You Can Tell There's a Recession by How People Dress

Right now, with people talking about rising costs, expensive groceries, and $4.50 gas prices, you can see that pressure showing up in fashion, too. From the Great Depression to the 2008 recession to today’s 'quiet luxury' trend, fashion has a weird pattern of becoming simpler, safer, and more controlled during uncertain times. Why do bright colors disappear? Why do logos shrink? Why does everyone suddenly start dressing the same? In this video, we’re looking at how recessions and instability shape fashion trends, consumer behavior, and self-expression. Sources used to help create this video: Breward, 1995 • Craik, 2009 • Laver, 1969 • Steele, 1997 • Tortora & Eubank, 2014 • Zdatny, 2006 • McNeil & Riello, 2010 • Kaiser, 2012 • Lipovetsky, 1994 • Wilson, 2003 • Harvard Business Review, 2009 • Schaffner, 2005 • English, 2013 • Arnold, 2009 • Smithsonian Institution • Fashion Institute of Technology Museum • Vogue Business, 2023 • Business of Fashion, 2023 • The Cut, 2024