ARTICLES
Does Underwear Matter?
WHAT DID YOU SEARCH TO END UP HERE?
Hmm…
With i-D declaring that frumpy underwear is officially in according to SS23 runway collections, let us delve into the world of sorting our underwear drawers out for 2023, yeah?
Undies, panties, intimates, pants, garments, bloomers, knickers... whatever you call them, you're surely wearing a pair right now? Imagine this: When was the last time you decided to assess and throw out your old underwear? Not sure?
According to TikTok, you should be throwing out your underwear every 6 months. 6 months? I've got underwear in my drawer from 10+ years ago. Now I'm being pressured to purchase underwear every 6 months?! When you're looking for sound information, TikTok is certainly not the place to go. What were times like before TikTok misinformed the masses?
Gynaecologists advise there's no reason to be getting rid of your underwear so often.
One of my new year's goals is to sort my life out - and within that is sorting out my (dreaded) underwear drawer. The act of organising and sorting out this specific drawer is a process that I tend to ignore for as long as possible. I've been holding on to 30 odd pieces of underwear for a veeeeeery long time now. I have a go-to pile, a period pile, and a lone, forgotten pile that sits at the back of my drawer in their very own clique.
There are mainly five reasons why I keep my (old and tatty) underwear, these include:
I don't know what to do with them;
I keep worn out underwear for specific days of my cycle so that I don't care if they get stained;
It is wise to have back-ups. I saw this meme a while ago that people pack an extra five pair of underwear on holiday in case something unfortunate happens... Although I abide by this rule, I haven't experienced the need for an extra pair;
Buying new and good quality underwear can be expensive! And they're going to get stained at some point as well; and
They still function as they're meant to. So it doesn't make any sense to buy new underwear when it's not necessary to do so.
I'm a big advocate for using my clothing until it's no longer appropriate to wear and/or repair, but I question what benefits it can bring if I update my underwear drawer. My dream underwear drawer (yes), would look like this:
It would make me look and feel good for myself;
It would consist of 14-20 pairs of good quality, comfortable, and reliable underwear that will last me a long time. With my clothes, I've been into less is more lately; and
It would provide me with stress-free periods where I'm not worried about whether or not pads adhere to my underwear, uncomfortableness, or leaks when carrying out my day-to-day business.
After deciding to finally deal with said drawer, I'm going to let you in on the benefits of doing this:
I Feel More Confident In Myself
Lingerie is a tool to help us express how we want to be seen by others (i.e., social identity), and also how we want to feel internally (i.e., satisfaction and comfort) (Jantzen et al., 2006).
Although your underwear is one of those clothing items that are usually not seen by other people, they are in fact seen and felt by you as their wearer. I've recognised that I definitely feel a lot more confident knowing that I'm wearing gorgeous underwear that is comfortable and suits my body. Go ahead, rock those marvellous Marvel underwear during your big presentation if you like them.
Wearing underwear that suits you will make you feel more confident. Underwear that has lost its elasticity loses its purpose because it no longer supports or fits you correctly. Because my underwear now are a better fit, I feel more comfortable in my clothes and no longer worry about panty lines. One thing I cannot stand is underwear that is too tight causing bulges.
One thing to keep in mind is that comfort goes a long way past looks. Underwear serves us for practical reasons mostly... Don't feel pressured to look like someone else or expect to look like someone else because you bought into advertised underwear. Wedgies certainly don't make me feel confident, don't feel cool and are not something you want to be thinking about when you're going about your business. Dress you, for you.
A recent study has shown that women wear underwear to feel 'sexy', 'desired', and 'aroused', especially when in a romantic relationship (Craig & Gray, 2020).
Less Clutter Means More Space
What is this? I can finally close my drawers? Sorting out my underwear drawer has given me more space. There is no more messy, crammed, unfolded pile of underwear looming in the dark of the drawer obstructing me from fully opening them out.
I Feel Less Embarrassment
I get embarrassed hanging my underwear to dry inside/outside because of stains (i.e., blood and discharge) and holes. You'll only understand this when you live with other people. No matter how well you care for and wash your underwear, there will always be stains and holes at some point. That's life and there's nothing to be ashamed about! The reality is, this happens to all of us although we don't necessarily have the opportunity to admit it.
Holes are a sign that you've worn your underwear very well and it's time for you to get a new pair. Say bye, bye. They are no longer serving you purpose (think of wearing a slice of Swiss cheese).
I now feel proud to hang my underwear outside and let them harness the sun's energy to dry (on the odd occasion where the weather is good though).
