Chapter : 3

The Direction of Fashion Change

Lecture :07
Fashion Movement
Trend watching is an avocation enjoyed by many.
Even a casual trend watcher will see discernable
patterns. At some point in time people begin to feel
that wearing colorful cloths is unsophisticated and
that black is “cool”. Observation is not enough. If
the trend watcher is to take advantage he or she
need a frame work for explaining how the trend
began and it’s likely path within a social system .
The directional theories of fashion change make
prediction easier by pointing to the likely starting
points for a fashion trend , the expected direction
that trend will take , and how long the trend will
last.
The Direction of Fashion Change
The three directional theories of fashion change
predict that fashion will either trickle down ,
trickle up, or trickle across consumer segments.
Introduced at different times during the 20th
century. These theories reflect not only a general
understanding of fashion dynamics but also the
specific marketplace conditions at the time they
were proposed. Each theory has been criticized
and revised since its introduction but remains a
valuable guide in explaining fashion leadership
and predicting fashion movement.
 Trickle – Down Theory
The Origins of the theory : Explaining fashion
movement in such an era is relatively easy.
Fashion moves downward from the elite class to
the lower classes in stately and slow progression.
But the explanation is not complete until it
explains not only what happens but why. Simmel
(1904) a sociologist , identified the engine of
fashion change in the opposing human tendencies
conformity and individuality.
No aspect of life can satisfy the demands of these
two opposing principles , but social life and fashion
offer a perfect battleground where striving for social
adaption and the need of differentiation can be
played out.
Simmel observed three stages, as follows:
1)The elite class differentiated itself through fashion,
2)The adjacent lower classes imitated the look, and
3)The elite class moved to adopt a new fashion in an
attempt to maintain the differentiation.
These stages played out in social forms , apparel,
aesthetic judgment and whole style of human
expression. Simmel form the frame work for the
trickle- down theory of fashion change. The theory
identified:
 The source of fashion ideas- designers who
catered to wealthy clients with a taste for
conspicuous consumption and the leisure to
pursue fashion.
 The fashion leaders- Those fashionable and
highly visible individuals who served as model
for the new look.
 The direction of fashion change- Downward
from the elite class to the next adjacent class.
 The speed of change- Regulated by the ability of
the lower classes to see, obtain and copy the
fashion.
 The dynamics of change- The pursuit of the dual
drives for differentiation and imitation.
Criticism and Revision of the theory: Fashion
observers in the latter half of the 20th century have
criticized the trickle- down theory as being flawed.
The chief criticism is that the elite did not
consistently set prevailing styles any time after the
introduction of mass production and mass
communication (Banner, 1983, Blummer
,1969,Lowe & Lowe, 1985)
They points out that the theory oversimplifies the
social system. Instead of just two or three layers
with the elite at the top ,the social system actually
has many layers simultaneously engaged in
differentiation and imitation.
 Direction Downward from elite class to next
adjacent class.

Elit

lower class

 Tempo Depends on the ability of lower class

to see and copy .
 Differentiation

Dynamics Status
Markers

Imitation

Source of Fashion Ideas : Designers who propose

innovation, elite class as gatekeepers.

Source of Change: Imitators.

Examples of Fashion by Trickle
down System
 First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy was a fashionable
icon of the early 1960s who led formal dressing
trend. (Chanel suit)
 Evening Gown etc.
 Trickle – Across Theory
 The original form of the trickle down theory of
fashion change did not provide sufficient
explanations for the fashions of the 1960s. King
(1963) said so in an article titled, “ A Rebuttal to
the ‘Trickle Down’ Theory”. He argued that
society had changed in profound ways including:
 The “leveling influences” that had changed the
profile of the consumer market.
 The accelerating spread of fashion awareness
brought on by mass media.
 The accelerated transitions from season to season,
resulting in almost non- existent time lags such as
those required for imitation and differentiation
under the trickle – down theory.
King contented that the trickle – down theory of
fashion change did not help the sophisticated
marketers understand fashion behavior in the 1960s.
Instead, he proposed a rival theory ,the trickle- across
theory of fashion change(also called the mass market
or simultaneous adoption theory). Simply stated, the
theory holds that fashion information trickle across
horizontally with in social strata rather than vertically
across strata.
According to king, within a given fashion season
consumers in all socioeconomic groups.
Simultaneously have the freedom to select from a
range of styles and this range is sufficient to
satisfy personal taste. Rather than an elite
introducing fashion ideas into society, king saw
leadership within each social group. In this view ,
personal influence plays the key role in the
transmission of fashion information and two kinds
of consumers are influential in popularizing new
looks:
 The innovators- people who buy early , the
earliest visual communicators of a season styles
 The influential - those who are frequently asked
for advice and define appropriate standards
within their interpersonal networks.

Three factors were essential for the emergence of a

mass market- mass production, mass
communication, and a growing middle class.
Mass communication- magazines, newspapers,
television and movies- made style information
available to all simultaneously.
Mass production made more looks available in
any given season, offering the possibility of
individual selection from among the many
sources.
Imitation and differentiation were still part of
the dynamic because others would imitate
innovators and influential within their social
strata and those fashion leaders would move to
new looks.
 Direction- Horizontal across strata.
 Tempo/ Speed- Rapid & simultaneous.
 Dynamics-
Fashion ideas Mass Market All Market levels

 Source of Fashion Ideas - Couture with selection by

profession gatekeepers.
 Source of change - Innovator and influentials in
each market strata.
Just as the trickle- down theory of fashion change ,
designers play an important creative role . However,
the gatekeeper had changed. Gatekeepers filter the
many idea proposed by designers and determine
which will be disseminated widely and which will be
discarded. In the trickle down theory of fashion
change, the gatekeepers were the fashionable and
affluent elite who could afford. With mass media and
mass production a new set of gatekeeper rose to
prominence – Journalists, manufacturers and
retailers. The professional gate- keepers job was to
view the designer’s collections and select the styles to
be featured in the media and produced in mass
quantities.
Thank You