion Psychology Field and of the Fashion Psychology Institute (and author of volume Dress your best life, which ranked first on Amazon’s commercial fashion category). The psychologist claims that today consumers actually ask themselves where and how the fashion product that they are going to buy is made, and even when and how it will be disposed of.
“This is one of the hidden reasons why the fashion psychology field was founded. In order to raise and strengthen this inner consciousness, with the aim of pushing people to emphasize their awareness, in order not to damage themselves, others, or the environment. For Karen the consumer doesn’t buy in respect of his value system, but the impulse prevails. “For this reason there is a gap between what they feel deep down and what they feel on the surface. They are struck by this insatiable need or desire to buy something, and they continue to buy”.
Understanding the emotional and symbolic role of fashion
By compulsively buying (not only fast fashion products), wardrobes are full to the brim with clothes and accessories. For this reason, we necessarily need the integration of sustainability in the purchasing process of the consumer. “In order to accomplish that it is essential to understand the emotional and symbolic role of fashion, whose choices can be used to reflect identity, social status and emotional states”, as explained by Mair. In other words, well stocked and filled wardrobes show preparation and social adaptability, “satisfying deep psychological needs related to social identity and self-expression. With the aim of addressing this mentality towards sustainability – as said by Mair – ethical fashion must be made more accessible to all. Understanding the psychology of sustainable behaviour in fashion is essential in order to develop effective strategies to promote and adopt sustainable measures, both in individual and industrial terms”.
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