Inclusivity in the Fashion World and How It Impacts Consumer Behavior

Imagine never seeing anyone that looks like you in a magazine.

This is a common experience for many fashion readers. Historically, the fashion industry has not been very diverse; only a narrow type of model was included in magazines and fashion editorials, reflecting shared cultural ideologies about what kind of bodies should be valued and adored.

Nowadays, brands can no longer ignore consumer criticisms compelling them to broaden their appeal and challenge social conventions. As a result, since circa 2018, there have been statistically higher inclusion levels of minority female groups in the most famous magazines. But are these ads authentically capturing and communicating diversity?

How do consumers perceive these changes and aesthetic preferences, and how does this impact their consumer behavior?

Jordan Foster and David Pettinicchio at the University of Toronto analyzed editorials and advertisements of famous magazines as well as consumers’ online responses to truly capture the extent of diversity, how it is portrayed and how people perceive it. They focused specifically on the representation of individuals with disabilities.

Methodology: Empirical Analysis of the Portrayal of Individuals with Disabilities in Fashion

The researchers took a case-based approach and analyzed the images and texts of fashion editorials and advertisements in Vogue, Harper Bazaar, and InStyle, from 2013 to 2018. In the 180 samples examined, the researchers did not encounter a single model with a disability featured on the cover.

Fashion editorials: When individuals with disabilities were included in mainstream fashion editorials, the disability was often framed as a marginal add-on to the lives of otherwise ordinary individuals while inspiring pity or compassion among readers. For example, one of the vogue articles analyzed discussed the life of a young basketball star, Elena, and her sister, who is blind, deaf, and has cerebral palsy. After discussing her sister’s disabilities, the article abruptly shifts to Elena’s appearance and athleticism. This sharp contrast seems to enhance Elena’s remarkable character and reinforces negative stereotypes of disability as a marker of difference. Furthermore, even when individuals with disabilities are central to the fashion editorial, they are rarely treated as fashion trendsetters. For example, the researchers analyzed a 2018 Vogue editorial where the famous model Jacquelyn Jablonski is featured alongside her brother, Tommy, who has autism. However, at the bottom of the photographs, the caption only mentioned what designer clothes Jacquelyn was wearing, suggesting that Tommy’s clothing was unremarkable and encouraging the exclusion of individuals with disabilities from the fashion world.

Advertisements: When comparing fashion editorials to advertisements, the researchers noticed a stark difference in the type of inclusion and diversity. For instance, an ad by the American retailer Aerie included images of models with a range of disabilities alongside other diverse un-retouched models, truly celebrating women's natural beauty. Furthermore, the researchers examined a Tommy Hilfiger campaign that took inclusivity a step further by designing adaptive clothing tailored for individuals with disabilities.

Overall the researchers found that advertisements differ from mainstream fashion editorials in two main respects. Firstly, they put people with disabilities at center stage, recognizing their qualities and characteristics without comparing them to non-disabled people. Secondly, they have considerably more diversity in terms of types of disabilities.

Consumer Evaluations: The researchers then investigated 213 online comments across three widely shared images drawn from Teen Vogue’s Instagram page to understand better how consumers evaluate, interpret, and challenge industry producers. Most consumer reactions were positive, which can help challenge existing stereotypes and encourage more diversity and inclusivity. Active online engagement with these magazines is what makes diversity in the fashion world have a social impact. However, some positive comments were also problematic; for instance, a comment read: “it shows that all things can be conquered.” This comment seems to reinforce the view that disability is something that should be overcome, not recognized.

The researchers’ analysis also suggests that being more inclusive is more likely to engage a larger demographic of potential consumers online, which ultimately positively impacts sales. For instance, Chelsea Warner, a Special Olympics athlete, was photographed for Aerie’s campaign in Teen vogue, which resulted in tremendous sales growth for Aerie.

Results and Implications of the Inclusion of Individuals with Disabilities in Fashion

In this study, the researchers highlighted how important being diverse in fashion is in shaping public preferences and consumer psychology. However, the researchers also point out that there are certain ways in which inclusivity reinforces existing negative stereotypes; hence not all types of inclusivity are positive. The article indicated three main points regarding diversity in the fashion world:

In fashion editorials, most often, individuals with disabilities are included to boost someone else and are not treated as fashion trendsetters
Advertisements seem to have better forms of inclusivity, but they are still rarely diverse
Consumer engagement is essential for diversity in the fashion world to have a social impact, but some seemingly positive comments can be problematic

Moreover, these findings have important implications for how producers and marketers should address diversity in the future.

Your Pop Neuro Consumer Behavior Insights

Even though fashion magazines are becoming more inclusive, overall, the frequency of diversity is still shallow
Being more inclusive can have very positive impacts on profits
Consumer reactions and engagements, especially online, are necessary for diversity in the fashion world to have a societal impact

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References

References: Foster, J., & Pettinicchio, D. (2021). A model who looks like me: Communicating and consuming representations of disability. Journal of Consumer Culture. https://doi.org/10.1177/14695405211022074