What Is Fashion Cycle | 5 Stages of Fashion Cycle?
The fashion cycle means the cyclical trends of fashion which refers to starting to the ending of a fashion trend. It indicates the fashion products that go through time. We know culture isn’t static, when culture isn’t static how can fashion be? Fashion trend is always changing, there are 5 stages of the fashion cycle.
Fashion products go through continuously changeable methods which include the rise to down of a product. First of all, a product is introduced in the market. People see them in television, media, and other ways. They feel to try on the products. When the products become very popular it reaches the peak of the trend. Then after a while, a time comes when the trend is no longer popular as previously. This all makes a cycle for the trend of fashion. It is the natural continuation of how the demand for a particular fashion product changes over time. There are various factors, including consumer choice, social and cultural changes, technology, economic conditions, and environmental which take a product too high and can make it downward too.
If we want to analyze the factors of this cycle it would have clear how these factors are affecting the cycle. For example, consumers’ choices will not be the same as always. People go through various conditions, explore social media, and get an idea of different fashion trends. Textile or fashion industries make products of their interest. Moreover, cultural changes also affect the cycle, culture changes so as does fashion. What people wear in the 90s is not in the trend now. Also, what we are wearing or using now would not be in trend in the future. Another effective one is a technological advancement which can affect both ways.
Consumers, get chances to know more about different cultures which make up their minds to take new trends. On the other hand, it affects the producers to increase creativity to catch the attention of the consumers. Economic conditions and the environment can partially affect the trend of fashion. It makes the people know about their interests according to the economic availability. As a whole, all this creates a fashion cycle.
5 Stages of Fashion Cycle
The fashion cycle includes some steps which give the idea of a product’s initial to ending stage. They are:
- Introductory phase
- Rise of the product
- Peak or the popularity of the product
- Declining phase
- Total obsolesces of the product
Introductory phase
The introductory phase of a fashion cycle is the initial creating phase of the product. When any new product comes into the market it refers to the introductory phase of the product. The introductory phase of the fashion cycle is the very first stage of the cycle in which a new trend or style is initiated to the market.
This phase is influenced by the emergence of a new style, trend, or activity that holds the interest of consumers and starts to increase in popularity. During this phase, designers, retailers, and manufacturers invest more in production. Not only production is enough at this stage. As it become the new trend very producers try to produce as fast as they can to catch the attention of the customers. Promotion is also needed for the product.
The producers try to take the help of promoting agencies to promote their products. Advertisement in real and social life helps the product to introduce and grow among the people. The promoting work mainly focused on new styles or trends, to create demand and generate sales. The introductory phase is an important stage in the fashion cycle, as it sets the taste for the rest of the cycle and determines whether the trend will work or not. Success in this phase depends on various factors such as the relevance of the trend to the target market, the effectiveness of marketing and promotion, and the quality of the product. For example, the emergence of drop shoulder collared t-shirts was initiated around 2015 and every well-known or new shops try to launch this product as fast as they can. Also, they promoted their products through advertising and social media enhancement.
Rise of the product
The rise of the product means when the product is getting attention, people are knowing about the product or putting interested in it. Do you ever scroll the social media and found that a new trend came which makes you go on the trend?
This is the rise of the product. This phase refers to the stage where a new fashion trend starts attaining popularity and acceptance among consumers. During this phase, fashion designers and trendsetters introduce new designs, patterns, color combinations, styles, and ideas to catch the attention of the consumers. But this attention-gaining procedure should be based on consumer demand. If anybody is launching products that are out of fashion or trend, they won’t rise like others. The rising phase is marked by increasing awareness of the trend, with early adopters and fashion influencers endorsing it through social media, fashion magazines, and other channels. More manufacturers and shops begin implementing the trend into their product lines as it picks up steam, which promotes its acceptance and appeal among the general public. The rising phase normally lasts from a few months to a year, depending on how quickly the trend is adopted and diffused.
The peak of the Product
Peak, definitely means going higher than anything. The peak of the product is when a particular trend or style reaches its highest level of popularity and is widely accepted by the audience. During this phase, the trend is at its highest demand, everyone knows about the product and accepted it as the trend. To take the demand fashion brands and designers try to capitalize on it by creating more products related to the trend.
The peak phase can last for a few months to a few years, depending on the trend’s longevity and the consumer’s interest in it. Once the trend reaches its peak, it gradually starts to decline, and fashion brands begin to focus on the next big trend or style. For example, from 2009 to 2013 Anarkali or full round dresses were so popular that every girl fashion store used to have at least one of the products on this design in their store in Bangladesh. Though designs and colors were different the main idea of the dress remained unchanged and people used to buy it more than other designs. So, it was peak timing for this dress.
Declining phase
Nothing lasts long for a decade in fashion, right? The same pattern, same color, and same design would not be accepted for a few years. So, over time, the rise of fashion.
Products declined slowly and lose their popularity which meant by declining phase of the fashion trend. This phase usually comes after the saturation phase when the trend has been widely adopted by the mass market but soon it becomes ubiquitous, it loses its popularity, and people start looking for something new and fresh. During this time sales of fashion items decrease, and retailers start offering discounts and promotions to clear their inventory. For example, Anarkali round dresses which were at peak of the trend in 2012 are not now approaching people the way they appealed to the audience in the mid-2010s.
Obsolesce of the product
Obsolesce is the phase in the fashion cycle when a pre-established style or trend is no longer in demand or fashionable. It can be due to changes in the factors which were discussed earlier. This phase is often characterized by a decrease in sales, reduced availability in stores, and an overall decrease in interest from consumers.
In this phase sales and retailers try not to produce any item of this trend because it wouldn’t be sold like earlier.
All these steps in the fashion cycle enable us to know more about fashion and help producers to take decisions according to the cycle.
- You may love to read: What is Fashion | Classification of Fashion with Description
- The Fashion Sense
- Materiality and Sustainability in Fashion and clothing
- Fashion Trims and Accessories for Clothing
- Fashion Among Elite and Impoverished
- Women’s Fashion Predilection to Dresses
- How Pants became a Fashion trend for Women
- Materiality and Sustainability in Fashion and clothing
- Difference Between Fashion and Style