In 2017 Google did a collaboration with ACROSS, a media research institute for fashion and culture. In the article they published; they correlated the style and clothing on the streets of Tokyo to the mood, economy and politics within Japan. At the height of the 1980s bubble economy; streetwear had a strong brand culture, it was important that the label was luxury and visible on clothing. After the economy slowed down there was a shift towards a more conservative style and any indication of brand was seen as unpopular.

What decides the clothes we wear and what changes these decisions?

Signalling

As much as we would like to say that we use clothes to express our own individuality, I believe the choices we make our largely driven by others and how they perceive us. It is an estimate of other's perception that determines how we choose clothing otherwise a toga would be as normal as suit. We are also concerned with signals that might cause confrontation or alienation.

If people are willing to go through the effort of changing their name or code switch in order to avoid bias, prejudice or create familiarity then this behaviour is undoubtedly represented in our presentation.

When it comes to style I believe most people aim to avoid being controversial and often offload thinking about what they wear by relying on those around them. This is why we see groups, despite believing in their own personal uniqueness, wear the same thing. This is why if you are wearing sweatpants on Monday you can't sit with us.

The Generational Caveat

Before diving into observations on attire we should address that culture and economics form different groups of people and generalisations can't be drawn across these clusters. My Gen Z sister targets second-hand clothing which she has said is situated in the realm of 'ugly is cool' but not so ugly that it is just ugly. An essay on Gen Z would require some full-time research, beyond what I am capable of on a Sunday.

My insight is probably very yuppie, very millennial.

London

Observing some of London's street style over the last three years I believe we can see a similar attachment of style to the economy and politics. Beyond the drive of person A is liked and wears B therefore B is going to catch on, I think the economy and mood of London contributed to a rise of the Carhatt style aesthetic due to a shift away from conservatism.

The Carhartt's WIP label started in 1994, it's first store was opened in London in 1997. Traditionally a workwear brand they're a company that have grants for apprenticeships called the "Love of Labor Grant". So a shift away from pretentious conservatism towards a more labor focused worker label seems to fly.

Perhaps wearing Carhartt signals you're fine with being associated with left leaning ideas and are against twelves years of Tory austerity. However Carhartt allows you to keep a level of conspicuous consumption since nothing says "I have disposable income" like a painter's jacket without paint or a welder's jacket without scuff.

We can see this in the worker style jackets being released by a growing number of brands each winter. They're the modern day denims so I can assume we will start seeing them being sold with scuff and holes for twice the price if portraying a hardy character catches on.

The Outdoors

I made an observation that caught attention; stating "Nothing says 'cost of living crisis' like wearing your Arc'tyrx jacket to Lidl". This is funny for a few reasons; before the brand gained it's street cred it was a highly technical, high performance outdoor brand - typically these jackets go for £450-£1000 at retail. So this man is concerned about cost cutting food habits and doing a weekly shop at Lidl, but when it comes to his appearance let's not hold back. He's effectively wearing a tuxedo for the line at the soup kitchen.

Arc'tyrx hasn't been the only outdoor brand that has gained popularity, The North Face had it's lime light in streetwear and Patagonia was used by people tied to their computers to indicate they have hobbies outside of the office.

While I do think there's been a mood to shift toward a more labour focused work attire¹. This is driven more by economics than political signaling. We've seen an interest in the traditional Barbour style jacket being hung up in Uniqlo and M&S. While these may be affordable alternatives, Barbour is not typically associated with taking down drywall but shooting animals on an estate; the thing that the original Barbour jacket and the brands I've mentioned above have in common is their durability and quality.

These brands are popularizing alongside the term 'cost-per-wear' and perhaps others have found longevity in these garments. The weather being hotter and colder is also asking our garments to provide both style and function.

Montbell a brand that's slogan is 'Function is Beauty' recently opened their first store in the UK and 14 of the jackets on their site are currently sold out, which shows there is still demand for functional outdoor clothing.

Durability Fights Inflation

Growing up I learnt that purchasing goods at a whole sale price not only offers a discount from buying one item at a time but shops that sell individual items can increase prices over time and having purchased all the loo paper you need for the year let's you fight those inflationary pressures while keeping your bum clean.

It was the durability of jeans that caused their rise in popularity, more so than their representation among the miners.

Thanks to their new near-indestructibility, Levi’s became the clothing of choice for the rugged, hodgepodge band of workers, outcasts, entrepreneurs and outlaws building America’s future.

- Levi's - A RIVETING STORY

If we were to contrast the clothes we wear today to the disposable paper dresses that were the peaked of style in the 1960s there's a clear shift towards the functional and durable. The alternative is second hand and upcycling which offers many hidden gems and even among the 2nd hand market there's a higher bid for clothing that appears durable and long lasting.

Could I be alone in wanting my clothes to last longer?