Fashion, Style & Popular Culture - Online First

Review of: Cosmetics Marketing: Strategy and Innovation in the Beauty Industry, Lindsay Karchin and Delphine Horvath (2023)

London: Bloomsbury Visual Arts, 253 pp.,

ISBN 978-1-35029-943-6, p/bk, $44.95

Review of: New Approaches to Decolonizing Fashion History and Period Styles: Refashioning Pedagogies, Ashley Bellet (ed.) (2024)

New York: Routledge, 228 pp.,

ISBN 978-1-03223-542-4, p/bk, $42.95

Review of: Fashion Projects: 15 Years of Fashion in Dialogue, Francesca Granata (ed.) (2024)

Bristol: Intellect, 225 pp.,

ISBN 978-1-78938-893-0, h/bk, $134.95

ISBN 978-1-78938-894-7, e-book, $103.95

ISBN 978-1-78938-895-4, e-PDF, $103.95

Review of: Tribal and the Cultural Legacy of Streetwear, G. James Daichendt (ed.) (2024)

Bristol: Intellect Books, 240 pp.,

ISBN 978-1-78938-808-4, p/bk, EUR 29.99

Review of: Latin American and Latinx Fashion Design Today: ¡Moda Hoy!, Tanya Meléndez-Escalante and Melissa Marra-Alvarez (2024)

New York: Bloomsbury, 272 pp.,

ISBN 978-1-35034-395-5, h/bk, $42.40

Review of: Butts: A Backstory, Heather Radke (2022)

New York: Avid Reader Press, 310 pp.,

ISBN 978-1-98213-548-5, h/bk, $28.99

ISBN 978-1-98213-549-2, p/bk, $18.99

ISBN 978-1-98213-552-2, e-book, $14.99

Consumer behaviour is known to change during trying times as consumption has implications for the self. In fact, the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic saw a rise in self-gifting. Adopting a psychological lens, this novel study explored females’ experiences of self-gifting luxury fashion during the pandemic. Given the under-researched area, an exploratory qualitative approach was adopted and interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to understand participants’ experiences. A homogenous sample of four females were interviewed using semi-structured interviews to elicit rich data. Findings demonstrated that self-gifting of luxury fashion during the pandemic was a complex phenomenon that seemed to contribute to participants’ psychological well-being. The discussion links and extends the literature on self-gifting, luxury consumer behaviour and consumption during trying times. It highlights implications for academic research, individuals, brands and retailers.

This study delves into the critical factors influencing children’s clothing design through a multifaceted approach. The investigation elucidates the most significant design elements by employing qualitative research methods, the fuzzy Delphi method (FDM), and the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP). Initially, semi-structured interviews were conducted with experienced professionals, encompassing children’s clothing designers and related specialists with a minimum of fifteen years of expertise. These interviews served to gather valuable insights and experiences. Subsequently, the FDM was utilized to assess the relative importance of identified design elements. Finally, the FAHP was implemented to determine the weights assigned to each factor, establishing a hierarchy of importance. The findings reveal that safety reigns supreme as the most critical design consideration. Following safety are comfort, style elements and practicality. Safety prioritizes the utilization of non-toxic materials and secure fastenings. Comfort emphasizes breathable fabrics and textures that are gentle against the skin. Style elements encompass colour palettes, patterns and the incorporation of creative design aspects. Practical considerations delve into age-appropriateness, freedom of movement, garments with multifunctional purposes and enduring durability. This comprehensive study offers invaluable guidance for the field of children’s clothing design. It empowers designers to effectively address the needs of children while aligning with parental expectations. Ultimately, this approach propels market development and fosters children’s enhanced quality of life.

In the twenty-first century, the emergence of numerous fashion brands catering to queer and trans communities has been accompanied by the establishment of notable queer-focused fashion media platforms. Noteworthy among these are DapperQ and Qwear, which specialize in exploring the intersections of fashion, style and the experiences of queer and trans individuals. This study delves into the history and intricacies of Qwear, one of these contemporary, groundbreaking queer media outlets. By examining this outlet, we aim to unravel the multifaceted layers that distinguish them as influential conveyors of queer and trans sensibilities. To achieve our purpose, we employed a historical research method, incorporating the analysis of primary sources and oral history. Overall, Qwear has become more than just outlets for style, that is, they stand as pillars of empowerment, offering safer havens for individuals to explore, celebrate and redefine their relationship with fashion. Sonny Oram’s founding journey of Qwear, rooted in personal healing through clothing, underscores the transformative power of fashion as a tool for self-discovery, activism and solidarity within the queer and trans communities.

This research article aims to analyse how online reviews influence the satisfaction level of Generation Z (Gen Z) consumers within the apparel industry by using the expectation disconfirmation theory as the analytical framework. Five hypotheses have been developed regarding the relationships between online reviews and satisfaction through literature review and were examined using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). In the research article, data were gathered from 350 Gen Z consumers engaged in online shopping across three districts of Punjab. Questionnaires were distributed to the respondents in hard copy and Google Forms. The findings from this research article suggest a positive correlation between online reviews and the satisfaction level of Gen Z consumers in the apparel industry. The analysis reveals that online reviews play a significant role in influencing the online shopping of apparel.