Fast Fashion – the impact of Youtube ‘haul culture’
Let’s take a closer look at the YouTube subculture and its impact on shopping habits. Advances in digital technology in the last ten years have caused a huge shift as people seek inspiration less in physical magazines and shop windows and more on social media sites, like Instagram, and video sites, like YouTube.
YouTube is certainly fuelling an increase in purchasing products which do not appear to even be needed. The average British woman hoards £285 of clothes they will never wear! This is the equivalent of £30 billion of unworn clothes.
Why YouTube is a successful platform for fashion –
YouTube fashion videos allow an audience to see the clothing presented more naturally and more ‘real world’ than a carefully designed retail website using models and clever lighting. This is helpful for the audience as we can see what the clothes look like on the person rather than just on the website. Also, the website uses models who may not be the same size as you so the items can look completely different on you. Whereas browsing on YouTube to find people of a similar shape or size means you can see what the products look like on someone more like yourself. The YouTuber will also give an honest review on the clothes they bought so when you watch you know which ones were successful and which weren’t.
The best videos have a sense of intimacy as the audience feels like they get to know the YouTuber while they try on clothes and chat. As this connection grows between the audience and the YouTuber and and they follow and watch more videos, so the audience will become ever more trusting and influenced by the content.
However, when YouTubers are paid to partner with a brand, then their videos may be less authentic as they are getting paid to sell the brand and wouldn’t be critical about the products. This can lead to the audience losing trust in the videos and therefore the YouTuber becomes less influential.
Due to the online culture we live in, anyone can be a YouTuber. You do not need to be a fashion expert or model to be an influencer. The video above shows Misha Grimes who has 204k subscribers, showing how much of an influence she has. Anyone can upload a video which will influence people in their social circle. People are turning their fashion hobby into a business by promoting brands online. ‘Haul culture’ celebrates large online deliveries of clothes which have cost hundreds of pounds. It has reached new heights and is now dominated by paid-for content by brands like Missguided. The same few fast fashion brands work with many of the biggest YouTubers.
Brands are using the power of influencer marketing and their huge platforms more than ever. This advertising technique clearly works but it benefits the brand and the influencer as they are the ones making the money and the consumer is the one spending it more and more needlessly! It has become a friendly commercial transaction as we think we have a connection with the YouTuber and want to be like them, but really we are trapped in a money making system.
The haul video trend on YouTube promotes the worst part of fast fashion. It makes people think that buying in bulk is normal and that it is possible to buy as much as you want as it will all be returned. However, it is not as simple as that. When clothes are returned to the fast fashion company, it is often cheaper for them to simply throw the clothes away than to correctly restock their warehouses. This is obviously wasteful and unsustainable.
It can be seen that there is a vicious cycle of overproduction, encouraged by influencers, leading to huge amounts of discarded clothing in landfills worldwide and contributing to climate change. This bigger picture means that the ethics of these videos are questionable.
#Haulternative
Not all YouYubers promote brands with haul videos. Some YouTubers are using their platforms to promote second-hand, charity shop, and vintage clothing. This shows audiences that there is an alternative to fast-fashion without sacrificing sustainability.
The Fashion Revolution has now made a booklet online called Haulternative which shows people how to be more sustainable with fashion. There is a guide from how to DIY your own clothes, to sharing clothes with friends, encouraging trips to vintage stores and hiring outfits. This is important as all of these actions can lower the demand on clothing production, which will be better for the environment and save our planet.
What can you do to make a difference?
Make some small, easy changes, like buying vintage or second-hand clothes. Or using apps like Depop which promotes second-hand clothing instead of Missguided. Swap and share clothes with friends. Above all, do not buy in bulk: just buy one-size online as opposed to that second “just in case” size as it is leading to spiralling and wasteful clothing production which is not sustainable.