The recession has given us all a fashion rethink. It’s been well commented that the downturn in the economy has to a great extent impacted the fashion industry. Although downturns in the economy come and go, this current recession we’re in is going to have a long-term impact on our whole of idea of fashion. We are living in a very practical age now. Before these pragmatic times, we revelled in the frivolity of fashion - nothing was excessive or too pricy - you only worried about being charged with being too dreary. It’s different today though : the fashion labels and catwalks are copping a bad press. And since everyone’s conscious of globalization, even bargain-priced fashion brands are getting criticism for employing sweatshops to make their items! Is it that everybody suddenly become so incredibly difficult to please?

No chance. Humans need fashion, and forever will. It is burned into our pysche to identify new styles! As a matter of fact, looking on the web there is ample rivalry between online shop retailers (e.g. searching for fashion for ladies or Armani Watches) - a signal there is still strong demand and supply. What’s long gone is the old way we thought about fashion - of being dictated to by the established fashion labels. In reality, fashion has always looked at our lifestyles rather than the other way around, and today many matters are turning us off big brands. Firstly, young people are a lot more aware of globalization, and showing off your fashion labels makes you look selfish and thoughtless in many peer groups nowadays. Secondly, we’re bust! Style has invariably been seen as something of a luxury, not a necessity. In a recession, luxury items are the first to be forgotten on the store shelves. Finally, individuals express themselves much more individually these days -we don’t want to be ordered what to wear or how to act, we no longer consider ourselves as being part of large groups, and fashion needs that sort of herd-like thinking to sell in numbers.

How does the future look for fashion labels? Like always, they must change to exist - create a greater range of clothing lines to cater to more niches of the marketplace. If you’re a tiny shop selling individual fashion lines at an affordable price, the future looks bright for you despite the subdued economic months we are in. These days, individuals are shuffling their styles, purchasing from marketplaces and more personal, bargain-priced fashion stores.