Fashion trends change so quickly that it can be difficult to keep up. We don’t just mean staying in the know about what celebrities and fashion icons are wearing – there’s also a lot of pressure on the average consumer to purchase the latest designs in clothing.
Not everyone can afford to purchase designer clothes, which has led to a boom of brands and department stores that offer cheaper lines. Names like Nike, H&M, or GAP offer knock-off designer clothes with a milder price tag. The brands are examples of fast fashion, an effect of the globalization process. Read on as we discuss the impact of globalization in the fashion industry.
What Does Globalization Mean?
Globalization is the process of meshing culture, food, or design across national lines. Consider the last time you ate food from a restaurant. Maybe you had Thai, Mexican, Chinese, or Italian, but you don’t live in the country the cuisine represents. That’s an example of globalization.
The same holds true for fashion. In a different light, globalization also refers to the outsourcing of labor. By using workers from countries that are willing to accept low wages, production of any good costs a fraction of what it would otherwise.
Why is Fashion Being Globalized?
There are plenty of designers who hold influence throughout the world. Of course, it’s nearly impossible for the average person to access those clothes for a reasonable amount of money. As such, fashion has been globalized, too. Read on to learn why a fashion business might opt for this trend.
Cheaper Costs
There are two sides to the affordability coin. On one side are the consumers who want fashionable clothing that’s also affordable. On the other side are businesses who want to meet the demand but can’t do so with laborers from their home country.
In an attempt to save money and sell clothes, many fashion brands are creating mass quantities of their clothes to sell at bargain prices throughout the world. Of course, this is an unsustainable business model if you pay workers fair wages. As such, brands such as Nike are have begun to rely on international labor.
Trends in Fashion
Not only are top-tier designs costly, but they’re also difficult to keep up with. As fashion ideals and celebrities are constantly changing, clothing designs must change, too. After all, clothes are a sign of social status throughout much of the world. Lack of proper and attractive attire can have genuine impacts on professional and personal goals in some cases.
Of course, this web site most designers lack the time to stay “on trend” without cutting a few corners. Companies know that producing fast fashion allows them to churn out new designs with an alarmingly fast turnaround, based on how fashion ideals shift. Those decisions then carry over to consumers who are searching to keep their wardrobe as current as possible.
What are the Effects of Globalization on Fashion?
Many consumers think that the globalization of fashion is a good thing. The many pros and cons of this can be read in a variety of essays and discussions about globalization. It allows them to buy popular designs at the nearest department store for low prices, and it’s easy enough to purchase trendy pieces with relative frequency. Of course, the concept of fast fashion isn’t a perfect idea. In fact, it has far more negatives than positives.
The Cost of Cheap Labor
As we mentioned earlier, businesses have to cut corners somewhere if they want to sell their fashion products at a low price. In developed countries with widespread labor laws, it’s impossible to find a large enough group that will work for such low wages. Instead, these companies turn to international labor.
Businesses like Nike are famous for hiring people to work in sweat shops. or facilities with long hours, inhumane conditions, and unlivable wages. This negatively impacts the global economy as businesses aim to hoard wealth and sell clothes for cheaper than they ought to. Residents of countries such as Hong Kong and Bangladesh most often take these jobs where they work 14-20 hour days and earn roughly USD$40 per month.
Loss of Individuality and Culture
The brands that adopt trendy designs also contribute to a lack of individuality. Many regions have long histories of unique fashion influence. However, the fashion industry is becoming Westernized. Most brands choose to mass-produce clothes worn by Western celebrities, erasing the individuality that clothing used to offer.
In the same vein, these companies often attempt to gain more wealth from the global economy by putting stores in countries around the world. Doing so has led to a steady decline in a culture-specific dress. Many native residents of a country are looked down upon as “foreigners” if they elect to wear traditional dress.
While many brands are adopting trendy designs, many consumers choose the other way around. For instance, many consumers opt for clothing brands that support their unique needs, such as women needing plus size pant suits, dresses, and coats, and men needing easy-to-wear suits and tuxedos.
Hence, fashion brands must think like consumers to stand out from their competitors. Personalization, authenticity, comfort, eco-friendliness, and functionality are the key essential qualities that can set a fashion brand apart from the rest. Brands that are brave to go against the flow of commercialism and embrace culture and individuality are the ones that last in the industry for many decades.
The Vanishing Heritage of Fashion
One aspect of fashion globalization is often overlooked, and that’s the loss of family heritage and domestic skills. For a long time, the ability to sew clothes was passed on from generation to generation. Even if families could afford to buy all their clothes ready-made, they still knew how to darn and repair and damage.
The inherent skill of sewing led to an appreciation for quality garments. Expectations for the durability and longevity of clothing were key, so manufacturers worked hard to craft high-quality items. Now, very few people know how to sew or fix their own clothing. We often purchase low-quality clothes simply because we can’t tell the difference.
Indeed, great fashion taste is rapidly diminishing. Many fashion brands aim to boost sales by producing more than creating masterpieces. Even some highly respected brands join the pool of commercialized fashion, producing a mass number of duplicated styles with high price tags.
How do we Fix These Issues?
Many fashion advocates, icons, and designers work together to preserve the vanishing fashion heritage. They conduct webinars, fashion shows, and other events to raise people’s awareness about true fashion and the history of famous fashion personalities and different fashion styles worldwide. This endeavor is feasible through the help of advanced technology that helps speed up the spread of valuable information today. For instance, social media has become an avenue for fashion gurus to educate people about fashion heritage. This tool allowed them to reach a vast scope of audiences from across the globe.
There are many impacts the globalization of the fashion industry has, and it’s easy to miss just how important those impacts are. How do we escape this cycle of low-cost fast fashion? For one thing, it’s important to limit outsourcing to other countries. At the very least, whether fashion brands operate within their home country or internationally, all workers deserve fair wages. It would be especially helpful if more children and adults were tutored in the art and skill of sewing, though that may be a more difficult sell. Time will see how much more the global economy suffers and changes due to the globalization process.