The document discusses different theories of fashion movement - trickle-down theory, trickle-up theory, and trickle-across theory. It also outlines the stages of the fashion cycle: introduction, rise, peak, decline, and obsolescence. Key points include that fashion trends originate among either higher or lower socioeconomic groups and spread across groups; and that all styles rotate through the stages of the fashion cycle as they gain and lose popularity over time.

2. Fashion movement:
change in what is
considered fashionable.
Fashion: Styles that
are accepted and used by
a particular group of
people at a given time.

3. Theories of fashion movement
•Trickle-down theory
•Trickle-up theory
•Trickle-across theory

4. Trickle-down theory
(Downward flow):
fashion trends start
among the upper class
or fashion leaders
and move down to the
masses or fashion
followers.

5. Trickle-down theory
•Oldest and most accepted fashion theory
•Asserts that fashions are accepted by people
of lower socioeconomic income levels only
after they have been worn by people of
upper socioeconomic income levels
•These styles are seen on high-fashion
runways.

6. Trickle-up theory***
(Upward flow):
fashion trends start
among the young or
lower income groups
and move upward to
older or higher income
groups.

7. Trickle-up theory
•Style originates with
the lower class and
gains approval by
upper class or the
fashion elite.
•Ripped jeans**,
leather jackets**

8. Trickle-across theory
(Horizontal
flow):
fashion moves
horizontally through
groups at similar
social levels from
fashion leaders to
followers.

9. Trickle-across theory
•Members of each social group look at the
leaders of their own group for fashion trends.
•A leader within each class influences peers or
a leader of one group affects the other group
members.

10. •Example: Designer fashions are
copied quickly for mass production,
providing similar styles at most price
ranges. However, they don’t become
popular until the fashion leaders of
each group have accepted them.

11. The fashion cycle
•Fashion cycle: ongoing introduction, rise,
peak, decline, and obsolescence in popularity
of specific styles or shapes.
•All styles that come into fashion rotate***
through the five stages of the fashion cycle.
•Fashion acceptance can be illustrated using a
bell-shaped curve.

12. Stages of the fashion cycle
 Introduction
 Rise
 Peak
 Decline
 Obsolescence

13. The fashion cycle (cont.)
•The cycles for some styles are exceptions to
the bell-shaped curve.
•Flops**: Fashion expected to be a hot seller, but
does not sell.
•Fads**: short lived popular fashions and styles that
gain and lose popularity quickly.
•Classics: Styles that continue to be popular over an
extended period of time even though fashion changes
year after year.

14. Stages of the fashion cycle
(cont.)
1. Introduction: new styles, colors,
textures, and fabrics are introduced.
 New style may be accepted by fashion
leaders.
 Promotional activities include fashion shows
and advertising in high fashion magazines.
 Fashions are produced in small quantities at
high prices**.

15. 2. RISE stage
Second stage of the fashion cycle when
consumer** interest grows and the fashion
becomes more readily accepted by consumers.
 Mass production brings down the price of the
fashion, which results in more sales.

16.  Styles are manufactured in less
expensive materials and in lower
quality construction than the
original.
 Promotional efforts are increased
in fashion magazines to heighten
consumer awareness.
 ***Retail buyers order items in
quantity.

17. 3. Peak Stage
Culmination stage: Third stage of fashion
cycle during which a style is at its height
of popularity.
 Fashion is demanded by most consumers***
because it is affordable and is mass
produced in many variations.
 Each retailer tries to persuade customers
that its version of the style is the best.

18. Peak stage
 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.

19. Peak stage
 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.

20. 4. Decline Stage
Fourth stage of the fashion cycle
 Market is saturated**, popularity decreases.
 Fashion is overused and becomes dull and
boring**.
 As the fashion decreases in popularity,
retailers mark down their prices.
 Promotions center around major clearance or
closeout sales of the fashion.

21. 5. Obsolescence Stage
 Fifth stage of the fashion cycle
 Style is rejected, undesirable at any
price, no longer worn, and no longer
produced.

22. 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.

23. Haute Couture
 The fashion designer collections seen
at certain Fashion Week events are
considered to be Haute Couture.
Haute couture is not only made-to-
order for a specific customer, it is
usually made from high-quality,
expensive fabric and sewn with
extreme attention to detail and
finish, often using time-consuming
hand-executed techniques

24. Prêt-à-Porter
 What you then seen in the stores, therefore,
is considered “ready-to-wear”. The French
term for ready-to-wear (not custom fitted)
fashion is prêt-à-porter. Every haute couture
house also markets prêt-à-porter collections,
which typically deliver a higher return on
investment than their custom clothing. These
houses are no longer considered haute couture.

25. Fashion leaders and followers
 Fashion leaders: Trendsetters who have
the credibility and confidence to wear new
fashions and influence the acceptance of
new trends.
 First to purchase new styles
 Want distinctiveness and uniqueness
 Innovators and/or influencers.
 Royal families, first families, movie stars,
television personalities, athletes, singers,
musicians, popular kids at school

26. Fashion followers
 **Those who accept and wear a fashion
only after it becomes widely acceptable

27. Basic principles of fashion
movement
 Fashion acceptance or rejection is determined
by consumers***.
 Price does not determine fashion acceptance.
 Knock-offs: designs copied from expensive items

28.  Sales promotion does not determine
fashion.
 Fashion movement is evolutionary
rather than revolutionary.
 Fashion extremes** cause reversals
or abrupt changes.

29. 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

30. Factors that decelerate fashion movement
 Bad economic conditions
 Cultural and religious
customs
 Laws or other
governmental regulations
 Disruptive world events

31. Thank you