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I W O U L G O O U T O N I G H B U T H A V E N G O T S T I T C T W E A
D T T I T A H O R
- THE SMITHS
CONTENTS INTRODUCTION METHODOLOGY&HYPOTHOSIS HISTORICAL,SOCIAL AND CULTURAL CONTEXT PERSONAL TRACKING CONSUMER SURVEY CLOSET CONFIDENTIAL COLLECTOR TO CURATOR WARDROBES IN THE DIGITAL AGE WHAT’S NEXT? STRATEGIC OUTCOMES
REFERENCES BIBLIOGRAPHY APPENDIX
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A t h a s k e t i n c l o
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And by skeletons I don’t mean bones. I mean not-so-dirty little secrets. Clothes hanging limply on hangers or sitting patiently folded in drawers. Unworn. Not necessarily unwanted or unloved, perhaps it was once a prized possession that you have simply outgrown, or the bikini you bought as ‘gymspiration’ two years ago and are still aspiring for the body to wear it. Perhaps it is unloved and unwanted, but for whatever reason you haven’t or won’t return it. Either way, they are aiding and abetting a bad habit many of us have, an inability to part with clothing. An unhealthy relationship with our wardrobes, a compulsion for collection and a passion for possession.
We do not consume clothing as we used to. Items that were once needed purely to conceal our dignity or keep us warm and protected from the elements are now extensions of our being. A form of self-expression and art. An everyday display of our creativity, showing off our ability to build an outfit. Our body is our canvas our tools are our tops, trousers, skirts, dresses, jumpers, jackets, hats, scarves, jewellery, socks, shoes and bags. All located in our toolbox, our wardrobe. From it’s very beginnings the wardrobe has been an object of wonder for people. Its nature of concealment ignites desire in people for its contents to be revealed. Its move from wonder to magical was sealed in the mid-20th century when C.S.Lewis wrote about a young girl who opened a wardrobe to not only find some (probably) gorgeous fur coats, but a whole fantasy world inspiring in us all the hope that we might one day find Narnia in our wardrobes. It is the relationship with our wardrobes that I am exploring. Has it become an object of status and aspiration? An indication of your social standing judged not by the contents of the wardrobe but it’s form. I will look at the unhealthy behaviours surrounding wardrobes, such as using them as an archive or a way to avoid guilt by concealing your unworn purchases in, trying to understand the emotional bond people have with their wardrobes. I will also be looking into new behaviours associated with wardrobes. Exploring how new developments in technology has changed the way we view wardrobes and the new platforms they are expanding into. I will finally try to identify which behaviours can be used advantageously and how this can be done effectively. To help form my research I wanted to find out how well my peers managed their wardrobes. I wanted to know if they utilised their entire wardrobe, if they had items that they had never worn and if they did, were they still buying more. I discovered 75% wear less than 50% of their wardrobe 100% have unworn clothes, shoes or accessories in their wardrobe but 80% still buy new clothes on a monthly basis. This confirmed my thoughts that people are not managing their wardrobes. They are mismanaged.
M e t h o d o l o g y a n d H y p o t h e s i s
To help form my research I wanted to find out how well my peers managed their wardrobes. I wanted to know if they utilised their entire wardrobe, if they had items that they had never worn and if they did, were they still buying more. I discovered 75% wear less than 50% of their wardrobe 100% have unworn clothes, shoes or accessories in their wardrobe but 80% still buy new clothes on a monthy basis. This confirmed my thoughts that people are not managing their wardrobes. They are mismanaged. A problem is posed in the form of the mismanaged wardrobe. People are abusing the function but retaining unwanted and unworn clothing and changing the function by projecting social ideology onto it. This research report will look into the causes and effects of these behaviours before providing a strategic outcome. I predict that this will take the digital form seeing as we are such a technology based society. My research will require me to collect information and insights from a variety of sources to help inform me and establish the final outcome. I will conduct initial research which will include an online questionnaire to rationalize my subject matter, helping to confirm that there is an issue with wardrobe mismanagement. I hope to gain responses from at least 30 participants with an age range of no younger than 18 and no older than 60. My initial research will also consist of reading articles and journals to identify trends which can help form my research and better inform me of my subject matter. Following this I will be looking into historical and social context also by reading and analysing information found in articles and journals as well as using topical books and film. My research relies heavily on consumer behaviours therefore I will be conducting surveys to capture data and insight from a wide range of consumers. I want to be able to identify trends in behaviour and see if any are dependent on age, gender or social standing. I will also use questionnaires to confirm any insights or doubts I may have. I will also establish consumer behaviour through observation of myself and my peers as well as reading books, journals and articles to find trends which will support my primary research. I will also conduct several one on one interviews to establish different consumer viewpoints. My intention is to us people of different ages and social standings. I will also look for specific consumer insight through personal blogs and ‘vlogs’. Finally I will propose a strategised use for my findings. My initial thoughts are that this will adopt a digital format.
H i s t o C u l t a n d C o n
r i c a l u r a l S o c i a t e x
A brief overview of key moments in history, culture and society that have influenced the way in which we interract and view our wardrobes.
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I conducted a survey in order to understand the different relationships people had with their wardrobe. I wanted to find out information such as wether they held an emotional or functional connection with it and how much of a priority it was to them. The survey was conducted on 100 people of varied ages, occupations and gender.
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As a result of the consumer survey i can identify trends in behaviours surrounding wardrobes. I wanted to know if my assumptions and initial thoughts had any truth behind them. Much of what I thought I found to be true. Key insights were • More people aspire to have a streamlined wardrobe than and extensive one • A large clothing collection is more aspirational and important to younger people • Most people selected cost as the main reason they don’t part with clothing • Younger females were most likely to keep clothing because of trend • Older people used more storage for their wardrobes suggesting that they have a larger collection of clothing than younger people • Those with a walk-in wardrobe also thought of it as an aspirational item • When asked to describe what their wardrobe meant to them, men tended to think of it as a functional item where as women held a more emotional bond with it.
