2 Fashion Movement Chapter Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.©...

2

Fashion Movement

Chapter

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Objectives• Explain the role of fashion leaders and

followers in the fashion movement.• State the theories of fashion

movement.• Describe the stages and time spans of

fashion cycles.

continued


Objectives• Analyze the main principles of fashion

movement.• Compare factors that speed up or slow

down fashion movement.• Relate the importance of fashion

change.


Understanding Fashion Movement• Consumer desire for new fashions

causes constant changes in garment silhouettes and details

• This ongoing change in what is considered fashionable, called the fashion movement, is the reason for– discarding old fashions to buy new ones– a successful fashion business

continued


Understanding Fashion Movement• The obsolescence factor is the

rejection of used items in favor of newer ones– Note that discarded items may still be

usable, especially apparel items

• A fashion trend is – the direction in which fashion is moving– something new that is gaining popularity

and wide acceptance


Fashion Leaders• Fashion leaders are people with

enough confidence and credibility to start or accept new fashions

• In fashion movement, high fashion is first worn by fashion leaders – In past centuries, fashion leaders were

often royalty– Today, fashion leaders tend to be

celebrities


Fashion Leaders and Followers• Every community has fashion leaders.

They– are the first to discover and display new

styles– attract much attention, which prompts

others to try to imitate them

• Fashion followers are people who wear fashion looks only when they become firmly accepted


Fashion Followers and Laggers• Because the number of fashion

followers is large, this makes it economical to have mass production in factories and mass distribution through retail stores– By the time fashion followers wear a style,

fashion leaders have already moved on to other styles

• Eventually, a style is worn by fashion laggers, the people who adopt fashions last


Theories of Fashion Movement• Fashion looks may be introduced by

several means• Fashion professionals need to understand

how the ideas spread and are adapted for different consumer groups

• There are theories that explain how a fashion might travel to mass acceptance

• Each theory identifies different fashion leaders and how it spreads to the general public


The Trickle-Down Theory• The trickle-down theory is the oldest

and most accepted theory of fashion movement– Fashion trends start at the top of a “social

ladder”– The fashions are accepted by people of

lower socioeconomic levels only after being worn by people in upper income levels.

• Fashions are rejected by people in higher income levels when they spread down to the next level


The Trickle-Up Theory• The trickle-up theory suggests that

fashion acceptance begins among the young or lower income groups

• The fashion then moves upward to people in older age groups or higher income levels

• Designers often look for street trends among avant-garde youth or fashion trends inspired by minority groups


The Trickle-Across Theory• The trickle-across theory claims that

fashion moves horizontally through groups at similar social levels–Members of each social group look to the

leaders of their own group for fashion trends

– Fashion leaders of all groups can access the new styles at various prices around the same time

– High fashion is been partially replaced by mass fashion


The Fashion Cycle• The fashion cycle is the ongoing

rise, peak, and fall in popularity of specific styles– Each style that comes into fashion

rotates through the fashion cycle

• Specific features of fashion goods, such as colors, textures, and fabrics, also go through fashion cycles

• As existing fashions die, new ones emerge


Stages of the Fashion Cycle• Each fashion moves through the same

events– The new style is introduced– It increases in popularity– It is worn by many people– It decreases in popularity– It is discarded for a newer style

• Thus, the stages of the fashion cycle are introduction, rise, peak, decline, and obsolescence


Introduction and Rise• The stages of the fashion cycle can be

illustrated on a bell-shaped curve called the merchandise acceptance curve

• At the introduction stage, new “looks” seem unusual and are accepted by few fashion leaders

• During the rise, consumer interest grows and the fashion is accepted by more people


Peak and Decline• In the peak stage, also called the

culmination stage or plateau, fashions are at their height of popularity

• Following a fashion’s greatest acceptance, it reaches saturation, which means the market has been supplied with the most it will absorb

• This begins the decline stage, when the fashion seems boring and drops in demand


Obsolescence• The end of the fashion cycle is the

obsolescence stage– At this stage, the style is totally

undesirable– Stores cannot “unload” the fashion to

consumers at any price– The fashion, no longer worn, is rejected by

almost everyone

• The style fades from use completely


Fashion Insights• As fashions come and go, they pass

through the various stages of the fashion cycle– Fashions seem extreme and daring

when first introduced– Fashions seem smart and stylish when

they are popular– Fashions seem dowdy and out-of-date

after their peak


Length of Fashion Cycles• Speed of movement through a cycle,

from months to years, varies with each fashion

• Long-run fashions take a long time to complete the cycle– They may have slow initial acceptance, a

longer time in popular demand, and/or a slow period of decline

– Examples: classic fashions

continued


Length of Fashion Cycles• Short-run fashions are popular for a

brief period of time, usually for only one season– They are easy for manufacturers to copy

and inexpensive for consumers to buy– Example: fads

• Teenagers’ fashions change the fastest and have the most minor trends

• Breaks in cycles also occur periodically


The Five Principles of Fashion Movement

1. Consumer acceptance or rejection establishes fashion

2. Price does not determine acceptance3. Sales promotion does not determine

fashion4. Fashion movement is evolutionary, not

revolutionary5. Fashion extremes cause reversals to a

new direction


Principles of Fashion Movement• Consumers accept some styles and

reject others• Although a new style is highly priced, it

can quickly become available at various prices

• Promotional activities, such as advertising, cannot sell items that consumers do not want

• People do not like drastic changes away from accepted, comfortable ideas


Fashion Extremes—Reversals or a New Direction

• When fashions reach an extreme in styling, a new and different look will begin– Example: men’s very wide neckties move

to skinny string ties– Example: short skirt length moves to very

long

• These examples show how a fashion trend can go only so far in one direction and then must change


Factors That Speed Fashion Movement

• Modern communications and mass media– spread fashion news almost instantly–may stimulate consumer buying

• Good economic conditions–make more resources available to

businesses to offer new fashions– leave consumers with more money to

spend on fashions and other newer items

continued


Factors That Speed Fashion Movement

• Increased competition among fashion sellers– offers more fashion choices to buy

• Technological advances – encourage a wider variety of new and

better products available faster and at better prices

• Social and physical mobility –means people move to different locations

or social groups that expose new fashions to customers continued


Factors That Speed Fashion Movement• More leisure time allows for more activities– that create a need for a greater variety of clothing

• Higher levels of education means consumers– have higher incomes to support more purchases– need more outfits for their careers

• The changing roles of women requires purchases for a wider range of clothing needs

• Seasonal changes cause fashion change


Factors That Slow Fashion Movement

• Bad economic conditions – leave consumers with higher

unemployment rates and less money to spend overall

• Cultural customs may dictate certain forms of dress that members of the group must wear

• Religion may prompt followers to avoid certain fashion trends

continued


Factors That Slow Fashion Movement

• Laws or other government regulations may outlaw certain– furs and skins of endangered species– imported goods

• Disruptive world events, such as droughts or wars, may cause shortages of materials or disrupt the apparel industry in other ways


• Understanding consumer motives and predicting fashion movement is important at all levels of the fashion industry

• Manufacturers and retailers must forecast the direction in which fashion is moving and predict the styles that consumers will accept.

Industry Facts


In Summary• Fashion movement is a result of

different fashions continually going in and out of popularity

• Fashion trends start with some age, income, or social groups

• The fashion cycle shows the predictable introduction, rise, peak, decline, and obsolescence of fashion elements

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