Ways Fashion Brands Try To Trick You

“Made in” Labels

Let’s start with “Made in” labels. You know when your tag says Made in Italy or Made in the US or Made in Australia? That doesn’t strictly mean that the whole item was made in that country, it just means that the final assembly of the item was. The fabric can be bought from somewhere else, the pattern making and cutting can be done in other countries. This is just a way for companies to make you feel like you are buying locally, or buying a higher quality item in order to bump up the price. There are experienced and talented pattern makers and seamstresses all over the world so do not let that tag fool you into paying a premium price.

Posing Models

When shopping online, have a look at how the models are posing. Very often you will see the model posing in odd ways, at odd angles often concealing parts of the garment. This is most often on purpose, in order to conceal an ill fitting garment, or a feature of it that does not fit well. Make sure when buying online you see a photo of the model posing face forward, standing straight. Only then will you see a true representation of the garments silhouette. The model is being paid to make the garment look great. If it does not fit well, they will pose in a way that gives the illusion that it does.

Creating An Exclusive Environment

Some stores will attempt to get you spending money by creating an exclusive environment. They may offer you refreshments, or be playing classical music or even have the sales assistants act snobby, all in a ploy to get you to buy. This experience is created in order to make you feel inferior, ultimately getting you to want to strive to be part of their exclusive world. By pampering you, they are attempting to get you in the mood of treating yourself, with money as no object, also giving the illusion that what they are selling is such amazing quality you should never look twice.

Illusion Of Savings

Brands will often price up items, just so they can be priced down. It is illegal for brands to bump up prices beyond the RRP once the item is for sale, however brands will circumvent this by bumping up the initial price. For example a brand will price a pair of trousers they intend to sell for $60, at $120. Then, once that garment is in store, they will reduce the price to $60, making you feel like you are getting an item that is double the value. This way they are manipulating you into thinking you are saving money, making you more likely to buy. This is often the case in stores that have sales all year round instead of during known sales periods or changes of seasons.

The Illusion of Scarcity

Never be fooled by limited editions, or limited releases. This is clearly a choice by brands to make you feel like you may be missing out, causing you to run to the store or wait in line. These items will always have inflated prices, beyond what the item is actually worth. This is also the case with luxury items. Brands choose to run limited numbers of stock to fool you into spending more money, increasing their profit margins.