Following m y analysis of s u r v e y r e s p o n s e s , I wa s a b l e to i dentify s om e specif ic beh a v i o u r a s r e a s o n s wh y p e o p l e i l l o g ically c olle ct and hoar d cl o th i n g wi th i n th e i r wa r d r o b e s .
Many people retained clothing in their wardrobe out of sentimentality. These people have an emotional attachment to an item of clothing as it reminded them of a past event or perhaps a person, who they used to be, how they felt when they were wearing it. People who keep clothing out of sentimentality are using up space and creating clutter. More often than not they are unlikely to ever wear the item again or may plan to pass it down. For example a fur coat or a collection of jewellery may be passed through generations as an heirloom. Sentimentality was the second most popular reason identified for keeping clothing in my survey.
Trend is a sticky subject within peoples wardrobes. There is a culture of retaining clothing from a past trend out of hope that it will resurface and you will not have to face the annoyance of rebuying an item of clothing. Even if it resurfaces many years later and you aren’t comfortable with it anymore, a daughter or younger sister may be able to benefit from your hoarding of trends past. These people are keen to make sure they sit with the early-adopters and are not caught with the late comers. There is an argument for style over trend however, that trend should not affect your wardrobe if you have confidence that you can make any item of clothing work if dressed correctly. Many people avoid building a trend lead wardrobe, instead choosing to invest in versatile classic pieces such as white shirts and black jeans. Teenagers and millennials are most susceptible to a trend lead wardrobe as they are still discovering their personal style and are under pressure to conform to new styles and trends. Trends tend to move on faster amongst youths also.
Another reason for people retaining clothing is due to various forms of aspiration. The first being motivational. For example you may buy items for your summer wardrobe during the winter that are a size smaller than you are to encourage you to lose weight to fit into them. Or you may not get rid of clothing despite it no longer fitting to fuel your determination to fit it again. You may invest in a specialised item of clothing to motivate you to start a hobby (for example, a tennis outfit to encourage yourself to take up tennis). You may try and build confidence by purchasing an outfit which does not currently fit with your personal style, but fits how you aspire to dress. The second form of aspiration is admiration driven. Trying to build an extensive collection of clothing or shoes to rival your celebrity idols, and to give a sense of status and standing. Other behaviours are financial value and admiration. People may hold on to clothing simply because they feel they have spent too much money on it and are reluctant to waste it or if they sell it on they will not get a good deal. They may simply adore the item of clothing and so are keeping it for visual selfindulgence. Some have admitted that they are simply too lazy to carry out the task of clearing out their wardrobe of redundant items. And if they do manage that task, it is then additional effort to either list them online or find somewhere to accept them. Ease is key to encouraging people to detox their wardrobes.
I asked consumers the question,
A F a s h i o n “If you owned a piece F a i l u r e ? of clothing, but never wore it, would you get rid of it and how would this make you feel? Another proposed reason for why people build up collections of unworn and unwanted clothing is the sense of failure it would evoke within them. Imagine, you walk into a shop and see a top. It is not a conventional, classic style. It is quirky, but you like it. You buy it with confidence thinking, ‘yes, I can make this work, I can pull off this style’. It all changes however once you get it home and either you discover you cannot match it with any of your wardrobe, or perhaps you can but don’t have the confidence to wear it out. So you consider returning it, getting your money back for it. However you know once you approach the cashier and say that you wish to return this item they will ask the dreaded question, “Was there anything wrong with it?” and you can only reply with a flat, shameful, “No.” You cannot even claim it doesn’t fit, it fitted. You made an error in judgment when you decided, “Yes, this top is me”. So you stubbornly decide that you will not return the item. You allow it to sit, hidden away in the back of your overstuffed wardrobe, initially you are determined that a trend will crop up that makes the top relevant, or you will blossom into a new you who does that the confidence to pull of such a quirky look. However time passes and you forget about the item. It remains unworn. But you keep it still because while it is still in your wardrobe it still has potential to fulfil.
Please consider how your decision would be affected by cost, reason for purchase and how long ago you purchased the item”
you have not failed yet.
“if it was fairly expensive ( in comparison to what id normally purchase) and it was slightly different to what i normally wore id most likely convince myself that id one day wear it” “I would sell that item of clothing, i’d keep it just in case I want it in the future […]My decision is not affected by cost” “I would get rid of it after a really long time, maybe like five years. If it was super cheap, like from primark, I would consider throwing it away but I’d always wonder if I could find a use for it.” “No. Because I spent money on it and it might come in handy one day!”
This response highlights someone who experiences guilt when ‘chucking out’ their unworn clothing “I like to get rid of un-worn clothes because i feel de-cluttered when having a chuck out. But it seems a shame when It has never been worn, the money could have been used for something else and it wouldnt have been a waste of a garment especially if i have had it for a while.”
This behaviour is unique to clothing. If you were to do this for instance, with food it would be considered disgusting and a health hazard. We have developed a non-guilt culture towards disposal of uneaten food that has not yet transferred to clothing. People are happy to throw away food that they have bought but not eaten. Of course there are circumstantial differences, food will deteriorate over time, some fasted than others. But it is still something we decided we would buy with the intention of eating it, and although we may feel a sense of guilt at the waste, we don’t feel like we have failed in the same way. It does not reflect on our personal abilities.
Culture surrounding make-up carries similar behaviours. You may buy a lipstick in a quirky colour and never find the occasion to wear it. You are not however then expected to return it or dispose of it. It is acceptable to build up collections of make up and never have to face guilt through disposing of it or admit to the failure of not being clever enough to make it work. Whilst it is still in your possession it still has potential. It is possible then that a solution to avoiding guilt and failure of disposing of unworn clothing could be the idea of clothing exchanges of swaps. Someone else may be able to create an outfit around an item that you struggled with but the action of clothes swapping sidesteps the feeling of failure by matching you with an equal and flattering you. Someone giving you a piece of their clothing that they couldn’t work in exchange for your unworn item, says “don’t worry, it happens to the best of us, I really like your taste though”. It almost does the opposite of instilling failure within you and instead reassures your faith in your own taste.
