A Normal Fashion Cycle

Fashion Cycle

The introduction, Rise, Culmination, Decline, and

Obsolescence of a given style over a period of time.

Introduction: the beginning of a new style, trend

Rise: gain in popularity and familiarity
Culmination: the highest point or peak of the trend
Decline: the end of a style or trend

Fashion Cycle

Introduction Stage

Designs and styles previewed at major design

centers
Limited acceptance by consumers
Fashion leaders
Higher prices
Small quantities produced

Rise Stage

Manufacturers adopt designs and styles to

produce with less expensive fabrics or less
detail
More affordable and more availability
Acceptance by more people
Adaptations and changes
Mass production

Peak Stage

Fashion most popular and accepted

Variety of fashion versions
Variety of price levels
Length at this stage determines if fashion
becomes a classic

Decline Stage

Decreasing demand for the fashion

Fashion has oversaturated or flooded the
market
Consumers wont pay high price for the fashion

Retail markdowns occur

Obsolescence Stage

Consumers no longer interested

Low price
Retailers not restocking
Manufacturers not producing

Lengths of fashion cycles

Cycles have no specific lengths.

Recurring fashions: Styles which have been in
fashion at one time, gone out of fashion, and come
back in fashion again.

Fashion trends seem to recur about every generation or every 20 to 30

years.

Fashion cycles are less distinct now than in the past.

Stages of the fashion cycle

The style may have a long or short stay at this stage.

Short-run fashions: Styles that are popular for a brief

period of time.

Fads, usually lasting only one season

Accepted and rejected quickly
Teenagers fashions change the fastest and have the most trends.
Styles are easy for the manufacturer to produce and are relatively
inexpensive to the consumer.
Styles typically have more details than seen in classics.

Stages of the fashion cycle

Long-run fashions: Styles that take a long

time to complete the fashion cycle.

Classics, basics, and/or staple fashions

Slow introduction, long peak, slow decline
Styles have simple lines, minimal detail.

Recurring cycle in skirt lengths

Factors that accelerate fashion movement

Communications and mass media

Good economic conditions
Increased competition
Technological advances
Social and physical mobility
More leisure time
Higher levels of education
Changing roles of women
Seasonal changes

Factors that decelerate fashion movement

Bad economic conditions

Cultural and religious customs
Laws or other governmental regulations
Disruptive world events

Fashion Leaders

Fashion leaders: Trendsetters who have the

credibility and confidence to wear new fashions and
influence the acceptance of new trends.

The first to purchase new styles

Desire distinctiveness and uniqueness
May be innovators and/or influencers.
Royal families, first families, movie stars, television personalities,
athletes, singers, musicians

Fashion Innovators and Motivators

Fashion Innovators: Some fashion leaders actually create

fashion. They try to find unique fashion in small boutiques or
vintage clothing stores or they design their own clothes. They
may be referred as Avant Garde.

Fashion Motivators: Also called as Role Models. A few

fashion leaders have the beauty, status and/or wealth to
become fashion role models. Designers often lend their new
styles to celebrities to get publicity.

Fashion Victims and Followers

Fashion Victims: These are those people with too much

money to spend who become slaves to designer brands.
Fashion Victims are people who blindly and stupidly follow a
brand without any discernment and without any analysis.

Fashion Followers: Those who accept and wear a fashion

only after it becomes acceptable to the majority. They tend to
imitate people whom they admire. They are busy with their
jobs and families and think that fashion is unimportant.

Types of Adopters

Adopting Innovations

Laggards:

Late Adopters:

Consumers interested in new things, but do not want them to be too

new. They deliberately wait to adopt an innovation.

Early Adopters:

People who are slow to pick up new products.

Share many of the same characteristics as innovators, but an important

difference is their degree of concern for social acceptance, especially
with regard to expressive products.

Innovators:

The brave souls who are always on the lookout for novel developments
and will be the first to try a new offering.

Diffusion of Innovation
LAGGARDS

S-CURVE Form
LATE MAJORITY
EARLY MAJORITY

EARLY ADOPTER
INNOVATORS

Terms that keep designers in business..

Fashion
Fad
Classic
Style
Design
Trends
Fashion Cycle

Fashion

The currently accepted

prevailing style.

Fad

A fashion with a sudden

burst of popularity

Style

A characteristic or
distinctive form of
dress that exists
independent of
fashion
Each person develops
their own over time.

Classic

A fashion that retains

general acceptance over a
very extended period of
time

Design

Refers to a specific
version of a style

Trend

The movement of a
fashion into and through
the marketplace

Differences Within the

Fashion Cycle

Classics Never become completely obsolete,

but remain accepted for an extended period
Fads Short lived fashions, come and go, lack
the character to hold consumer attention for very
long
Cycles within cycles Design elements (color,
texture, silhouette) change as the style stays
popular

Classic and FAD

Comparison of Acceptance Cycles

High Fashion vs. Mass Fashion

High fashion looks are

created by designers
and exclusive stores.

Fashion leaders buy these

looks during the introduction
and growth stages.
The goods are expensive but
exclusivity is what fashion
leaders crave.

Mass fashion is made

by manufacturers and
retailers at many prices.

Fashion followers (most

people interested in fashion)
wear mass fashion.
Fashion laggards want good
value;they buy late.

A fashion year

Two main seasons

Spring/Summer
Autumn/Winter

Both require a different fashion look and a new range

of colors and fabric designs for the time of year.

Lightweight fabrics in summer

Heavier fabrics in winter

Sociological Models of Fashion

Trickle-Down Theory:
There are two conflicting forces that drive fashion change

First: Subordinate groups adopt the status symbols of the groups above
them.
Second: Superordinate groups look at subordinate groups to make sure
they are not imitated.

Trickle-Up: Fashions that originate with the lower class first.

Trickle-Across Effect: Fashions diffuse horizontally among members
of the same social group.
Mass Fashion: When media exposure permits many groups to become
aware of a style at the same time.

Trickle-Down Theory

Movement of fashion
Fashion trendsetters
starts at the top
socioeconomic status of
consumers
Fashion then accepted
down to the general
public
Oldest and most accepted
Fashion adopters
theory

Trickle-Up Theory

Fashion movement starts

with lower
socioeconomic levels
Acceptance by
consumers with higher
incomes

Athletic apparel style

Jeans
Hair style
Punk style

Fashion adopters

Fashion Trendsetters

Trickle-Across Theory

Fashion acceptance begins among several

socioeconomic groups
All price levels at same time
Quality and lines vary
Most prevalent in 21st century - technology