How we invent new statements in clothing is better known as fashion. Fashion is to invent, to experiment, and to discover what type of clothing best suits a person. Fashion has a relationship with clothing as a form of self-expression. It enables one to manifest an opinion, or a value can be expressed in a said art form. If a person dislikes punk rock music, he/she won't be seen wearing Dr. Martens boots. This can be compared to men wearing suits when they have to appear in court. The next two questions are dependent on a change in personal style. How does fashion change? And why does it change?
Clothing has always been a way to express one's individuality. Clothing is a fashion statement, and depending on the individual, the way clothes make them feel varies. Most people choose clothes that portray a mood or a visual abstract of their personality. Is it true that what we dress is what we are? How can we make a statement through our clothing? Clothing is always the answer to these questions, but what method is used to invent new statements?
Influencers and celebrities
Celebrities, on the other hand, have always had a heavy influence on what is currently considered trendy. They are broadly focused upon in popular media and have a strong influence on what the general population is concerned with. If a celebrity were to wear something that was not considered trendy at the time, many of their fans would lose interest in it and simply stop wearing it, resulting in a current trend falling out of style. On the flip side, the average consumer would consider it desirable in order to feel high status or some level of similarity with the said celebrity. This would usually allow room for new trends to form and take place. If a celebrity wears an item with the intention of setting a new trend (if it was on purpose, it would likely be part of an endorsement deal), it can cause fans to want to imitate the trend so that they can feel closer to the celebrity. This, in turn, creates a demand for the new trend and inevitably results in a lower standing for the previous trend that is being replaced.
An influencer is a person with the ability to influence potential buyers of a product or service by promoting or recommending the items on social media. People trust what their favorite influencers have to say about a brand, and usually the influencer will declare their love for a product that they have been paid to promote, thus creating a unique sense of fashion for the consumer. This can affect consumers' attitudes towards the product to perceive the brand more positively, depending on the influencer's reliability. Many consumers may tend to think the product perhaps is as good as the influencers say it is, resulting in more sales.
Fashion shows and designers
Paris fashion week became a catalyst in the realm of fashion trends. Before World War II, average women did not need or buy expensive clothing, but kept the clothing they had. However, around the turn of the century, the entitlement to wear the latest in fashion has become more widespread, and by 2009, the idea that women must follow the latest trends had become a norm. Women meet the new standards of the season by reading fashion magazines, highlighting important trends in the beginning of any given season. These trends are, in reality, predictions of what will be seen on the runways in Milan and Paris. With the mainstream fashion industry catching on to what has become the norm for women of nearly all ages, the cycle of predicting and establishing trends has come to a climax. Today, the cycle leads to the point that it is sometimes impossible to discern what was started on the street and what began as a trend set forth by designers.
So where do these big players in the fashion industry get their ideas? Well, as most would assume (or hope), it isn't Beyonce's latest music video. It's actually the top fashion shows of Paris, Milan, London, and New York. These shows, more specifically Paris, set the benchmark for the fashion industry. The theme is extravagant and over the top with a mystical atmosphere that can't be emulated anywhere else in the world. The reason for this is to make a lasting impression in the viewer's mind. A designer wants his or her designs to be remembered, which will in turn spark a new trend.
Social media and online platforms
Social media platforms such as Tiktok, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram have become a constant presence with today's consumer. Often setting the latest trends, it is increasingly how individuals are obtaining their inspiration. Social media has been an increasingly important tool to understanding fashion trends. With consumers exposed to online images of celebrities, fashion bloggers, and the latest runway shows, the online world has significant influence on the choices consumers make when deciding what to wear. 6.4 million people are viewing fashion and beauty-related videos online, indicating the vast scope online platforms have for influencing the general public. Social media data is monitored and the outcome on fashion trends worldwide can be analyzed through social media mining techniques, providing an extraordinary amount of knowledge about what it is that consumers are looking for. Through this worldwide data, fashion companies can understand what kinds of people are wearing what type of clothing in which location. They can pick up on any emerging trends early on to capitalize on making higher returns from the trend. Analysis can provide more insight into the history and cultural elements surrounding specific trends and enable predictions into when the trends may resurface. This can be especially useful for larger companies with multiple brands aiming to target specific demographic groups. Data can show exactly which brands are trending among certain types of consumers worldwide and also what kind of lifestyle is associated with a particular brand or trend.
Street style and personal expression
The gap between fast fashion and disposable clothing has made it unclear what the best way is to express personal style, and unfortunately, not everybody is fashion-conscious. Sometimes street style can become confusing, and trend overlap can lead to a lack of true personal expression. Nevertheless, there are always those people who consciously or subconsciously express their feelings through their clothes. These people are often at the forefront of new trends and act as a barometer for where that trend is headed. An example of this can often be found within youth subcultures, and it is these people who etch these trends into history through the culture of the given time.
Street style and personal expression are integral to the way fashion has developed. This can be seen as the antithesis of the 80s, where designers were king, labels mattered, and consumerism was rampant. High-end fashion has become so easily accessible that it has overshadowed the fashion of the past. People often look to vintage clothing or less accessible clothing from different cultures (such as US 'hip hop' culture with baggy clothing and chains, or Japanese style which can often be far too extravagant for Western consumers) as a way to differentiate their fashion from what is considered mainstream. With the advent of the internet, access to niche or non-global styles has never been easier. This has resulted in an age where consumers are more fashion-conscious and diverse than ever before.
In conclusion...
In the fashion industry, 'street style' is used to describe the fashion that serves as inspiration for designers across the world. This enormous variety of personal style is an alternative to the fashion reflected in fashion magazines, and it comes from the people. When high-end fashion is combined with a person's own individual style, it is often used as a form of expression and a way to rebel against the uniform imposed by society. An example of this is punk, which has had an influence on high fashion. The experience of punk was recreated in a highly romanticized form in the early 90s. However, punk was later transformed into a raw, simplistic style that was easy for mass production. This style was then adopted on a global scale and soon became a part of fashion consumer culture. An example of this can be seen with the plaid shirt phenomenon, which was a worldwide fashion trend and is still used today by people to achieve a certain style.
Additionally, term 'fast fashion' is used to describe the rate at which fashion moves from the runway to consumer culture. The speed at which fashion is consumed can depend on current trends, and other times it can be the result of a trend that is hot on the runway today. Global brands such as H&M, Mango, and Urban Outfitters pride themselves on catching the latest trends and offering them to consumers at the cheapest possible prices. However, this can create a vicious cycle where consumers wear an item for one season and then dispose of it when it no longer fits with the current trend. At the same time, the fast pace of fashion means that trends have a short lifespan at the consumer level.