A c c u m i l a t i o n
Our accumulation of clothing is not solely down to the retaining of them, but the act of acquisition has become easier. The latter half of the 20th century saw the growth of fast value fashion. Market leaders being Irish brand Primark and Asda’s clothing range George. It is not limited to value brands however, luxury brands have even launched ‘value’ diffusion lines or collaborated with high street brands, for example, Meadham Kirchoff for Topshop or Maison Martin Margiela for H&M. These fashion labels are constantly changing their collections bringing out new products on average every two weeks, which encourages people to buy more often. Previously people would buy with the changing seasons as brands would only bring out two collections a year but trends are now changing more rapidly and brands are having to keep up. ‘We now buy 40% of all our clothes at value retailers, with just 17% of our clothing budget.’ (TNS Worldpanel (2006) Fashion Focus issue 29) The consequences of this are that people are getting more for less but does not necessarily mean that they are spending less, simply buying more. A study by Cambridge University found that in 2006 women had four times the amount of clothing than they did in 1980 (Institute for Manufacturing, Cambridge University, 2006) this is because it is affordable and accessible and throughout the booming 90’s and early 00’s, excess was encouraged.
Another major change in the way we accumulate clothing is the development of e-commerce. People now have more platforms than ever before trying to sell them clothing. As well as in-store shopping and catalogues, most brands now have online shopping sites allowing people to browse and buy in the comfort of their own home. This is no longer limited to computers either, smart phone and tablet apps are free and easily accessible. They make spontaneous buying simple as it only takes a few clicks. Online shopping allows people to search and compare brands looking for the cheapest option available. Bargain hunters can also use online auction or second hand websites such as eBay and ASOS Marketplace. December, 2013 showed that ÂŁ10.1bn was spent on online sales in the UK, which was a monthly record. This was seen as a 2.9% fall in footfall was seen across UK shopping destinations. (Butler, 2013) These figures prove that more and more people are taking to buying online which does lead to a higher accumulation of clothing. This is because although it is a simpler, stress-free process to purchase the clothing, these are untested items. Should they not fit or appear different to how they did online it is a more lengthy process to return the item as it must be packaged up and returned via courier or royal mail and as with store returns this must be done within a certain date. As a result many people do not bother to return their items leading to personal financial loss and another unworn and unwanted item in the wardrobe. Although the internet is the cause of much accumulation, it also has the potential to be the saviour as it offers a variety of channels to get rid of unwanted clothing such as selling it on eBay or ASOS Market place, or arranging a collection by a recycling organisation such as Traid. Websites also offer clothes swapping, or ‘swishing’ as a way to refresh your wardrobe without any further accumulation or expenditure. This involves the trading of one garment for another between two people facilitated by a website. Examples of these websites are Swapstyle.com and bigwardrobe.com.
There are also more social versions with websites which arrange clothing swap events and private parties, such as swishing.com. these are becoming highly popular with university’s starting ‘clothes swap societies’ and Time Out advertising events in their ‘Things to do’ section. It has transformed ‘spring cleaning’ your wardrobe into a highly social and appealing occasion rather than a chore and a trip to the charity shop. The media also pressurises us to buy more clothing. Women’s fashion and lifestyle magazines especially. Every week they are promoting new ‘essential’ buys, telling us what is on trend right now, the ‘must have’ item, so that we feel compelled to go out and shop for these items we apparently must be seen without. We don’t feel guilt about this new and unnecessary purchase however as we have been told it’s essential. The definition of essential is something we need to live is it not? You are pressured to accumulate new items monthly, even weekly in order to conform. Television shows such as Sex and the City add to this. Sex and the City celebrated the characters excessive clothing collections and made it an accepted norm. Some television does take a more ethical view, often promoting the idea of a minimalist wardrobe and painting a negative picture of unhealthy, over stuffed, under-used wardrobes. A good example is Gok Wan’s How To Look Good Naked. Online, although presents the dangers of online shopping also has a plethora of websites and blogs dedicated to streamlining wardrobes and tips on how to part with old clothing.
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“In the 1920s, closets with doors increasingly replaced armoires. In the 1950s, larger closets with sliding doors spread across suburbia. The love affair with the walk-in closet began in the 1980s, and by the 1990s, his-and-hers walk-ins were not uncommon. By the early 2000s, closets in larger homes had reached the size of small bedrooms — or actually were converted bedrooms.” (Ginny Snook-Scott, LA Times, 2012) Walk in wardrobes are the biggest phenomena surrounding wardrobes in the latter decades of the 20th century. They became the identifier of wealth and celebrity. Someone who wore a new outfit everyday needed space enough to contain all their designer garments, and a space luxurious enough to endure the task of selecting, reviewing and discarding outfits repeatedly. In line with the principal of trend cycles, the aspiration to possess a large walk in wardrobe has in recent years become passé. The cause is possibly driven by the media marking the celebrities who represent this idea uncool. Another cause maybe a growing call for sustainable ethical living, people do not want to appear wasteful. The trickle-down effect also took place, changing the walk-in wardrobe from a mark of wealth and status to a standard feature of a home. As they became more popular cheaper ways to build them were sought, making them more accessible to the masses. (Abramian-Mott, 2005)
The LA times published two articles 7 years apart which highlight this change in attitude towards wardrobe size and contents. The first, “Walk-in? More like live-in” (Abramian-Mott, 2005), stated the ostentatious way in which wardrobes were surpassing their function and becoming a destination. “The once-humble closet has been reborn as a pricey space for lounging, exercising, even partying. Turn up the music and pass the Champagne” (Abramian-Mott,2005) The article published in 2012 tells of a complete u-turn. It explains the movement from people becoming collectors of clothing to becoming curators (Door closing on closets? Why wardrobes are replacing walk-ins, Nanako, 2012). Nanako discusses the idea of a “closetless closet”. He cites the economic depression as a reason, for people are living in smaller homes so need smart ways to utilise their space. It is also making them want to appreciate what they have more.
“For her, a $500 air of shoes was a iece of art-work, She only wears them for special occasions — maybe twice a year — and having them out allows her to see and appreciate them other times.”
