A trip down memory lane may soon become a shopping trip. According to WSL Strategic Retail, in a report by BusinessWeek.com (2012), consumers aged 18 to 34 years are more hesitant to shop due to the impact of high unemployment rates and study costs, as well as economic fears. For multiple consumers in this demographic this is creating a nostalgic appeal to products that bring back childhood memories. An appeal which is made evident in an online article by Miriam Quart, for GCI Magazine (2011), where she states that the “concept of nostalgia is popping up across several categories, from beauty (Infusium23, Pert Plus and Sure) to snack foods (Little Debbie) to TV shows (Hawaii–Five-0 and The Electric Company).” Furthermore, an article in Viewpoint 28 by Matilda Battersby (2011, 173), illustrates how many retailers and designers will therefore “exploit the appeal of nostalgia.” This nostalgic appeal can be seen in the print of a batman mask on Emaleigh’s t-shirt, revealing nostalgia (and maybe even more specifically superhero prints/motifs) as developing fashion trend.
Similarly this nostalgic appeal could be seen as transferring into selecting brands with goodwill. In tough economic times, consumers are much more likely to purchase classic products from trusted and familiar brands. Evidence of this can be seen in WGSN’s A/W 12/13 Denim Branding Trend Analysis (WGSN D 2012), where it shows that “labels [the physical tag] are inspired by denim’s workwear heritage with authentic graphics”, thus instilling a sense of trust, through nostalgic label use. This sense of brand familiarity/ trust can be seen in the choice of footwear above. The choice of traditional black Converse suggests an association with a trusted brand of footwear, which hold a traditional and well known branding. In terms of upcoming trends and streetstyle the familiar could become the new…
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