I've Learned to Appreciate My Clothes More
Knowing that I've bought good quality underwear, I tend to take better care of them. I now fold them neatly and arrange them in neat piles. Some people find putting clothes away to be relaxing. Also, I don't stick them in the dryer anymore where they always tend to shrink. I used to chuck my underwear in their designated drawer and call it a day.
Purchasing clothes has never been easier than it is today with just one click of a button. Unfortunately our clothes today take a long process to get to our doorsteps. We don't necessarily think about or see this process for ourselves. Our underwear usually goes through such a process where it gets manufactured in other countries by underpaid and overworked labourers, gets packaged in plastic, takes a couple of trips in a cargo airplane, gets transported via lorry to a distribution centre or a warehouse, then from there gets distributed to stores or to our homes. When we're done with our clothes, we just chuck them in the bin where they are then once again transported via lorry to landfill and left to cause pollution. And this is just a simplified version of events.
With this, I no longer purchase cheap, poor quality clothing that has no chance of surviving the next 5-10 years. In the literature, it appears that when products are of greater quality, consumers develop greater attachments to them; which means that products aren't disposed of as often (Niinimäkia & Hassi, 2011). Having high levels of clothing sustainability knowledge has an influence on our clothing disposal behaviours (Yan et al., 2021).
Taking the time to appreciate what you have goes a long way and makes you more conscious of how you treat your belongings in the long term.
The Stress of Choosing Which Underwear To Wear Is Gone
One of my least favourite parts of the day is choosing what outfit to wear the next day. After reorganising my underwear drawer, choosing underwear is now a breeze as I don't have to think about whether panty lines will show or if colours will come through. I don't have to think hard about choosing which underwear to wear anymore! Less time is wasted on something that isn't really important.
I Have No Guilt Getting Rid of Them
Because underwear is something seen as so intimate - I didn't know what to do with my unwanted underwear at all. If you're not sure what to do with underwear you're not keen on, there are a handful of things you can do with them which doesn't include just throwing them in the bin. Surprisingly, it has been shown that how involved you are with 'fashion' influences how you deal with your unwanted clothing. It has been shown that those more involved with fashion are more likely to resell, swap, or take back their unwanted clothes with the majority of us either just donating or disposing of them (Weber et al., 2017).
If you have bought underwear and not used them - Consider listing them on a second-hand clothing site (read their terms and conditions before on intimates), donating them to a charity, giving them to a relative or friend (this one can be weird if you view it that way), and using them as materials in arts and crafts. You can also repurpose them to make pet toys, hair accessories, and anti-chafing bands if they are lace.
If your underwear is used, see below, or reuse unsoiled parts of them in arts and crafts (washed of course).
If your underwear is ready to be disposed of, don't just throw them in the bin. Instead, take them to a textiles recycling centre. Textile recycling has come a long way.
If none of these options appeal to you then there's maybe a Facebook Group out there that will kindly accept your underwear (in whatever form).
The Take-Home
When you have the time, sit down and sort out your underwear drawer. Pull out your drawer, rest it on your bed, take all of your undies out. Then one by one, fold your underwear and arrange them nicely. As you go through each piece of underwear you own, keep in mind whether or not it serves you purpose.
Craig, L. K., & Gray, P. B. (2020). Women's use of intimate apparel as subtle sexual signals in committed, heterosexual relationships. PloS one, 15(3). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0230112
Jantzen, C., Østergaard, P. & Vieira, C. M. S. (2006). Becoming a ‘woman to the backbone’: Lingerie consumption and the experience of feminine identity. Journal of Consumer Culture, 6(2), 177-202. https://doi.org/10.1177/1469540506064743
Niinimäkia, K. & Hassi, L. (2011). Emerging design strategies in sustainable production and consumption of textiles and clothing. Journal of Cleaner Production, 19(16), 1876-1883. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2011.04.020
Weber, S., Lynes, J. and Young, S. B. (2017). Fashion interest as a driver for consumer textile waste management: reuse, recycle or disposal. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 41, 207-215. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.12328
Yan, R., Diddi, S., & Bloodhart, B. (2021). Predicting clothing disposal: The moderating roles of clothing sustainability knowledge and self-enhancement values. Cleaner and Responsible Consumption, 3. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clrc.2021.100029
Easing Off Fast Fashion Trends
PLASTIC GALORE!
Please re-use these bags.