(Ginny Snook-Scott, 2012)
Fashion and style as an art form, is a driving force behind the move from collector to curator. Dressing much like art is a form of self-expression, with each day a new blank canvas to experiment on. Therefore wardrobes can be thought of as toolboxes holding all the materials you need to create that days masterpiece. People who collect clothing and shoes to excessive levels often view themselves as art collectors. The documentary, God Save My Shoes, explores women’s obsession with shoes. One woman featured had 3 walk in wardrobes solely for her shoes and said, “Each pair is a piece of art, I’m an art collector”(Benasra, J. 2011). This reiterates the idea that building a collection of clothing and shoes to many people is one of their hobby’s, but while some people may view it as a shallow and materialistic preoccupation, by likening it to that of an art collector they are able to give their compulsion depth, making it cultural and giving themselves a validity of expertise, even if the subject matter is only their own taste and style. The idea of a curated wardrobe shows confidence in your dressing and a good understanding of who you are and how you want to convey that to the world. A curated wardrobe is not just one that is accessible and viewable, but selective. A capsule wardrobe contains a limited number of items. This has become an aspiration as it proves that you are a clever dresser if you can look consistently chic without needing a whole roomful of clothes but simply a rail-full. This echoes changes in social conscience that less is more, waste not want not.
A curated wardrobe also has a strong aesthetic attraction. People enjoy seeing their possessions displayed neatly and the pleasure people get from collecting is still stimulated by being able to see the multiples within your wardrobe. It strengthens the link between dresser and artist. There have been numerous art installations and pieces throughout the last century that have been based around multiples and repeated visuals. Therefore having 10 white crew neck t-shirts in your wardrobe can be validated if you claim that it is not excess, these were not purchased simply because you have the means to do so, nor for their functionality and versatility, but to help create this art installation that is your wardrobe. This ofcourse is in direct contrast with the ethical motivations of a curated wardrobe however people are all individual therefore have their own values and incentives. A common factor is that people want to put their wardrobes on display and say “Tah-dah!This is a visual representation of my personality!�. Their audience maybe limited however as you can only show off your bedroom to so many people before eyebrows are raised, questions asked and police called. Those who wish to show off how brilliant and beautiful their wardrobe is have now been enabled by the wonder of the Internet. There are now multiple platforms which allow them to upload images of selected pieces of clothing, whole outfits or even whole wardrobes.
T h e D i g i t a l A g e o f Wardrobes
We are currently in the age of the Millennials. A generation who have grown up in a highly visual world ad taken technology as the norm not the new. These are the trend-setters and early adopters. I am going to look at the social media platforms which are most popular and influential and the most efficient way in which people have begun to share and show off their wardrobes, using Millennials as context.
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Tumblr is a blogging network where you can follow blogs you like and reblog images and posts from other peoples pages. It is an online website which also has a mobile app. As of January 2014, it has 166 million users (Tumblr.com/about, 2014) It has a dashboard which is much like a twitter feed showing you the recent posts of everyone you follow. Tumblr as a platform to show off your wardrobe is ideal. If you post a picture of it and your followers like and reblog it, it will gain notes which give it credibility and increase its circulation. Allowing it to be seen by many more people. Tumblr is a highly visual site and is largely dedicated to photos and images. It allows a user to also gather inspiration for different and new ways to curate their wardrobe. Tumblr is also renowned for being highly diverse and celebrating the quirky. As a result collections are appreciated just as much as curation. Tumblr has a largely teen user base. Teens are much more likely to follow trends and become early adopters therefore many users use Tumblr to show off individual outfits and pieces from their wardrobe as well as ‘haul’ posts. This is the exhibiting of new wardrobe additions, usually informing followers of where they purchased the items and how they will style them.
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I N S T A G R A M Instagram is a photo sharing network with over 100 million users(Gadgets.ndtv.com. 2013). You are able to follow people you know, or people you admire and view the photos that they upload to the site. It is a mobile app but can also be used on pc’s and tablets. Its user base is not specific to teens though is most popular among Millennials. The wardrobe as a theme is less present on Instagram, this is not to say that it is not present, if you were to search the tag ‘wardrobe’ you would still receive hundreds of results showing peoples carfully styled rails and wardrobes they want the world to see. However, people are more likely to show selected pieces of post an ‘Outfit of the day’ photo. Instagram has helped make the ‘show-off’ mentality that is ever present in social media, acceptable. Instagram users are intent on showing off their lifestyle, convinced that they have one to show off. Whether it be celebrating their beauty with ‘Selfies’ (a self-taken picture of yourself), a picture of their plate of food they just ordered in a restaurant to show off their quality of life, or posting a haul photo showing not the clothes they bought, but the shopping bags to show off which brands they bought from.
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Lookbook promotes itself as being “ the #1 source for fashion inspiration from real people around the world” (lookbook.nu, 2008). It is a website which allows members to post images of their outfits or ‘looks’. People can view the website without being a member and like different outfit posts. The posts which get the most ‘hype’ and ‘love’ are ranked on a page for top posts. Lookbook is another way to show of what a clever dresser you are and receive validation from your peers. Used by millennials, this is a key place to discover and begin new trends. This is different to the other online platforms as it is dedicated to clothes and styling, rather than this being a consequence of the site.
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Twitter is the most influential social platform of recent years. In 2012 over 500 million people were registered as users and between them sent 340 million tweets per day (TechCrunch. 2012.). Twitter gives everyone a voice, which they use to inform people about their thoughts, feelings and day-to-day activities. People can also use twitter to share images and posts from other social media sites such as Instagram and Facebook. In terms of using it as a platform for wardrobes people are able to show off new items thought text and images or tweet pictures of ‘outfits of the day’ or simply ask their followers opinions on what they should wear today. It increases the credibility of the wardrobe as a social destination. Facebook also offers many of these possibilities, however Facebook has now attracted an older generation meaning that millennials are less likely to use it at the same rate. The social nature of Twitter can also be a source of encouragement when clearing out your wardrobe. Television and radio presenter, Lauren Laverne recently used twitter to share her experience of clearing out her wardrobe (Figure 30.)
