How Fashion Trends Affect Everyone
It seems that no matter how reclusive of a life a woman leads, at some point she’ll have to at least acknowledge the fashion industry and how it impacts her life. It could be that she looks up one day and realizes that her favorite brand of jeans has changed their cut no longer carries the straight-leg style she had grown so accustomed to. This sudden halt of production of clothing mainstays can be problematic in people’s lives, but it’s also something that’s necessary for change every now and then. For example, if we never changed fashion styles, women would still be required to be clothed from neck to ankle – and what fun would that be?
Many people see the outrageous fashion designs that are paraded down the runways in Paris, Milan, or New York every year and think that those “high fashion” outfits have nothing to do with the jeans and t-shirt they’re wearing. However, they couldn’t be further from the truth. Despite what we may think about those outrageous fashions, the truth of the matter is that the designs may be outlandish, but the basic principle behind them is not. While a few of the top models and actresses will wear these designer outfits, the majority of clothing companies will manufacture a cheaper version of the exact same outfit for their store lines. The company that makes the best knock-offs of the runway designs usually ends up selling the clothes to your local department store.
Therefore, the clothing in these stores is directly influenced by the trends that originated in those fashion-heavy cities as much as a year beforehand. If a designer puts out a pair of slacks that is flowing with vibrant colors, the department stores won’t be far behind in following the trend. Likewise, it’s not unusual to see major trends in dresses shift following successful shows in any of the major fashion cities. Try to observe the process yourself. Follow the coverage from fashion week shows around the world – typically held once in the spring and once in the fall of each year – and keep tabs on the major trends coming down the runways. Take notes and check back a year later – it’s fun to see which trends took off and which ones didn’t make it to the department stores.
The same cycle occurs for patterns on clothing as well. Say a designer has a hit with a polka dotted shirt or a gingham skirt – the next thing you know all of the striped shirts you like to wear could become difficult to find on regular department store shelves. So the next time you find yourself flipping through fashion magazines thinking, “That’s outrageous! I can’t believe anyone would ever consider that fashion,” remember – it’s highly likely that the same outfit you found yourself wrinkling your nose at in distaste will be affecting your clothes shopping habits later on. High fashion clothing may be odd, outlandish and outrageous, but it will certainly affect the way you shop in the year to come.
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