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How Climate Affects Global Fashion Trends

How Climate Affects Global Fashion Trends

Where you live — and the kind of weather you get — plays a big role in what you wear and when you wear it. In spots with four proper seasons, the gear on offer tends to shift as temperatures do. When it’s colder, you’ll see long sleeves, thicker knits, jackets with a bit more weight. As it warms up, the focus turns to lighter builds and less layering.

Places closer to the equator don’t have that same swing in conditions. What people wear tends to stay pretty consistent year-round, often shaped more by culture, local habits or tradition than by the calendar. But in areas where the weather can turn on a dime, the fashion cycle has to move faster — meaning shorter production runs and tighter planning.

Weather doesn’t just influence what ends up on shelves — it affects how things get made. Storms, heatwaves, and shipping delays can throw a spanner in the works, holding up production or shifting timelines. Brands that keep an eye on weather patterns tend to be better at staying in step with what their customers actually need.

There’s also more talk now about the long game — what rising temps and extreme conditions mean for the clothes we make and buy. Designers are thinking more about durability, energy use, and the kind of impact their products have beyond the checkout.

Style doesn’t exist in a bubble. It’s shaped by what’s happening in the real world — and the weather is a big part of that. The gear we see in shops, online, and on the street is often a direct response to how the climate’s changing, and how the world’s adapting to it.

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