P I N T E R E S T Pinterest is an online digital photo scrapbook. Users are able to ‘pin’ images to appropriate boards of their own creation. The main purpose of this being inspiration and aspiration for your own life. This makes using it to showoff wardrobe curation and collection ideal. The categorization of your boards can be as specific as you like, for example, rather than having a board of ‘wardrobes’ you can have one for ‘armoires’ on for ‘rails’ on for ‘walk-ins’ and one for ‘minimalist‘. This is less about showing off what you own or how you have displayed your wardrobe, more about your personal taste and creativity.
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Polyvor describes itself as a ‘social commerce’ website. It is based around the creation of ‘Sets’ which are a collection of purchasable items which have been styled together. It aims to set trends and by doing so it encourages users to buy more to help complete the look.
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Youtube has given birth to a new way to show off and exhibit your wardrobe. Vloggers have begun posting haul videos. These are videos in which someone goes through what they have purchased on a shopping trip and where they got it from. Thye will usually then go on to inform viewers on how to wear these item of clothing. It is a way to validate your own style and see what others have in their wardrobe. I interviewed two Youtube vloggers who have created haul videos in order to better understand their motivations behind creating them. Both girls were between 18 – 24 so are within the millennial generation. When asked what made them first make a haul video, one informed me that she had a blog and so it naturally progressed into video hauls because it was an easier and more accessible way for her to share information. The other girl first did it for a competition run by Wonderbra (which she went on to win). They both kept doing them because they enjoyed the positive feedback they received from viewers. The other main piece of information I wanted to know, was what they wanted their viewers to gain from watching their haul video, or was it just to be envious of them? Both girls had similar answers, that they wanted people to feel inspired and to instill confidence in them when dressing.
T H E W A R D R O B E : W H A T ’ S N E X T ?
RECCOMENDATIONS FOR A STRATEGIC OUTCOME
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From the research I have been able to deduce the following, which has lead me to create a concept and strategy which I believe effectively utilises the findings. The two main conclusions I was able to draw from the research have given me a cause and a context around which I am able to produce a strategic outcome. The first, that people do have excessive amounts of clothing in their wardrobe and secondly, that the social move from collector to curator teamed with the increase of online presence, has created a new breed of wardrobe ‘show offs’. To address the first finding, excessive consumption of clothing has detrimental effects on the environment. The production of clothing is the cause of both water and air pollution. Clothing manufacture, especially within the realms of fast fashion, raises ethical questions as work forces are often exploited. Workers are poorly paid for excessive hours and working in substandard conditions. This is not true for all fashion brands but certainly is for many, especially value brands who are catering to the demand of people wanting more for less.
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If people were to reuse clothing, buy only when they needed to or buy second hand to decrease the demand for newly produced clothing it would help ease the effect on the environment and enable more pressure to be put on clothing brands who are exploiting workers. There are also economic benefits to be had from decreasing the amount of wardrobe excess. Buying less clothing will obviously save money, equally the same clothing budget could be spent but on fewer high quality items that would last longer compared to many low cost, low quality items. Getting rid of excess can also be beneficial if you choose to sell your surplus items. For the research I have realised that people are more likely to dispose of excess clothing if the process is easy. Therefore any solution I propose, I must ensure that ease is prioritised. My second finding has given me a context within which I can find a solution to the first problem. The growth of the online show-off together with the move from collector to curator has presented me with a specific group of people to target the outcome at. I will propose to create an online platform that can solve the first issue whilst also indulging people’s desire to exhibit their lifestyle.
My concept is to create a hybrid website that combines the ecommerce of eBay with the exhibitionist nature of Instagram and the social connectivity and accessibility of websites such as twitter. It primary purpose should be as a wardrobe organisation tool. This can be achieved by acting as an online market place. However, it need to be distinguishable from online markets already in existence. I think this can be achieved by offering more options than simply selling. I believe that by offering the options to swap and donate clothing it will do this. To fulfil its purpose it must first become an online wardrobe. I think by creating a user profile within which you are able to upload your physical wardrobe. The site can help you track what you wear making it a much easier task to detox your wardrobe of unworn and unwanted clothing. I think it is important to harness the power of social networks to the site in order to encourage continual usage. If people are able to ‘follow’ and view other peoples online wardrobe it may inspire theirs and satisfy peoples exhibitionist and voyeuristic natures. I believe that the ideal target audience would be teens and millennials. These are a generation who are savvy with online usage therefore are unlikely to be confused by any function or features available. The youthful age of this specified audience have been known to still be experimenting with different styles and ways of dressing and therefore are more likely to chop and change the contents of their wardrobe. They are also the age group with the least means of doing this therefore a platform where the majority of the collective are seeking value and bargains is beneficial to them all. As an age group they are also least confident within themselves, and are seeking reassurance and validation through social media. This is compared to young professionals and established adults who are usually more certain in who they are and know what styles suit them and as a result, are less likely to use a site like I am proposing. I will not target a specific gender as with-
- To allow maximum access as well as an online site, a mobile enable site and app for tablets and smart phone will also be developed. - Wardrobes can be ‘uploaded’ onto the site by either using an online form out with an image of the item, what brand it is, size and what year it was purchased or alternatively by scanning the barcode or entering the product number (usually found on care labels)enabling the site to retrieve the details of the item from a database. This would make updating it easier and establish links with brands allowing them to know more about who is purchasing their items. Users can follow and view each other’s wardrobes and to increase interaction they can ‘covet’ items from each other’s wardrobes. This will work similarly to a ‘like’ button on Instagram. The underlying intention of having your wardrobe visible to others is to increase the desire to curate it to look appealing, thus increasing the need to clear the excess items. It will also help shape style and confidence. - ‘Outfit of the day’ and personal tracking features. Users can select from their online wardrobe what they are wearing each day. Their selection can be viewed by other users and they may also have the option of uploading an image of them in said outfit. This can have features similar to Instagram where other users can ‘like’ and comment on outfits. This enables a personal tracking feature. By each day selecting what items you are wearing the site is able to produce stats showing what items you wear the most and least and what percentage of your wardrobe you are using etc. From this is can then recommend which items you then sell, swap or donate. - The options of selling, swapping or donating will be the main function of the site. You can put clothing up for auction on the site where other users can bid on it within a selected time frame. Equally within this time frame users can try to swap items of their wardrobe for the item for sale. If an item is not sold or swapped then the site will suggest that you donate the item. To make donation easy the site will provide users or their nearest outlets which will accept their clothing donations (e.g. charity shops or clothing bins). A possible feature is that if a user has a certain weight of clothing, collection and donation can be organised via the website. - Users will be able to link their profiles with other social platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. The website may access their profiles on these sites to post updates such as “[username] look and
has view
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listed [item] for sale. rest of their wardrobe
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there space in current market?