One of my favourite programmes at the moment is ITV's Dress To Impress (reruns). It’s a reality series that involves three contestants battling it out to impress a singleton by finding them an outfit according to a brief. What really happens though is that the contestants don't listen to the brief and buy what they want instead. The programme features a lot of clothing that were trendy at the time it was filmed. Sometimes I shriek when I see what trends were worn back in the day. It's got me thinking about issues around fast fashion. I’m ashamed to say that there are many clothing items in my wardrobe that were trends at one point in time and that I’d be embarrassed to wear today.
Do we really need to wear clothes that are in? Why can’t we just have our basics and be done with it?
Fast fashion refers to the clothing industry's business model of replicating and mass-producing recent catwalk trends and high-fashion designs, at a low cost, and in a really short space of time. Trendy clothes at cheaper prices. Some fast fashion brands include SHEIN, Boohoo, H&M, Urban Outfitters, Uniqlo, and Primark. There are many issues surrounding fast fashion such as poor working conditions, exploitation, negative environmental impact, green-washing, and overconsumption, just to name a few.
The fashion industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world. We can’t really blame consumers for purchasing fast fashion because some consumers may not be able to afford well-made and long lasting clothing that usually comes with a high price tag. What can consumers and businesses do to engage in and promote sustainable practices in fast fashion?
There are many issues surrounding fast fashion such as poor working conditions, exploitation, negative environmental impact, green-washing, and overconsumption, just to name a few.
Explore sustainable behaviour framework
How can a consumer be nudged to make sustainable choices? White et al. (2019) have developed a framework, named SHIFT, to encourage sustainable consumer behaviour change. SHIFT implies that consumers are more persuaded to engage in pro-environmental behaviours when the context influences psychological factors being, social influence, habit formation, individual self, feelings and cognition, and tangibility (White et al., 2019). Social influence – Consumers are impacted by the presence, behaviours, and expectations of others. Habit – Many sustainable behaviours involve repetition. It is suggested that to encourage consumers to repeat sustainable actions, actions should be easy to perform, and consumers could be offered incentives and/or feedback. The Individual Self – Who we are as an individual influences our behaviours. This factor involves self-concept, self-interest, self-consistency, self-efficacy, and individual differences. Feelings and Cognition – Our thoughts and feelings help us to evaluate sustainable actions. Self-transcendence and openness to change values have a positive impact on consumers' levels of ethical concern towards welfare (human and animal), and the environment. It has been found that an individual's level of concern towards animal welfare and the environment positively influences a consumer's likeliness to purchase ethically marketed fast fashion (Stringer et al., 2020).
SHIFT implies that consumers are more persuaded to engage in pro-environmental behaviours when the context influences psychological factors.
Have a try at curating a capsule wardrobe
Little to no research has been carried out on the effects of owning a capsule wardrobe. Recently, Bardley et al. (2022) investigated the effect of a 3 week capsule wardrobe on 10 female participants. To put it simply, the capsule wardrobe is a limited collection of apparel that are of high quality, long lasting, and suitable for a variety of occasions. Usually, capsule wardrobes consist of clothes that complement each other. The capsule wardrobe has gained attention within the past few years because it helps guide consumers to consume less whilst allowing them to explore their style at the same time. The capsule wardrobe positively impacted participants; they felt less stressed about choosing what to wear, they became less attached to fashion trends, and they enjoyed exploring their style. Participants were also more aware of conscious consumption (Bardey et al., 2022).
Of course, buying high quality products may not be suitable for everyone, but high quality products don't have to always be costly. Take a look around second-hand clothing apps - You'll be amazed at the bargains you can find.
Educate ourselves with the facts
Stringer et al. (2022) have found that consumers “perceive worker welfare concerns at both a proximal and cultural distance to themselves, and therefore struggle to connect with the issues associated with modern slavery”. In others words, consumers don’t see modern slavery first-hand and it doesn’t affect them personally. Out of sight, out of mind? Consumers acknowledge that exploitation is common practice in fast fashion to ensure that clothing remains cheap.
Out of sight, out of mind?
Zhang et al. (2021) conducted a study on consumer attitudes towards sustainability of fast fashion apparel in the UK, and found that consumers’ claimed knowledge of sustainability is higher than actual knowledge. Therefore consumers should regularly update their knowledge to avoid being misled by fast fashion companies. In addition, Zhang et al. (2021) state that fast fashion producers should be aware that “female working class consumers in the UK, who constitute a major part of the fast fashion market, are not sensitive to fast fashion products with sustainability features. Excessive emphasis on this could probably harm the market share” (Zhang et al., 2021). In the researchers’ words, females are “less sensitive to prices when purchasing fast fashion products with sustainability features”, and males however, are “more ready to increase their purchases of sustainable fast fashion products than females”.
