Fashion cycle and Fashion theories

Evolution of fashion cycle
Fashion acceptance is usually described as a fashion cycle.
The fashion cycle is usually depicted as a bell shaped curve with 5 stages.

1. Introduction
2. Rise in popularity
3. Peak of popularity
4. Decline in popularity
5. Rejection

Introduction of a style

• Most new styles are introduced in the high level.
• Designers creates the designs with few limitations on creativity, quality of raw material or amount of fine workmanship.
• The create new apparel and accessory style by changing elements like line shape color ect…
• Product costs are high and only few can afford.
• Production in small quantity gives the designer more freedom, flexibility.
• New products are shown to retail buyers and press.
• At the first stage of cycle, fashion implies only style and newness.
• Celebrities, TV stars, models buy these clothes as they want to wear them in some events.

Increase in popularity

• When new styles are seen worn by celebrities on TV or magazines they attract the attention of the general public.
• Viewers may wish to buy the new styles but perhaps cannot afford them.
• Manufactures use less expensive fabric and modify the designs to sell in low price.
• Some companies also do imitation of designer originals at low prices.
• High priced designers now have secondary sales line which sell at lower prices so they are able to sell adoptions of their original designs in great quantity.

Peak of popularity

• When fashion is at height of popularity it may be in such demand that more manufactures copy it or produce adaptations of it at many price levels.

Decline in popularity

• After so many designs copies are mass produced, people get tired of that style and begin to look for something new.
• Consumers still wear garments in style but they don’t buy them at regular prices.
• Retail stores put declining styles on the sale rack.

Rejection of a style

• In the past fashion cycle some consumers must have already turned to new look.
• The rejection of a style just because it is out of fashion is called consumers obsolescence.
• “FASHION WEARS OUT MORE APPAREL THAN THE MAN”

Length of cycles

• Fashion always follows the same cyclic pattern.
• There is no measurable time table for a fashion cycle.
• Some takes short time to peak and popularity and some takes longer.
• Some decline slowly some very fast
• Some styles will sell in a single season some several seasons
• Some fashion fades quickly others never disappear.

Classic

• Some styles never become complete obsolete, but interest remain more or less accepted for an extended period.
• Jeans, A-line kurtha, polo shirt, loafers and sari is a very good example for classic fashion.

Fads

• Short lived fashion is called fad.
• They lack the design strength to hold consumers attention for a long time.
• Piercing, tattoos, spikes, sleeves, neck lines…are some good examples for fads.

Cycles within cycles

• Design elements such as colour, texture, silhouette may change even though the style itself remains popular.
• Jeans is a good example (skin fit, boot cut, low waist, high waist, different washes, torn jeans)

Fashion theories
Adaptation of fashion

• To understand how new fashion ideas are spread and how they are adapted to the taste, life-style and budgets of various costumers.
• Basically there are three variations of the fashion adaptation process traditional adaptation, reverse adaptation, and mass dissemination.

Trickle-down theory (traditional adaptation)

• It is based on the traditional process of copying and adapting trendsetting fashion from, Paris, London, New York designers.
• Couture designer fashion is expensive and it is affordable by only a few people.
• Those designs are copied again and again at lower prices until they have been seen often by the conservative buyers.
• It starts from to high fashion to the common people.

Trickle-up theory (reverse adaptation)

• It starts from street fashion to high fashion.
• Since 1960s designers and manufactures pay more attention to the customers innovations .
• They watch people on street to find ideas.
• The “gypsy” look is a good example of a street look which reached the runway.

Trickle-across theory (mass dissemination)

• Modern communications bring fashion from around the world into our homes instantly.
• Many separate markets have developed to various age range, life style, tastes.
• Various designer and manufacturer labels appeal to various market segments at different price points.
• Mass production means that many different styles can be accepted at a same time.