Yeah, And?

Hannah Smith
Aug 13, 2020
4 min read

Updated: Aug 15, 2020

The consumer, for decades, has needed some form of contextual factor to inspire personal style, however why should this factor be television? Mediums such as the film industry exist and consumers already notably are in admiration of the styling seen in cinema. However, when the two are compared, using TV for inspiration purposes benefits both the retailer and consumer.

Image. Pinterest. 2020.

The production and editing schedule in the world of film is a lengthy process and often takes over a year to complete, however the scheduling of a TV series has a much shorter turnaround from start to finish. This is often why what is produced for television is seen as inferior to the cinematic process, but when considering how fashion and style feeds into both industries, the infrastructure in place for television “has always accommodated corporate interests” [WARNER. 2014][1]. In Helen Warner’s 2014 book on ‘Fashion on Television’, she illuminates Penn’s thoughts on how “long-range promotions” [PENN.1998][2] involve a much higher risk in terms of product placement as “you don’t know if Batman is going to fly or if your Reebok scene in ‘Jerry Maguire’ will be cut” [PENN.1998][3]. Therefore, in order for retailers to capitalise on utilising these platforms, choosing the television option poses much less of a risk.

Image. Pinterest. 2020.

Additionally, the television option is also much more suited for the consumer as when you consider storylines, characterisation and settings, the audience is able to connect and relate a lot more with the domestic scenarios created in television and it becomes a lot more accessible than what is created in feature length films.

With today’s current climate in mind, television is an evolving industry with rapid success in the past decade due to the innovation of streaming services. The largest being Netflix as in a recent survey with 177 responses, Netflix was voted the most used and popular platform. In a decade television will be a massive threat to the film industry as an “Intel Study Finds 5G will Drive $1.3 Trillion in New Revenues in Media and Entertainment Industry by 2028” [BUSINESS WIRE. 2018][4]. Additionally, with brands such as Netflix, they have already attempted to close the gap between the TV and film industries by creating Netflix Originals and feature length films that have been acknowledged by the world of Film, with receiving a number of Academy Awards. Hollywood is shaking.

Image. Pinterest. 2020

Additionally, the success of streaming services are at an all time high with COVID-19 causing global quarantines. Consumers are bound to their homes and heavily rely on TV and streaming platforms for entertainment and escapism. In a recent survey, 96% of 250 consumers admitted since the lockdown began 'they have purchased a Netflix subscription or are grateful to own one' (see graph below). In the first three months of 2020, "“almost 16 million people created accounts ...that is nearly double the number of new sign- ups it saw in the final months of 2019”[PLUMMER.2020][5].The business module of a streaming site such as Netflix is one of the few that will majorly succeed in a situation such as this; Netflix is designed for a world that has to suddenly remain inside.

Image. Author. 2020

Television is already seen as having a considerable impact on fashion and style with shows such as 'Sex and the City'. The top 100 fashion influencers in ‘In fashion’ by Elaine Stone and Sheryl A. Farnan, 2017, number 26 on the list is Patricia Field [STONE & FARNAN.2017][6], the stylist for ‘Sex and the City’, therefore revealing the important impact styling on television has on the fashion industry. However, the show has fashion at its centre and celebrates personal style and self- identity, as the characters are archetypal: “each character’s outfits were immediate personality indicators” [POUS.2013][7]. Each of the four protagonists are styled in various ways, for example, Miranda is often seen in a power suit to reflect her authority and professional life as a lawyer, however Carrie is rarely seen without a designer label and has an effortless 'thrown together' look. So, although a character’s individual style often differs from another, it only amplifies embracing a unique, tailored style and opens more avenues of inspiration for the audience.

Image. Author. 2020.

There is no doubt that Carrie was, for a lot of consumers, the original influencer and should continue to do so. Even now, young females are eager to recreate the iconic looks from the show over a decade later. I know I would prefer to strut around in a pair of Manolo’s and a quirky ballerina skirt over what is plastered over social media. Now pass me my Cosmopolitan.

Image. GIF. WIX. 2020

BIBLIOGRAPHY

[1] Warner, Helen. "Introduction: Approaching Fashion, Identity and Celebrity Culture." Fashion on Television: Identity and Celebrity Culture. London: Bloomsbury Education, 2014. 1–20. Bloomsbury Fashion Central. Web. 17 Jun. 2020. <http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.falmouth.ac.uk/10.5040/9781350051126.ch-001>. [2] Penn Jean (1998), ‘Clothing the Deal’, The Hollywood Reporter: Fashion in Entertainment Special. [3] Penn Jean (1998), ‘Clothing the Deal’, The Hollywood Reporter: Fashion in Entertainment Special. [4] Business Wire. 2018. Business Wire Online. Intel. ‘Intel Study Finds 5G will Drive $1.3 Trillion in New Revenues in Media and Entertainment Industry by 2028’. Available at: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181011005211/en/ Accessed on: 20/05/2020

[5] Plummer, Robert. 2020. BBC News. Coronavirus: Five firms booming despite the lockdown. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52383193? intlink_from_url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/topics/crr7mlg0v1lt/netflix&link_location=live-reporting-story

Accessed: 27/03/2020

[6] Stone, Elaine, and Sheryl A. Farnan. "TOP 100 Fashion Influencers." In Fashion. New York: Fairchild Books, 2017. 311–316. Bloomsbury Fashion Central. Web. 17 Jun. 2020. <http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.falmouth.ac.uk/10.5040/9781501315114.0007>. [7] Pous, Terri. 2013. Time. Online. ‘Carrie’s return: Four ways sex and the city changed fashion’. Available at: https://style.time.com/2013/01/14/carries-return-four-ways-sex-and-the-city-changed-fashion/ Accessed on: 30/06/2020