To maximise attraction to the site and user loyalty, it is important to establish where the site will fit within the established landscape. To do this is have created a brand map to show where the site will lie in terms of online marketplaces and social media. I have used a Y axis of opportunity to get rid of clothing vs. no opportunity to get rid of clothing and an X axis of social interaction vs. no social interaction. I chose these axis as they are the two foundations of the site I am suggesting.
From the brand map it is possible to see that most competitors are either specifically for selling/swapping or focused on social networking. the main competitors would be Osom and Swapstyle.com. However, the site I am proposing would have an edge on Osom. Osom is only available as a mobile app, limiting accessibility. It allows users to follow each other and view and buy items that people are selling. However it offers no personal tracking features and is not exclusive to fashion. Swapstyle.com is primarily a swapping website tailored exclusively for fashion, but does have some features which give it a social edge, such as the creation of viewable user profiles.
S t r e n g t h s The main strength behind this concept is the unique selling point that it is a hybrid of an online marketplace alongside clothes swapping and a social network. That I have seen, this is a unique idea to the online landscape. Although similar sites exist offering certain aspects of this concept, none exist that match all the features. It fulfils a niche in the market. Niche marketing is set to be a trend for 2014 (socialmediatoday.com,2013)and so the specified audience for the proposed concept will appeal to advertisers and provide revenue for the site. The personal tracking aspect of this site is another strength. With a leading trend in new technology being the ‘quantified self’ I believe that the ability to track which clothes are and aren’t worn will appeal to many people. This combined with the social aspect of my concept will evoke a competitive aspect within users. The format that this concept will take is a further strength. It is relevant by being online. By producing mobile and app versions will not only increase ease of usage but also make it accessible to more users and enable them to access it more regularly. For example the ‘outfit of the day’ feature needn’t be time consuming. Someone can use the app on their phone on the way to school, college, work etc. to select and post their clothing from their online wardrobe. The site will also be image centric. This will appeal to users of site such as pinterest, tumblr and Instagram which are also image centric sites.
W e a k n e s s e s
There are some weaknesses within my concept. Firstly, although there is no other identical site currently available there are a number of similar ones. This presents two weaknesses. The website will be launched into a fairly saturated world of social networks and online marketplaces therefore will have to make sufficient noise to be noticed. Secondly, people may not feel that it is particularly necessary to have a combined online marketplace and social network. They may be satisfied with having these as separate entities. However the research conducted does suggest that this will be an appealing combination. Another weakness is the limited appeal of wardrobe organisation. It will be essential to encourage user loyalty as once someone feels their wardrobe is suitable streamlined they may no longer need to use the site. I hope this is where the social aspect will maintain draw to the site. The concept I have created, in order to stand out will have some complex features which may render it too difficult to use and exclude the less tech savvy people. To remedy this there must be clear guides for using both the online site and mobile app. Due to the possibility for problems with the selling, swapping and donating, customer help must be easily accessible. This could be done through a live chat feature. Another weakness is that by being online and social, trolling is inevitable. This means that thorough monitoring of the site needs to happen to minimise bullying between users. This is a likelihood as style is personal and peoples tastes differ making people with eccentric style easy targets for online trolls.
O p p o r t u n i t y The opportunities presented by this concept are the possibility for world wide access. Although I suggest initially limit selling/swapping to countries, or at least continents, with suitable regulation worldwide interaction should be feasible. An increase in ambassador lead marketing is predicted for 2014 (socialmediatoday.com, 2013) therefor this site presents plenty of opportunity for this. By being focussed on fashion it appeals to fashion brands to both use the site for research and promotion and act as ambassadors. The ethical donation aspect of the site would increase appeal as brands would want to be linked with this connotation. The site would be able to charge for brands to use data from the site and to promote on the site which would help to provide revenue for the site. There is also the opportunity to utilise the rise in ambassador marketing to target celebrities to become ambassadors for the site. The benefits of this would be to attract users who are curious to view their wardrobes and keen to purchase the items. Being celebrities, if they did sell items on the site the proceeds would then be for charity. It may be best to do this as a focused event annually. This would increase the sites ethical profile and provide campaign opportunities and charity collaborations, e.g. they may collaborate with breast cancer uk, encouraging celebrities to sell some of their pink items of clothing on the site. This may also encourage a wider user base in terms of age range as the site gains more credibility and integrity. There is then opportunity to tailor specific features and services on the site to these age ranges.
T h r e a t Threats to the success of the proposed concept include the creation of competition or sites offering very similar services. This can be solved by patents but these are often expensive and initially the site may not be generating enough revenue to cover this as an overhead. The generation revenue is another threat is this is dependent on appealing to advertisers which will be difficult to do before the site has gained a substantial user base and generated a decent reputation. Other ways in which revenue can be generated are, like eBay, charging a listing fee when people wish to use the site to sell items of clothing. Alternatively, like Spotify, a basic and premium membership can be offered, with the premium membership requiring a small monthly charge in exchange for more features this may exclude a wide number of users however. Being online, threats come from virtual criminals. The site would have the capability to be hacked or interfered with which would be catastrophic given the age range targeted and the fact that the site will be handing financial transactions which open up possibilities of fraud. Extensive monitoring and protection of the site must be in order to protect users from this. A suggestion is to use the online money transfer site, PayPal, to process all financial transactions. The option of clothes swapping also presents the treat of unfair exchanges. Exchanges will be made at user discretion leaving the site unaccountable for this. However should one participant of a swap fail to send their promised item the site will react. A possible way to discourage this is that they will then be charged for the item they received and receive poor feedback, which other users will be able to view and may discourage people from completing swaps with them in the future.
