Social Media Might be Killing High End Fashion Retailers
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| Business Insider UK |
The problem with designer fashion and high end brands is that not everyone can afford it and in this day in age it's easier to see who can afford what. Teenage girls have always been especially susceptible to the worry that if they don't wear something that at least looks expensive, they're going to be judged. Thus, if their parents can't always afford designer clothes so rather than Topshop or River Island they have to hunt something down in Primark. With social media it's even easier to see who is wearing what with photo posts on Instagram or snaps on Snapchat.
If you're caught wearing the wrong thing in your Snapchat story then you can probably bet on someone commenting on it at school and that could be humiliating. That being said, it's also thanks to social media that these teenagers can see what they're favourite stars are wearing out and about, and if it's cheap enough, they'll be able to find links to where they can buy it. This can all add up to be both a positive thing for stars, shops and fans alike so this is where more endorsements could come in handy.
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| Fashion of Glee archive | Tumblr |
Sites like Instagram and Pinterest allow users to see more of what's out there but thanks to this and the need to regularly share what you're doing and what your wearing, the younger generation feels the need to be buy clothes more often which means what they're buying needs to be cheap. An article from Business Insider pointed out how certain shops like Zara are doing well because of this trend, but compared to other shops Zara would still be considered a high end brand for many. Teenagers and millennials are still more likely to look somewhere a little cheaper for more inspiration first.
A big fashion trend that's spawned thanks to social media is Disney Bounding or at least doing something similar. There are blogs and social media accounts dedicated to the idea of pulling together an outfit inspired by your favourite characters from entertainment. Media has a different effect on us than it used to and now it's not just little kids that are willing to take inspiration from characters.
There are Pinterest boards dedicated to all these different outfits you can pull together, but because this is a worldwide thing, you can't always find that exact outfit. Plus the fact is that a lot of people use Polyvore to put the outfits together and the clothing you find most easily on there tends to be the high end brands. If you want to share your love of characters through fashion then once again you need to find cheaper.
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What this is all telling us is no matter your age, people are looking for ways to share more clothes and more experiences for less and this is down to social media. Shops like Topshop may have a big presence online but if you're not willing to fork out a little bit more money then you're not going to get much out of going there. Moreover, with apps like Snapchat, you can just go in there to try stuff on and see what more of your friends think. If they don't think it's worth the money then unlike when you might go in alone or with one or two friends, you're less likely to buy it and then see what people think when you first wear it.
There are also reports saying the younger generations are getting willing to pay less and they want things immediately. With brands like Banana Republic now selling their catwalk styles immediately after sharing them and other brands posting look books on Instagram you can see how some brands are trying to incorporate internet and social media into selling more readily but it's hard to say if that'll be enough. Still if brands keep testing out things like this then it could bring fashion retail onto a new level and that'll be interesting to see but for now High Street fashion takes the lead and will continue to do so as long as social media makes it so important to share everything and so easy to get inspiration.
Rosina is a Songbird rookie with a degree in Creative Writing. She's trying to focus on her novel on the side but is hoping that Content Writing will turn out to be a good career choice in the mean time! Follow her @RosinaAtSMF
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Social Media Might be Killing High End Fashion Retailers
Reviewed by Unknown
on
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
Rating:
Reviewed by Unknown
on
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
Rating:
Unknown
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