The devaluation of stockings

Lisbeth Løvbak Berg on 10. september 2023

Authors: Tone Rasch, Ingrid Haugsrud, Kirsi Laitala and Atle Wehn Hegnes

Abstract

Consumer practices related to how we use and take care of products have changed throughout history. Especially within clothing consumption, the changes have accelerated in the Twentieth Century. In this paper, we use thin nylon stockings for women as an example product to see how their value, use, care, and lifetimes have evolved. The material is based on a literature review on nylon stockings from 1940 to today, accompanied by an analysis of consumers’ written narratives from 1990 where people were asked to describe their use and memories of stockings and pantyhose. Our contemporary data is based on consumer focus groups on product lifetimes and plastic materials conducted in 2021 and 2022. The tight-fitting nylon stockings for women were launched around World War II by the American company DuPont. Cheap nylon substituted luxurious silk stockings and increased their popularity throughout the 1950s and 1960s. Around 1970, synthetic substances were devalued when fashion changed from elegance to more casual styles, and the political opposition to plastic as environmental damage and a symbol of the established society permeated the growing youth culture. Consequently, nylon stockings went out of fashion. Today, thin pantyhose is seen as disposable consumables with low value. Thin stockings represent a good example of how we value and take care of delicate items has a significant contribution to their lifetimes. Looking into the historical context is beneficial for learning about the points in time when changes occurred and how they contribute to consumer practices.

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”Hvorfor kan ikke bare alle produkter være bærekraftige?” Hvordan forbrukere oppfatter og påvirkes av markedsføring med bærekraftpåstander

ingridha on 20. januar 2022

Nina Heidenstrøm, Ingrid Haugsrud, Marie Hebrok & Harald Throne-Holst

Sammendrag

Formålet med denne rapporten er å få en bedre forståelse av hvordan markedsføring med bærekraftpåstander kommuniseres til norske forbrukere gjennom nettbutikker og sosiale medier, og hvordan forbrukerne oppfatter og håndterer markedsføringen. Rapporten ser spesielt på to produktkategorier; klær og kosmetikk. En skrivebordsstudie analyserer markedsføringens tekstlige og visuelle utforming, og data fra fokusgrupper brukes for å forstå hvilke ressurser og begrensninger forbrukerne har i møte med markedsføringen. Skrivebordsstudien viser at markedsføringen av klær og kosmetikk benytter seg av store og felles samfunnsfortellinger om hvordan vi skal møte klimautfordringene gjennom forbruksendringer. Fortellingene bruker emosjoner, moral og logikk i sine argumenter, som forsterkes gjennom symboler og visuelle atmosfærer. Resultatene fra fokusgruppene viser at informasjon og kunnskap om markedsføring med bærekraftpåstander per i dag ikke er tilstrekkelig, og det er lav tillit til påvirkere i sosiale medier, forhandlere, og produsenter. Tilliten er høy til myndighetene, som samtidig anses å være ansvarlige for å regulere markedsføringen.

Rapporten avsluttes med fire læringspunkter for å utbedre forbrukernes forståelse av markedsføring med bærekraftpåstander:

i) standardisere og kontekstualisere informasjon,

ii) videreutvikle det nordiske miljømerket,

iii) regulere feilbruk av vitenskapelig kunnskap og

iv) lage retningslinjer for visuelle virkemidler. 

Abstract

This report aims to gain a deeper understanding of how marketing with sustainability claims is communicated to Norwegian consumers through online stores and social media, and how consumers perceive and handle such marketing. The report looks specifically at two product categories: clothing and cosmetics. A desktop study analyses the textual and visual design of the marketing, and data from focus groups are used to understand what resources and limitations consumers have when facing sustainability claims. The desktop study shows that marketing of clothing and cosmetics is constructed using shared cultural narratives about how we should understand and act on the global climate crisis through changed patterns of consumption. The narratives use emotions, moral and logic in their arguments, which are reinforced through symbols and visual atmospheres. The focus group results show that information and knowledge about marketing with sustainability claims are insufficient, and there is a low level of trust in social media influencers, retailers, and manufacturers. There is a high level of trust in national authorities, who are also considered to be responsible for regulating marketing. The report concludes with four learning points to improve consumers’ understanding of marketing with sustainability claims: i) standardise and contextualise information, ii) further develop the Nordic eco-label, iii) regulate misuse of scientific knowledge, and iv) create guidelines for visual techniques in marketing.

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