Fashion, psychology & the power of inclusion
with Shakaila Forbes-Bell
London-based fashion psychologist, Shakalia Forbes-Bell, recognises the growing importance of her field as we experience this shift in consumer mindset. We spoke to Shakaila about the current state of the sustainable fashion space and the importance of inclusion. In her own words, she describes fashion psychology as “the application of psychological theories and practices to every area of the fashion industry”.
As we move into a more conscious society (partially expedited by the pandemic), and think more deeply about our fashion purchases, brands and individuals seek to better their understanding of how we relate to our clothes. London-based fashion psychologist, Shakalia Forbes-Bell, recognises the growing importance of her field as we experience this shift in consumer mindset. We spoke to Shakaila about the current state of the sustainable fashion space and the importance of inclusion. In her own words, she describes fashion psychology as “the application of psychological theories and practices to every area of the fashion industry”. Though fashion psychology has been around for decades, the practical application of this discipline in the fashion industry is still relatively new, Shakaila tells us. This propelled Shakaila to build her platform Fashion is Psychology, where she is on a mission to democratise fashion psychology-related research and make it more accessible. Since she started her platform, Shakaila has been able to connect with brands such as Afterpay and help them uncover “the why behind the what”.
“All of these decisions that we make with regards to our clothing have a deep impact on us and the way we navigate our lives.”
Shakaila Forbes-Bell
With her long-standing love for fashion and style, it only felt right for Shakaila to explore the discipline of fashion psychology during her undergraduate psychology degree at UCL (University College of London). Shakaila’s published work revolves around representation and inclusivity in the fashion industry, and the lack thereof. Her research found that consumers are more likely to purchase from and engage with brands that are inclusive. This is because consumer behaviour is influenced by how people can see themselves reflected in the media, Shakaila explains. It is comforting to know that more and more brands are understanding the importance of diversity and inclusion, but how can we be mindful of the fine line between cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation?
“We do have to recognise that our differences are not a weakness, it is something that makes us beautiful… something we need to celebrate.”
- Shakaila Forbes-Bell
Research suggests that people like to see our different cultures as being a “cultural melting pot”, while in fact, it is more like a “cultural salad”, Shakaila tells us. Often, this results in subconsciously stripping different cultural groups of the differences that make them unique, which can be “devastating”. According to Shakaila, it is important to discard the concept of us being a cultural melting pot and “break the idea of colour blindness”.
We learn that clothes can influence the way we feel, what we project outwards, and even on how we perform in our day-to-day lives. This concept is called enclothed cognition. Keeping this in the back of our minds as conscious consumers, we might want to ask ourselves why we buy what we buy. Perhaps it is to shape our self-image, or to satisfy our feelings of belonging to a community. Whatever the reason may be, by asking ourselves these questions, we can then analyse the stimuli that persuade us to make purchases and how it makes us feel. We are encouraged as consumers to rethink our relationship with clothing and understand that clothes have a deeply rooted connection with our emotions.
Questioning our own selves and our habits is a great way to start! You can ask: how does my current relationship with clothes reflect my psychological state at the moment?
Listen to the full podcast episode via the Style & Sustain podcast on Spotify. Similarly, a great way to learn and understand your fashion habits, the way it makes you feel and the effect on the world both environmentally and socially, you can follow Skakaila’s work via Fashion is Psychology. She is also dropping a BOOK very soon, see a sneak peek below.
