It is no secret that the rising cost of living is having an effect on our spending habits, and fashion is no exception. Nevertheless, this does not imply that the industry is doomed. On the contrary, it encourages individuals to be resourceful with their wardrobes and discover less expensive ways to enjoy fashion.
Josephine Phillips, age 26, has taken an innovative approach to the problem by creating Sojo, an on-demand clothing repair application. The app allows users to report a problem and have a courier collect their item for repair. This allows individuals to keep their favourite pieces of clothing and to feel as if they have something new without purchasing anything.
Josephine stated to BBC Newsbeat, “We really want people to view repair as something exciting. It’s an enjoyable experience. We’ve discovered that when people have items customised – even if it’s just a minor alteration – they have an entirely different relationship with the item. “Wow, I haven’t wanted this for a year because it didn’t make me feel great, and now it’s like a new piece of clothing.”
Edward Enninful, editor-in-chief of British Vogue, popularised the concept of customising clothing to make it appear new. When asked about the current state of the fashion industry, he stated, “Fashion has been through a recession before, this is not the first time, but what a recession does is increase creativity. People are more imaginative and find new ways to be creative. People in the 1980s wore tie-dyed t-shirts and embellished clothing.”
In addition, for the second consecutive season, contestants on Love Island wore eBay-sourced pre-owned clothing. For stylist Amy Bannerman, this was a fantastic way to demonstrate that secondhand clothing can be just as aspirational as new clothing. She stated, “It is unquestionably having an aesthetic effect, as people do not desire to dress in fashion trends. What an exciting time it is to know that despite the rising cost of living, we are still able to maintain our good looks.”
The rising cost of living forces us all to be more resourceful with our spending, but this does not imply that we are sacrificing style. With apps such as Sojo and eBay innovating new ways to wear clothes, fashion is not doomed by the rising cost of living; rather, it is thriving!
