Will we keep shopping as if there were no Coronavirus?

The Covid-19 pandemic will change the way we consume fashion. Or not.

If you live on this planet and are not slacking off, you've already realized that we are living in a situation never faced before or, at least, not on this scale. The Corona Virus left China on a kind of world tour (that no one wants to pay to see) and, by the time this text is published, it has already killed more than 184,643 people.

Most of us, the privileged ones, are locked up at home, inventing a thousand things to keep ourselves away from boredom and escaping live streams on Instagram. Inevitably, we are rethinking our relationship with family, work, ourselves, and, of course, with consumption. Many people wager that after all this passes, we will be different, more conscious, more attentive, and less impulsive when it comes to shopping.

Photo: Highsnobiety

But will we? Is the vision that we will emerge from this regenerated and free from the system's shackles not too romantic?

Of course, the value of your outfit definitely shouldn't be the focus right now, but for those who care and are involved in some way with this subject, we need to reflect on the theme: in a world marked by instability (when will we travel again? Go to shows? Will we have a job at the end of all of this?) will there still be a “mood” and favorable circumstances to stand in line for hours for a pair of sneakers?

The thought “do I really need to buy this?” will be more frequent in our minds and it will be harder to find justifications for having spent savings on another jacket costing 3,000 reais.

The pandemic has instilled a certain fear in us.

We are thinking twice before buying a new shirt (even if online and safely) because we are not sure how long this panic will last and whether we will still have money in the account after spending who knows how many months with our lives on pause due to the Corona.

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In Europe and the USA, for example, more than 65% of consumers expect to reduce their spending on clothing. In Brazil, this decline already represents 78% from March 19 to April 1.

But the question that really matters is: will this change solidify? Will we spend some years with this more conscious mindset or, at the first sign of the “end” of the crisis, will we return thirsting for purchases?

At the moment, we are indeed more cautious. But we cannot be naive enough to think that brands won't find ways to create new incentives for consumption, in an attempt to bring back the speed with which we used to buy.

Photo: Artyom Ivanov/Tass/Getty Images

So, if you are a brand, note this: it will be necessary to stimulate people to want again what is not necessary, since the strategies previously planned for 2020 are already out; and if you are a consumer: you will need, more than ever, to have self-control not to go into debt in a world that has barely come out of a crisis.

Taking all this discussion to a more pessimistic side, it could be that the pandemic merely reaffirms the worldviews we already have: those who buy indiscriminately will continue to buy, those who only consume “sustainable” and local brands will feel an even greater need to invest in it, and those who are used to buying only when necessary will continue to do the same.

But let's try to stay optimistic, after all, at this moment, what do we have besides hope and our hands in our pockets?

In a recent speculation, we talked to some people about this issue – whether there will be changes in our consumption habits and if they will be, in fact, significant – and most agreed that perhaps nothing radical will happen, but they do believe in a slowdown and that, personally, they will seek more durable pieces and brands that are more socially and environmentally responsible (by the way, did your favorite brand do something to help communities during this pandemic or did they continue to act as if nothing was happening?).

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Well, the fact is that we cannot define anything for now, we are in a moment when it is complicated to bet on anything. Our hope is that the pandemic brings common sense and responsibility concerning personal choices, which we know affects everyone. We are able to unite and mobilize not only to consume but also to be active agents in important matters – from a post on Instagram to which store you will spend your money.

We cannot assert whether the pandemic will bring values around issues like sustainability and slave labor, for instance, but here is our commitment to at least put these subjects into discussion: materialism, excess consumption, and irresponsible business practices within the universe of streetwear. The conversation will have to extend, go beyond color trends, cuts, and materials, and talk more about this crazy quest for profit on the part of brands, keeping in mind the challenge of promoting a broader notion of purpose.

Your shirt will have to mean more than what it says on the print.

Here, we reiterate what we believe has a share: clothes need to gain new meanings, they need to be transformed into instruments of resistance and the link to who we are.

We hope that when everything is over, people will not continue to support brands that took advantage of the sick and less fortunate around the world or that absolved themselves from helping their communities in any way during this period.

We are hoping that this will change some minds.

Well, that would already be better than nothing.