Why are we not sure if DF is the right next step?

Because the effect of no barriers could be unrealistic beauty standards.

Do you often think about the future? If you do, what do you see? Eleanor Roosevelt said that the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. There are those who have not only often thought about the future and believed in their dreams, but have also made them come true. Who are we talking about? We’re referring to those whose imagination goes wild and so to those who create digital fashion.

However, every thing, just like a coin, has two sides. And, according to Sunday Adelaja, we always need to do research, to approach the study of the issue from all sides… in order to have a reliable overview. So let’s dive deeper and take a look at the pros and cons of digital clothing to get an insight into the future of this industry. After all, whether we realize it or not, we are all „in the thrall of fashion“ as we put the clothes on every day.

No barriers. That’s for sure the biggest advantage. And this pro does not only apply to the process of creation DF itself, but also to the way how the customers obtain and use the final product.

On the one hand, digital fashion designers can come up with any type of garment or fabric to create exclusive and exotic designs never seen before. On the other hand, digital clothing could potentially make high-end fashion more accessible to consumers as they can purchase a digital version of a garment at a lower cost. According to digital designer, JJ Love from holotopia.io „if you couldn’t afford to buy a physical jacket from an amazing brand, but you could afford to buy one from the digital collection. It’s getting that access to luxury brands.“ For example, a Burberry Lola bag typically retails for upwards of £1,500, but the Roblox digital version was priced at 800 Robux, equivalent to around £8.99. And then there are no limitations when it comes to showcase your style by digital fashion. The world is your oyster!

Another advantage consists in the fact that DF helps to reduce the carbon footprint of the fashion industry. According to DressX, the production of a digital garment results in 97 per cent less CO2 when compared to the production of a physical garment and reduces water usage by 3,300 litres per item. A report by digital fashion house The Fabricant and Imperial College London found that digital fashion reduces the use of the toxic chemical dichlorobenzene from 12,000 kilograms for physical garments to 0.692 kilograms for digital clothes. The report also stated that the life cycle of a physical t-shirt results in a 7.8-kilogram carbon footprint, while a digital t-shirt amounts to 0.26 kilograms. And those are interesting numbers.

However, there is also a disadvantages’ side.

When it comes to practicality and functionality, we must ask the question: As digital clothing can only be worn in the digital space, this means it isn’t practical nor functional for everyday wear, will we be seeing more people utilising avatars and digital clothing to represent themselves? That can change the rules of the game and bring another risk which consists in a potential for perpetuating harmful beauty standards by presenting an unrealistic and unattainable body image.

When thinking about the future of digital fashion, we also must take in consideration Influencer Marketing. And we can see some benefits when influencers receive virtual goods like clothing items or accessories for promoting brands:

Digital fashion brands do not have to pay for shipping or materials around the world as everything is done digitally. And there is no waste as garments.

For influencers, it means more money from brands because they won’t have to spend so much time photographing themselves in outfits that they only wear once or twice.

Nevertheless, the problem with influencer marketing is the question of authenticity. How can we trust a recommendation from an influencer who has not seen, touched, or worn an item of clothing?

Every situation has its pros and cons. And as Suzy Kassem said, you are not just for the right or left, but for what is right over the wrong…But what is really right over the wrong in this battle of advantages and disadvantages of DF we will see through our experience.

“You can’t stop the future. You can’t rewind the past. The only way to learn the secret… is to press play.” (Jay Asher) Let’s play then.

V.