How much are you being influenced?

As an avid internet user and someone who's buying habits have become slightly more indulgent post student living, I am - perhaps somewhat ashamedly - very easily influenced.

Whether it's that Acne jumper of dreams I've spotted on Instagram or the must-have-hyped-to-the-ends-of-the-earth-bag that's splashed across the pages of Grazia, odds are that I will take the purchasing plunge, or at least be very tempted. After all, it's hard not to be.

As I've explored in a previous post, the power of social media is a double edged sword; whilst it's great for browsing new brands and exposing up-and-coming designers, the pressure it places on every single one of us to showcase our 5-star existence can be almost unbearable. Namely because even with all the Afterlight editing in the world, noone's life is in fact picture perfect. (I'd say that mine is a three star at best, and that's with about three filters and a heavy dose of brightening.)

What's funny is that this is far from being a secret - even though we all know that the lives we portray on Instagram aren't totally real, that pressure to try and live up to a certain standard or fit a particular box is still very much there.

It's important to mention that where being influenced is concerned, there is still a significant part of me that is complicit -probably the same part that is showing my boyfriend the witty slogan shirt I've spotted on my explore feed in the small hours of the morning ('Mind The Pay Gap' in case you were wondering.) 

But naturally that means there is another part that is uncomfortable about being shown things that I, or at least the demographic that I've been assigned to, are supposedly interested in. For example, whilst I thought and had hoped that so-called ""Skinny Teas"" were finally on their way out, I still see them occasionally crop up as sponsored posts, making me wonder who else might be seeing them. And more worryingly, who might be buying them. 

On the subject of buying more, the power of being influenced has certainly had a part to play, especially where my own wardrobe is concerned. 

Of course, it's important to remember that influencing is the fundamental reason we buy anything and everything, it is after all why we part with our hard earned cash in the first place. But, it can also contribute to excessive buying - in my case purchasing things I really don't need or maybe won't even wear, all because of FOMO. To be honest, I don't even know if 'fear of missing out' applies to clothes, but you get the idea.

Talking about fast fashion specifically, I for one certainly know just how persuasive those sidebar ads which pop up right before you 'proceed to payment method' can be. 

Of course, whilst that extra 'going out-out' dress might only add an extra £5 to the total bill - with the influencer discount code you've been given - the cost to the environment might be slightly more significant than you'd first think, and definitely one worth considering.

As Stacey Dooley recently highlighted as part of her 'investigates' series, the impact of fast fashion has been detrimental, given that the industry is the world's second biggest polluter after oil. Even though I should probably have taken my own initiative and not left it to a BBC documentary to educate myself on the extent of this global damage, I feel as though my own lack of awareness is reflected in the mainstream media. Whilst efforts have been made to shun the 'disposable' attitude where garments are concerned, it's clear that more needs to be done by brands themselves to shift attitudes in clothing consumption. 

With the war on plastic having recently been established by those in power, it's surely not long until the ethics of big fashion houses and online stores become subject to legislative scrutiny. Given that they are after-all profit driven businesses, it will be interesting to see how brands adapt and in turn, how influencing will change too. 

Whilst right now for many companies the focus is very much on maximising quantity of sales, time is likely to see this focus switch to means of supply and rather than simply cost, the ethics of how each garment is produced. 

So, could this mean a movement towards utilising reclaimed and recycled materials? Environmental ambassadors gracing our newsfeeds? 3-D printing skinny jeans from the comfort of our own living rooms? Who knows. Though at least keeping my printer ink levels high would be less embarrassing than trying to explain my multiple ASOS orders to the postman.

Are you easily influenced?

xxx

photos c/o the lovely Karol Debski