Psychology of fashion is a podcast published by “Speaking of psychology”. It is a bi-monthly podcast of the American Psychological Association. The host of this podcast is Kaitlin Luna, and for this episode she is joined by Dr. Carolyn Mair, a cognitive psychologist who created the Department of Fashion Psychology at the London College of Fashion at the University of Arts London as well as an undergraduate and two master’s programs. She is currently a consultant for fashion brands and has recently published a book entitled “Psychology of Fashion”. This podcast focuses on the place of psychology in the fashion industry.
This podcast is aimed at different audiences. First of all to psychologists since it is published by the American Psychological Association to promote this discipline. They can also have a role in helping consumers or businesses change their behavior. This podcast is also aimed at a wider population: consumers and clothing designers, in order to make them aware of over-consumption and the consequences of this industry on the environment.
This podcast links psychology and the fashion industry. It covers various subjects, such as the environment, overconsumption and overproduction, self-image… Thus, it is interested in the damage caused by the fashion industry. This damage affects the environment but also the human being, since overproduction and overconsumption lead to many problems such as poor working conditions, lack of respect for human rights, landfill sites, etc. First of all, Carolyn Mair explains that it is very difficult to change consumer behavior because shopping has become, for many, a habit and a social pleasure as can be a leisure activity. Then, it provides avenues for change, such as behavior change programmes to learn to identify habits, what are the triggers that encourage consumers to go out and buy new clothes. For the environment, it highlights the resale, exchange and rental of clothing. Finally, she explains the place and importance that a psychologist can have in this industry.
I selected the passage from 18’34 to 19’48 because it shows the importance that an industry (seeking profitability) can have on the mental health of consumers. We see that what can be done for the purpose of selling, such as the choice of models, can impact the body satisfaction of many people. The fashion industry being everywhere, it is impossible not to be exposed to images, often retouched and appearing “perfect” to consumers. In addition, the exposure is nowadays more and more extensive with social networks. Consumers then aspire to a particular image, often endless, that can influence their body satisfaction. This aspiration then pushes them to want to get closer to this image and pushes them to consume. We see here how a “vicious circle” develops, pushing for consumption and which can cause body dissatisfaction and/or dependence.
To conclude, I really liked this podcast. I discovered an area of psychology that I didn’t know about, but that can have a strong impact on the health of many people (people working in the fashion industry, consumers and the environment). However, I would have liked Carolyn Mair to have given more details and concrete examples of her work. As this industry is very polluting, I think it is important to communicate on the means that can be implemented to reduce our impact on the planet. The development of this field of psychology is very interesting and can help companies and consumers in their change process.
Words I have learned : profitability (rentabilité) ; landfill sites (décharge) ; plenty (abondance)