Spread awareness
According to Chaturvedi et al. (2020), Gen Z consumers have strong ethical and moral values towards protecting the environment, which influences their purchase intentions. They take cost, environmental concern, perceived value, and personal norms into account when deciding to purchase recycled clothing. Because of these factors, the researchers suggest that marketers should provide thorough information about the positives of buying recycled clothing such as how it is produced and how it can reduce negative impact on the environment. Chaturvedi et al. (2020) also recommend that consumers who purchase recycled clothing should be offered rewards such as discounts and gift vouchers.
Ditch fast fashion apps
Limiting your access to fast fashion can save you money… and time. Many consumers regret the amount of time they spend on mobile shopping apps (McLean et al., 2022). McLean and colleagues carried out a study to understand the effects of consumers' interactions with mobile shopping apps (their intentions to reuse them, loyalty towards brands, and brand reputation). The researchers found that the addictive nature of shopping apps led to regrettable escapism. When scrolling through mobile shopping apps, participants enter a ‘flow’ state (i.e., being absorbed and engrossed in an activity). During this period, time feels distorted. As a consequence of spending so much time on these apps, consumers feel guilt and frustration.
The researchers found that the addictive nature of shopping apps led to regrettable escapism.
Be aware that influencers, influence
Social media influencers, generally found on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok are becoming increasingly popular amongst young people. They have one job to do and that is to influence others. Influencers gain loyal and dedicated followers, which attract the attention of brands. Brands pay influencers to advertise their products and services, especially online fashion retailers. It’s highly cost effective and the need for traditional marketing methods such as television adverts is no more (Sinha & Fung, 2021). Some influencers even create their own brands.
Influencers play a large role in fast fashion, especially on platforms like YouTube. According to Thornton (2021), who studied unethical consumption habits of five fashion YouTubers/influencers, there is a need for fashion influencers to educate their viewers about fast fashion’s impact on the environment. Through 15 videos on the platform, Thornton (2021) found that: fast fashion brands dominate YouTube; YouTubers do not take responsibility for their unethical consumption habits; and no YouTuber successfully avoided making unsustainable fashion choices. If you don’t like the content your favourite YouTuber, or influencer in general is creating, let them know politely in their comments section, or just don’t entertain yourself with their fast fashion videos/content.
Bardey, A., Booth, M., Heger, G., & Larsson, J. (2022). Finding yourself in your wardrobe: An exploratory study of lived experiences with a capsule wardrobe. International Journal of Market Research, 64(1), 113-131. https://doi.org/10.1177/1470785321993743
Chaturvedi, P., Kulshreshtha, K. & Tripathi, V. (2020). Investigating the determinants of behavioral intentions of generation Z for recycled clothing: an evidence from a developing economy. Young Consumers, 21(4), 403-417. https://doi.org/10.1108/YC-03-2020-1110
McLean, G., Al-Nabhani, K., & Marriott, H. (2022). 'Regrettable-escapism' the negative effects of mobile app use: a retail perspective. Psychology and Marketing, 39(1), 150-167. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.21584
Sinha, J. I. & Fung, T. T. (2021). How Social Media Micro-Influencers Are Disrupting the Business of Youth Fashion. Rutgers Business Review, 6(1), 44-50.
Stringer, T., Mortimer, G. & Payne, A. R. (2020). Do ethical concerns and personal values influence the purchase intention of fast-fashion clothing? Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, 24(1), 99-120. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFMM-01-2019-0011
Stringer, T., Payne, A. R. & Mortimer, G. (2022). As cheap as humanly possible: why consumers care less about worker welfare. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, 26(4), 717-737. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFMM-06-2021-0158
Thornton, I. (2021). “That is a Huge Wardrobe and Clothing Mistake!": The Unethical Consumption Habits of YouTube's Fashion Influencers and the Environmental Consequences of a Disposable Lifestyle. Pell Scholars and Senior Theses, 136.
White, K., Habib, R., & Hardisty, D. J. (2019). How to SHIFT Consumer Behaviors to be More Sustainable: A Literature Review and Guiding Framework. Journal of Marketing, 83(3), 22-49. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022242919825649
Zhang, B., Zhang, Y., & Zhou, P. (2021). Consumer Attitude towards Sustainability of Fast Fashion Products in the UK. Sustainability, 13(4), 1646. http://doi.org/10.3390/su13041646