can “everything is replaceable” defeat the “costume assassin”?
2024-09-06
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can “everything is replaceable” defeat the “costume assassin”?
li xiaoling, a reporter from banyuetan
as summer approaches, the combination of river trekking shoes and water-proof jackets represents the pragmatic style of some young people; and the popularity of military coats and flowered cotton-padded jackets is a true reflection of their efforts to "rectify the down jacket market" in winter; more young people are no longer keen on pursuing "big brands", they prefer "national trends", and believe that "everything can be replaced"... nowadays, the dressing preferences of young people are quietly changing.
behind this is the great change in the consumption concept of the younger generation. they no longer pursue illusory brand symbols, reject consumerism, and return to rational consumption. behind the so-called consumption downgrade, there is actually an upgrade in consumption concepts - paying more attention to cost-effectiveness and the true value of clothing, pursuing their own interests and hobbies, attaching importance to spiritual satisfaction, and paying attention to self-realization and individual expression. and this is the value behind this change in dressing.
practicality in clothing
a light luxury brand recently released its financial report, saying that in the first three months of this year, sales in the chinese market dropped by 17% year-on-year. combining the financial reports of many luxury companies, it is not difficult to find that the top luxury brands have said goodbye to high growth, and the performance of some second-tier luxury brands has also shown a downward trend. this is in sharp contrast to the growing sales of new chinese style and other national style clothing during the same period.
on the douyin platform, a video titled "i went crazy buying clothes at the guangzhou wholesale market" received over 200 million views, making the guangzhou clothing wholesale market a hot search. in winter, military coats and flowered cotton jackets have also become the fashion trend under the leadership of "eclectic" young people. on the short video platform, groups of college and high school students collectively wore military green cotton coats and colorful flowered cotton jackets to walk around campus, enter classrooms, and visit markets. some students even appeared in military coats and flowered cotton jackets at school sports events.
compared with down jackets that cost thousands of yuan, these coats and cotton-padded jackets, which are priced at tens of yuan, are simply too competitive. merchants who sell and produce military coats and cotton-padded jackets have ushered in "overwhelming wealth." data from the source factory direct sales platform 1688 shows that from november 1 to december 12 last year alone, the number of searches for military coats on the platform increased by 236% year-on-year, the number of searches increased by 216% year-on-year, and the number of buyers increased by 50% year-on-year. during the same period, the number of searches for cotton-padded jackets increased by 163% day-on-day, the number of searches increased by 159% year-on-year, and the number of buyers increased by 49% year-on-year.
after the anti-killing of "ice cream assassins", "fruit assassins" and "beauty assassins", young people voted with their feet, starting from college campuses, setting off a craze for buying military coats and flowered cotton jackets. many netizens lamented: the post-00s have begun to rectify the down jacket market. "it's not that down jackets are unaffordable, but flowered cotton jackets and cotton coats are more cost-effective." this sentence widely circulated on social platforms has resonated with many people.
big brands were once packaged as a symbol of status and taste with marketing rhetoric such as "cures all diseases", "be nice to yourself", and "prices will go up if you don't buy them now". but now, rational young people are beginning to reflect, "do i really need big brands now?" in the decades since becoming the "world's factory", "made in china" has already won a global reputation with its strength.
the young generation born after the reform and opening up and growing up in the 21st century have witnessed the rapid development and prosperity of the motherland. they have become a generation that looks at the world with equal eyes, no longer blindly believe in foreign big brands, "only buy the right ones, not the expensive ones", and will no longer be like "big losers" and not buy anything that is not absolutely necessary. young people have realized that "anti-big brands" does not mean being stingy and suppressing their own consumption needs. even if they do not buy big brands, they are not wronged.
a survey on the money outlook of chinese youth shows that 82.4% of young people have begun to "consume in a conscientious manner", that is, to change from "consumption of conspicuousness and symbols" to "consumption of the pursuit of self". this means that young people no longer blindly pursue big brands and are no longer willing to pay for "brand tax", but seriously consider the cost-effectiveness of goods and make smart consumption choices between different brands, quality and prices.
“everything is interchangeable”
the change in dressing preferences actually carries some emotional values of today's young people. down jackets that cost thousands of yuan have caused crazy complaints from young people, and "consumption downgrade" has become a hot word on the internet. when users of xiaohongshu, which was once known for "sharing exquisite life", openly shouted that "consumption downgrade is really not shameful", such a change is really hard to ignore.
there are also 170,000 users on douban gathered in the consumption downgrade group. they discuss the downgrade of consumption structure, hoping to reduce unnecessary consumption categories; they also discuss the downgrade of consumption desire, and only choose clothing brands with higher cost performance; they no longer feel inferior for buying cheap clothing, but are proud of their money-saving and shrewdness. without reducing the quality of consumption, they compare prices on multiple platforms to find equivalents, and find cheaper and more cost-effective sources or purchase channels. some niche tracks are full of affordable alternatives, which have become a popular choice for young people to downgrade their consumption.
the new consumer group has awakened from "impulsive consumption" and turned to "demand-based" consumption. the premium of big brands is too high, and "everything can be replaced" has become the consumption declaration of many young people. on xiaohongshu, there are more than 2 million notes about replacements, with a wide variety of content, all of which put cost performance first. "it's not shameful to downgrade consumption" and "real happiness does not require a lot of money", refusing to "swell up your face and pretend to be fat" type of advanced consumption, young people have begun to return to moderate consumption and actively embrace consumption downgrade.
urban youth dress up in ancient style to pass on the custom of qiqiao
as the channels for obtaining consumer information, purchasing and experiencing become more diversified, the demand for "substitutes" has also seen explosive growth. even b-side platforms like 1688 have been discovered by young consumers. consumers on major social platforms have shared their experiences on how to buy good products on 1688, and 1688 has been upgraded to a first-level business of taotian group. the soaring revenue and market value of pinduoduo also reflect that the public is gradually moving towards rational, affordable and practical consumption choices.
in fact, low prices alone are not the real reason why consumers are attracted to pay for "substitutes". the reason why "substitutes" are so popular is that compared with the performance and efficacy of big-name products, substitutes are "similar in quality", "same in effect" and "no different in use". isn't it great to spend less money to get the same product as the big-name products?
“become the master of your money”
consumption downgrade is essentially an upgrade of consumption concepts, consumption behaviors, and consumption structures. from conspicuous consumption to mature consumption, more and more young people are beginning to realize that self-identity does not come from the outside world, but more from inner experience. therefore, they no longer rely on an external brand to prove themselves, but instead discern which lifestyle is more suitable for them.
the change in dressing is a self-selection made by young people after sober consideration. "spending less" does not mean "not consuming", but a free choice and rational control after recognizing the nature of consumption. in douban's "low consumption research institute" group, a group of young people began to rethink their consumption patterns. they understand that consumption downgrade is not to become an ascetic, but to take every consumption seriously and become the "master of money", so that every penny we spend is worth it as much as possible. some young people began to keep accounts, and some even started a "buy after this year" plan on social platforms, updating the expenditure bill every week and asking netizens to supervise themselves.
consumption downgrade is not the goal, but rational consumption is. young people will actively choose clothing and services with higher cost performance and better solutions, and are more willing to spend money on improving their skills, expanding their horizons, and enriching their lives. it can be said that along with consumption downgrade comes the upgrade of the mind and thinking. when we jump out of impulsive consumption and try to examine ourselves from an outsider's perspective, we are more inclined to spend money on more useful, longer-lasting, and more cost-effective things.
this change in dressing and this sober way of living are the real meaning behind consumption downgrade. exquisite life is first of all sober, not ignorant, that is, aware of one's own existence.
