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Have you ever heard of 'fashion psychology' or of a 'fashion psychologist' before?
If not, these terms probably sound absolutely pathetic to you, but hear me out.
WHAT IS THE MEANING OF PSYCHOLOGY?
According to the American Psychological Association (APA), psychology, put simply, is the scientific study of the mind and behaviour. It's a diverse scientific discipline comprising of different branches of research (e.g., biological, cognitive, developmental, personality, social), as well as several subareas of research and applied psychology (e.g., clinical, industrial/organisational, educational, human factors, health, neuropsychology, cross-cultural).
WHAT IS FASHION PSYCHOLOGY THEN?
Now, fashion psychology is the study of the relationship between fashion and human behaviour. It examines how fashion choices are influenced by factors such as culture, society, our values, and individual differences. It's a new study area in psychology, but did you know that psychology itself is a pretty new discipline? The APA considers psychology to be a STEM discipline.
"Fashion *psychologists" advise individuals, brands, and businesses on a range of issues such as marketing strategies, sustainability, consumer behaviour, designing, branding, and visual merchandising. It's not limited to this however. It's like a mixture of marketing, industrial-organisational, and social psychology specifically focused on 'fashion', fashion 'consumers', and the 'fashion industry'.
Fashion psychology has the ability to make a huge impact on the fashion industry. However, research is limited and 'fashion psychology' is widely misunderstood. Psychology is a science which is supported by empirical evidence. It's not meant to misinform the general public with 'facts' pulled out from thin air, (e.g., "Wearing black sunglasses makes you look mysterious").
SOME TOPICS OF INTEREST IN FASHION PSYCHOLOGY
Psychology is in your everyday, from what you wear, to the way you shop. Why do you choose to go to certain stores? Why do you buy what you do? How can you improve your life in relation to clothing? More and more people are creating their own brands, we're constantly exposed to advertisements, fashion and beauty companies are competing to get our attention, we're becoming more understanding of the negative environmental and social impact of fast fashion (and the fashion industry as a whole)… Oh, and there also needs to be more regulation in the fashion and retail industry. There's a lot that can be explored.
Fashion psychology has the potential to help us understand ourselves better and to make informed decisions about our clothing choices. As the fashion industry continues to change, fashion psychology will become important in helping us understand the psychological factors that drive, well... fashion.
*The title of 'psychologist' itself is not protected within the UK, therefore anyone can call themselves a psychologist. The HCPC (Health and Care Professions Council) in the UK regulate titles - Professional psychologists register to use these titles: Practitioner Psychologist, Registered Psychologist, Clinical Psychologist, Forensic Psychologist, Counselling Psychologist, Health Psychologist, Educational Psychologist, Occupational Psychologist, and Sport (and Exercise) Psychologist. These titles are protected by law and you mustn't use them unless registered.
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Thank you for reading.
Curiosity is the best outfit.