It was not until I entered high school that I realized how large the bathing suit industry is. Over the years, bathing suits have gone from large, full coverage suits to small, Brazillian, and even thong like suits. Little do many know that the most fashionable bathing suits cost a fortune, roughly $80 a piece, meaning $160 for a full set! As a college student, this is a huge cost for me and I often find myself upset when I cannot afford the latest and greatest suit. Unfortunately, as someone who spends at least an hour a day at the beach when home, bathing suits are my weakness. I too often find myself walking into bathing suit stores with friends, telling myself that I will not purchase anything which ultimately leads to unplanned shopping, or the shopping activity that shares some, but not all, characteristics of truly impulsive consumer behavior; being characterized by situational memory, a utilitarian orientation, and feelings of spontaneity (Babin, 2016 pg. 236). I have found myself wrongfully justifying my purchases but can confidently say that I do not regret purchasing a single suit! I have started to create a collection that I am proud of and have gotten great use out of every purchase.
When picking the right suit, brand loyalty, my deeply held commitment to re-buy a product, is extremely important to me (Babin, 2016 pg. 254). I find myself purchasing the brands that have proven to be the most comfortable and most importantly, fit me best. As an active person who loves the ocean, I need a bathing suit that is durable yet fashionable. During my free time I often paddle board, snorkel, and am planning to get scuba certified which will certainly increase my time in the water. Below is a video of what the snorkeling is like a few minutes from my house!
When I made the decision to come to Michigan for college I brought a few bathing suits with me and my new friends, primarily those from the Midwest or East Coast fell is love. I quickly became the one my friends would borrow from for days by the pool or spring break and have converted many people to the dark side of nice bathing suits.
References/Value Added:
Babin, B., & Harris, E. (2016). In CB 7 (7th ed., pp 236). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning
Babin, B., & Harris, E. (2016). In CB 7 (7th ed., pp 254). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning
Fashion Show Photo: https://www.soleilblue.com/blogs/wanderer-in-blue/38932929-miami-swim-week-frankies-bikinis-runway-show-2016
Snorkeling video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QPq9lLP1sc
Hey Savanah, really interesting post! It is interesting that you talk about bathing suits and how they are your weakness when it comes to spending a ton of money on something you probably do not need. For me, I have the same impulse buys when it comes to jeans (Babin, 2016, p. 236). I think that may be because we grew up on different coasts. Being from New York, I am only in a bathing suit two months of the year and I rarely go to the beach. The only people who see me in in my suits are those who come sit by my pool with me — I have no one to impress. However, for jeans, I think it is worth to spend $150 or more and often times get jeans for that price even though I have such a similar pair. I wear jeans almost every day, they work in any season, and they are pretty durable; these are the reasons that I often times find myself walking through a store to get one thing and coming out with another pair of jeans instead. At home it feels like the streets are a fashion show for jeans; who has the new cropped-flared AG’s, who has the best baggy boyfriend jeans. It is extremely interesting to see what pieces of clothing we both value and are willing to spend money on and how different they are!
ReplyDeleteBabin, B., & Harris, E. (2016). CB 7 (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
Hi Savanah! Your blog was really interesting for me to read. Being from Michigan, I could not imagine spending $160 on a bathing suit. However, I really only need them three months out of the year whereas you may wear one everyday. Therefore, seasonality plays a large role in my behavior of purchasing bathing suits (Babin & Harris, 2016, p. 230). I typically start scouring website around April or May when I know that I am about to be needing them in upcoming months. Therefore, I almost never have unplanned shopping when it comes to shopping for suits. I do a lot of digging online to find out exactly the brand/type I would like before I make a purchase. Clearly location plays a large role in purchase behavior.
ReplyDeleteReferences
Babin, B., & Harris, E. (2016). CB 7 (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.