T o Conclude In conclusion, after identifying opportunities to be made from the insights that: 1. People have a tendency to build wardrobes that contain an excessive amount of unworn and unwanted clothing but are reluctant to dispose of and require organisation. 2. There has been a move in recent years from wardrobes as a collection to wardrobes becoming a curated exhibition of self expression which has been enabled and encouraged by the development of online platforms which allow users to show off their wardrobe and celebrate others. I have suggested an online platform which caters to both of these whilst also offering opportunity for these behaviours to be harnessed for financial benefit for both the users of the site and the creators whilst also promoting environmental and ethical values. I have established what the strengths, opportunities, weaknesses and threats are to this idea and provided some suggestions for how these can be overcome.
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R E F E R E N C E S 1.. ABRAMIAN-MOTT, A., 2005, September 08. Walk-in? More like live-in. Los Angeles Times, 1-2. 2. ALLWOOD, J.M., ELLEBÆK LAURSEN, S., MALVIDO DE RODRÍGUEZ, C. and M P BOCKEN, N., 2006. Well dressed? The present and future sustainability of clothing and textiles in the United Kingdom. ISBN 1-902546-52-0. Cambridge: University of Cambridge. 3. BENASRA, J., 2011. God Save My Shoes. Caid Productions inc. 4. BUTLER, S., 2013, December 17. Online and upward: UK internet shopping hits record high. The Gaurdian, 1. 5. ENCYLOPAEDIA BRITANNICA, October 13th 2006, 2006-last update, Wardrobe (Furniture) [Homepage of Encyclopaedia Britannica], [Online]. Available: http://www.britannica. com/topic/635811/history [November 2013, 2013]. 6. ETHICAL FASHION FORUM., 2012-last update, Fast Fashion, ‘Value’ Fashion [Homepage of Ethical Fashion Forum], [Online]. Available: http://www.ethicalfashionforum.com/ the-issues/fast-fashion-cheap-fashion [December, 2013]. 7. LEBLANC, S., 2012. Sustainable Fashion Design: ron No More? 1. online: BSR.
Oxymo-
8. LUNDEN, I., 2012-last update, Twitter May Have 500M+ Users But Only 170M Are Active, 75% On Twitter’s Own Clients. Available: http://techcrunch.com/2012/07/31/twittermay-have-500m-users-but-only-170m-are-active-75-on-twitters-own-clients/ [January, 2014].
9. NAKANO, C., 2012, August 17. Door closing on closets? Why wardrobes are replacing walk-ins. Los Angeles Times, 1-2. 10. SNOOK-SCOTT, G., 2012, August 17. Door closing on closets? Why wardrobes are replacing walk-ins. Los Angeles Times, 1. 11. SOCIAL MEDIA TODAY., 2014-last update, 11 Web Marketing and Social Media Trends That Will Shape 2014. Available: http://socialmediatoday.com/stephaniefrasco/2015861/11-webmarketing-social-media-trends-will-shape-2014 [January, 2014]. 12. TUMBLR, 2014-last update, Tumblr.com/about. Available: https://www.tumblr.com/about [January, 2014]. 12. “Facebook’s Instagram reaches 100 million monthly active users | NDTV Gadgets”. Gadgets.ndtv.com. 2013-02-27. Retrieved 2013-03-04.).
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ABRAMIAN-MOTT, A., 2005, September 08. Walk-in? More like live-in. Los Angeles Times, 1-2. ANON., unknown-last update, The New Luxuary: The Curated Wardrobe [Homepage of Fashionising.com], [Online]. Available: http://www.fashionising.com/clothing/b--curated-wardrobe-6616.html [December, 2013]. ANON., May 2, 2007-last update, The History of 20th Century Women’s Clothing [Homepage of Randomhistory.com], [Online]. Available: http://www.randomhistory.com/1-50/003clothing. html [November, 2013]. BUTLER, S., 2013, December 17. Online and upward: UK internet shopping hits record high. The Gaurdian, 1. DAVIS, M., July 3, 2007-last update, Clothes Swapping Parties [Homepage of Time Out], [Online]. Available: http:// www.timeout.com/london/things-to-do/clothes-swapping-parties [January, 2014]. ENCYLOPAEDIA BRITANNICA, October 13th 2006, 2006-last update, Wardrobe (Furniture) [Homepage of Encyclopaedia Britannica], [Online]. Available: http://www.britannica.com/ topic/635811/history [November 2013, 2013]. ETHICAL FASHION FORUM., 2012-last update, Fast Fashion, ‘Value’ Fashion [Homepage of Ethical Fashion Forum], [Online]. Available: http://www.ethicalfashionforum.com/ the-issues/fast-fashion-cheap-fashion [December, 2013]. LUNDEN, I., 2012-last update, Twitter May Have 500M+ Users But Only 170M Are Active, 75% On Twitter’s Own Clients. Available: http://techcrunch.com/2012/07/31/twitter-mayhave-500m-users-but-only-170m-are-active-75-on-twittersown-clients/ [January, 2014].
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BOOKS
ARTICLES
AND
REPORTS
ALLWOOD, J.M., ELLEBÆK LAURSEN, S., MALVIDO DE RODRÍGUEZ, C. and M P BOCKEN, N., 2006. Well dressed? The present and future sustainability of clothing and textiles in the United Kingdom. ISBN 1-902546-52-0. Cambridge: University of Cambridge. GONZALEZ, A.M., 2012. Identities Through Fashion. UK: Bloomsbury. KAISER, S., 2011. Fashion and Cultural Studies. 1 edn. California, USA: Berg Publishers LEBLANC, S., 2012. Sustainable Fashion Design: More? 1. online: BSR
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SMITHERS, R., 2012, March 30. TK Maxx and Cancer Research team up for children’s cancer research . The Gaurdian Money.
