The Nature of Fashion
• FASHION INVOLVES:– The clothes we wear – The dances we dance– The cars we drive – The way we cut our hair
The Nature of Fashion
• Fashion – the style or styles of clothing and accessories worn at a particular time by a particular group of people.
• FASHION CONVEYS A MESSAGE
The Nature of Fashion
• Customer – Potential purchaser of goods
Consumer – user of goods or services
The Nature of Fashion
• Consumers decide what the fashions will be by accepting or rejecting the styles that are offered.
The Nature of Fashion
• Style – is the a characteristic or distinctive appearance of a garment – the combination of features that makes it unique and different from other garments.
• T-shirt vs. silk blouse
The Nature of Fashion
• Fashion is a style that gains some popular acceptance. It remains a fashion only as long as it is accepted.
The Nature of Fashion
• High Fashion - Those styles or designs accepted by a limited group of fashion leaders – the elite who are the first to accept fashion change
• Haute–couture – (oat-koo-tour) french term for high fashion
The Nature of Fashion• Mass fashion or volume fashion – consists of
styles that are widely accepted.
Moderate to low prices
The Nature of Fashion• DESIGN – A specific version or variation of a
style
Ex. Style – sweatshirt Design – neckline, pockets
The Nature of Fashion
• To identify the different designs, retailers assign it a style number or number
https://thedomesticdiva.wordpress.com/2008/06/16/issuing-style-numbers-when-you-start-a-new-clothing-line/
Issuing Style Numbers When You Start a New Clothing Line
The Nature of Fashion
• TASTE – refers to prevailing opinion of what is and what is not attractive and appropriate for a given occasion.
• Timing plays a part in what is considered good or bad taste
The Nature of Fashion
• FASHION HAS A CYCLICAL COURSE!!!– Rise Stage – daring and dubious– Culmination stage – gradually accepted, widely
accepted– Decline stage – gradually discarded
The Nature of Fashion
• Classic: Ex Chanel suit, blazers, turtlenecks, loafers, overalls
CLASSIC – is a style or design that satisfies a basic need and remains in general fashion acceptance for an extended period of time.
The Nature of Fashion
• FAD – a short lived fashion
MOST FADS COME AND GO IN A SINGLE SEASON
Ex Punk hair do• Nehru collar
The 1st Component of Fashion
• Silhouette – overall outline or contour3 BASIC FORMS• Straight or tubular
• Bell-shaped or bouffant
• Bustle or backfullness
The 2nd Component of Fashion
• DETAILS – the individual elements that gives a silhouette its form or shape. These include trimmings, skirt, and pant length and width, shoulder, waist and sleeve treatment
The 4th Component of Fashion
COLOR – Major consideration for apparel selection, advertising, packaging and store decor
Principles of Fashion
• Fashions are not based on price.• Successful fashions are found at every price
level; not just expensive ones
Principles of Fashion
• Fashions are evolutionary not revolutionary• Fashion change comes as a result of gradual
movements from one season to the next.
Principles of Fashion
• No amount of sales promotion can change the direction in which fashions are moving
• Ex Women stopped wearing fashionable hats in the 1960’s
Principles of Fashion• All fashions end in excess.
Ex 18th century hoopskirts ballooned out over 8 feet wide.
Principles of Fashion
• Marketing of apparel and accessories to the ultimate consumer.
• Marketing – a total system of business activities designed to plan, price, promote and place (distribute) products and services to present and potential customers.
• THE 4 P’S