There are some brands that are just meant to be together. When we think of classic British fashion designers, Dior and Burberry immediately come to mind. As soon as you lay eyes on their products, you know that they were meant to be seen as a pair. They complement each other perfectly and, when you put them side by side, it’s like they were always meant to be seen in the same frame.

Here in New Zealand, we have one of the most exciting fashion-related stories of recent times. We started as a small island nation, with little more than a sheep and a mozzie in every corner, and now we have all the makings of a major fashion powerhouse. In fact, some people have even gone as far as to say that we are now the it-country of fashion. It wouldn’t be the first time that New Zealand has beaten the odds. In the space of just over 100 years, we’ve had to deal with severe regional isolation and a really small population. But we somehow found a way to come together as a nation and create something beautiful.

We can thank the internet for making this possible. It’s an incredible tool, giving us access to a whole world of fashion and style that we might not have necessarily known existed. You can literally spend hours trawling online fashion boutiques, trying on countless combinations of clothing boutique nz , and selecting the perfect items for your wardrobe.

The Rise Of Online Shopping

For decades, fashion in New Zealand has mostly been associated with buying patterns in malls. There was a time when shoppers would drive for hours in the blistering heat just to get to their favourite fashion destination. In fact, up until the late 1990s, fashion in New Zealand was pretty much defined by what was available in stores. Access to fashion was mostly limited to those who could travel to the larger cities, such as Auckland or Wellington, and the occasional shop in a small town. But that was then, and this is now.

The internet in particular has had a significant impact on our sense of fashion. It’s allowed us to become more creative and experiment with different looks and, ultimately, allowed us to find the perfect pieces for our wardrobe. The convenience of online shopping is incredible. You can literally look at something you like and click the “order” button to have it delivered to your front door. Or, if you’re feeling adventurous, you can go for a walk, check out a shop or two, and bring the items you want back to the apartment or house you’re staying at. Most importantly, online shopping has given us a whole new way to discover fashion. When we first started coming across online fashion boutiques, we were overwhelmed by the wealth of choices. It was like falling into a fantasy land of fashion, where you could find anything and everything you were looking for. Whether you’re a fashion enthusiast or simply want to create a capsule wardrobe, it’s hard to not get swept away by the abundance of choice.

The Influence Of Social Media

Another key influencer in our transition from a small fashion nation to a style powerhouse has been social media. It’s given us a platform to show off our unique identity and inspire others. It’s also opened doors for people looking for fashion jobs, as there are now more options for online content creators than ever before. With the rise of TikTok, we’re seeing more fashion enthusiasts get into the act and create content for the platform. The beauty of social media is that it provides us with a virtual fashion community, where we can showcase our style and find inspiration from others. This is invaluable, as we all know how much everyone’s favourite fashion media website, TikTok, can vary from one person to another. With a collective “Style” section, where users can post their favourite outfits and styling tips, we can better understand and appreciate the diverse fashion tastes of those on the platform. It also means that, as a whole, we’re constantly reminded of the variety of options available to us, no matter what our personal style preferences are.

The fashion industry has changed significantly in the past few years. The rise of fast fashion has meant that cheaper and more affordable options have become increasingly accessible to the average consumer. Malls have been struggling to stay relevant in an ever-evolving world, with retail rents having increased by 42% in the past five years. This, in turn, has impacted on the range of options available to fashion-seeking shoppers. The high street has slowly faded, as the “big box” retailer has taken over. This is largely because of online shopping and the rising popularity of fast fashion.

A Fashion-Loving Nation

If fashion is a way of expressing oneself through clothes and accessories, then it’s pretty clear what this nation is about. We’re an island nation with a population of just over 5 million people, living in a small geographical area. But, in terms of fashion, we’re a far more diverse and individualistic place. A 2019 report by international brand management firm, Millward Brown, found that 78% of New Zealanders love fashion, while only 13% describe themselves as not interested at all. This trend is visible across all age groups, with the greatest interest among millennials.

This clearly has a lot to do with the influence of social media. Back in the day, if you didn’t like fashion, you weren’t necessarily meant to be in the fashion industry. These days, everyone’s a critic, so if you don’t like what you see on social media, you can be sure there’ll be someone out there to point out your insecurities. But, in general, fashion has opened doors for all genders and all ages, allowing everyone to express their individuality through clothing choices. And, as a nation, we’re really proud of this.

The Future Of Fashion

The future of fashion is undoubtedly going to be online. There are already a number of successful online retail fashion sites, such as New Zealand’s favourite fashion store, Evita, which is now available to shop from the comforts of home. If you live in a small town, where the options for retail shopping are limited, getting your clothes tailor-made is the ultimate way to ensure you make the most of your closet. When it comes to fashion, size, shape, and style are all important, so getting clothing altered is something we know all too well.

But, despite the convenience and flexibility of online shopping, there are also a number of downsides. Fashion choices are now accessible to all, no matter where you are in the world. This, in turn, can lead to a rise in “toxicity” in the fashion industry, as more and more people, regardless of gender, are able to access styles and fashion choices that were previously reserved for the “in” groups. The fashion industry isn’t necessarily responsible for this, as the internet has created a whole new generation of consumers who might not understand the social conventions that existed before. This is a significant issue, as we know that fashion choices can have a significant impact on a person’s self-image. If you’re not comfortable in your own skin, it can be really hard to embrace a designer’s dress code.

How To Shop For Yourself

If you’re looking for fashion tips for yourself or your friends, it’s important to shop for your personal preferences. This will, of course, impact on how you style yourself, but it can also open up new styles and options that you might not have considered before. When we shop for our friends, we tend to go for something that they love, because we know they’ll be able to pull it off. This can be incredibly useful, as there are already so many styles out there that, in most cases, we can’t go wrong. However, we need to be careful not to overdo it and make what is essentially a clone of what they like. The key to shopping is to find your own preferences and go for that, rather than going for what is fashionable at the moment.

The Impact Of Being Unique

In the past, if you didn’t like “the look” of a certain fashion brand or style, you’d simply have to live with it. These days, thanks to the internet and social media, we have the power to be uniquely ourselves. It’s no longer enough to settle for what someone else thinks we should look like; we have the ability to evolve and express our personalities through fashion.

Fashion choices can have a significant impact on a person’s self-image. If you’re not comfortable in your own skin, it can be really hard to embrace a designer’s dress code. However, that doesn’t have to be the case. As long as we’re unique in our own way, it doesn’t matter what style we choose; it will always be something new and exciting.