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BENASRA, J., 2011. God Save My Shoes. Caid Productions inc. HECKERLING,
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STARR,
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APPENDIX
Transcription
of
Interim
Presentation
Feedback
T = Tim Rundle, Module Leader and personal tutor. J = Jemima Stones (Me) T: Okay, erm, well I think it’s a fantastic subject matter and I think it’s a really good vehicle for your portfolio. I think it’s really at the heart of a lot of conversations. Erm, with quite a clear, right at the front you gave us the problem, you gave us a hypothesis, you suggested what you thought your approach was & you’ve shown how your evidence has validated that perspective. The report structure, so, you gave a quick breakdown there, erm, obviously I’m looking forward to that report including more bespoke project specific language, do you see what I mean? J: Yeah, I have been playing with a word bank. T: Cool, that’s good, that’s good to know. Um, I think you have mentioned a few individuals who have moved us to this point culturally, in our kind of cultural landscape. I think you need to look at other moments in in time, so, it’s not always a person J: yeah T: So, what are the TV shows, what are the news stories, see what I mean? So if you do a sort of map, of all the things culturally in the last 30 years that have gotten us to this point, then that would of course include Carrie Bradshaw, and you know, stories of celebrities, and you know, Whitney, whatever it is. But I just think having some of these in that mix is important, it’s not always the individual, sometimes it’s a cultural reference that’s not a person, you know. Um, so, broaden that out a little bit in terms of cultural influences that have got us here. I thought it was very interesting when you talk about people appetite for something beyond their ability to consume it, you know, us buying new clothes before we’ve had a chance to wear what we already have. I wonder if it’s worth doing a parallel, do you know what I mean, so you buy a lot of food, put it in your fridge, you don’t get to eat it, you don’t fancy it anymore, that food goes bad. So we don’t seem to have as much, have we developed as consumers a kind of non-guilt position, you see what I mean, you see why that’s important and why you might have a little bit of a nod out of sector, yeah? We don’t do it with cars do we? We don’t leave the car in the drive and go and buy another car. Clearly, it’s to do with finances, on one level, it does happen in quite a lot of – does it happen with make up? I don’t know. People will buy new make-up do they really use that make-up? No, so they collect and collect. So a bit more of a nod, I think food might be interesting because it’s a little bit more left field than make-up. At the heart of this behaviour that’s really the focus of your report, I know that you’ve had to do a lot of data capture and there’s a lot of innovation here, but I think what’s really clever about your report is trying to understand what motivates this, because that – if you understand the motivations people can create strategy that can manipulate all of that, do you see what I mean?
So, um, one of the things I though slightly had a bit of a bum note to it was, it may just be that you were rushed was that when you started talking about the fact that people don’t really want to throw something away because its cost them money. I don’t think it’s the cost of money, I think it’s the guilt. If I throw something away, I’ve failed. I think I’m stylish, I think I know how to buy, I think I think im a clever shopper. And then I throw it away without warning well then, you’re not a clever shopper then are you? You’re a bit of a mug. You don’t want to throw it away because that moment of throwing it away tells us, you’re a mug. Do you see what I mean? So it’s the guilt yes, and the failure that says you are not a savvy shopper, when I recognise that I’m just as gullible as everybody else. Do you understand what I mean? And, I think that’s quite important because I don’t feel like that when I’m chucking all the food out of my fridge, for some reason, I don’t feel a mug, so it’s something particular about modern identity. We all feel we want to know how to bypass brands, want to think we know how to move through the high street cleverly, shop savvily, and buy stuff and look and see, yes 70% of what you’ve bought you haven’t touched so its not that clever is it, really? So I think it’s not just about cost, it’s about guilt, disappointment and failure ultimately as a modern consumer I think it’s important to build that in. So, um, I love what you’re saying about collection fever, I think that’s really interesting, what you’re saying. I think you might want to do something about the human obsession with the multiple. It’s not just about art, it’s about everything. People love multiples. There is something, I don’t know, it’s genetic to me. It’s actually worse in men than it is in women. Multiples, multiples, multiples, and there is something pleasing about a multiple of anything, a stack of magazines, a chess set, doesn’t matter. Multiples are psychologically pleasing. It’s worth a moment or two just a paragraph looking at that or even a visual that shows multiples, that amassing similar things is somehow part of the condition of being a human being. So, that, whether it’s shoe collections or jewellery collections, whatever it comes down to, I think it’s part of that. And then we also have legitimised that , you know, in this last century, that idea of multiples as a conceptual, as an installation piece has become a fine art, do you know what I mean? As a fine artist you could track five different fine artists whose work is about putting multiples in a space. What that’s done is it’s basically legitimised as an intelligent process rather than ‘you mug, you have 25 pairs of black trousers’ you say, ’no it’s installation’ it’s 25 pairs of black trousers as an intellectual installation. So, fashion has been legitimised by the changes in fine art, so 20th century art has altered that perception. That thing you were saying about the fashion buyer feeling like a curator, right, that’s quite modern. I don’t mean modern as in this year, but it certainly is quite a shift. I really like what you were saying about the movement rom mass to select, so it feels a bit
gauche, it feels a bit crass to say look at the volume of clothes I own, now it’s more like a museum, look at this choice piece, which I’ve almost spot lit it’s not about, it’s about selection. Because the message there is while any fool may have money to buy the mass stuff, that’s not clever, is it, so were not really aspiring to that for the sake of it. It actually says, ‘you don’t know how to select, you don’t know how to edit, you’re not clever.’ So I think it’s worth having some sort of thing in your report which says, modern perception, now of a clever shopper is this – and the lazy- justgot-money shopper is this, it’s not enough to just have a lot of it [money] anymore because any Nuevo riche fool can have a lot of it. So I think some of that transparency would help set the scene of how that’s changed a bit.
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