Fashion Cycle

What is the fashion cycle? An ongoing rise, peak, and fall in popularity of specific styles Every style rotates through the cycle Fashion good- colors, textiles, and fabrics Products, cars, etc. Everyone’s wearing it now Increases in popularity Decreases in popularity New style introduced Discarded

Fashion cycle Bell shaped curve Peak Decline/Saturation Rise Introduction Obsolescence

Introduction Accepted by a small number of people Fashion leaders “unusual” Accepted by a small number of people Fashion leaders Small quantities bought intro

RISE Consumer interest grows Manufacturers copy or adopt main features in less expensive materials Mass production+ decrease in price= MORE SALES Rise

PEAK Culmination stage or plateau Height of popularity/accepted by almost everyone No particular time in this stage Extended if updates, adding details/design, or color change Retailers will persuade public their version is best

DECLINE / SATURATION Style is overused, dull/boring Retailers mark down price Stop making it Declines usually faster than its rise Decline/Saturation

OBSOLESCENCE End of the fashion stage Totally undesired Rejected by almost everyone Style fades completely Obsolescence

Length of cycles Speed varies within each fashion ( months-years) Long-run fashions: take a long time to complete the cycle (classics) Short-run fashions: popular for short period of time (fads) Tire of them fast and cycle ends abruptly Manufactures copy and are inexpensive Which category’s fashion changes the fastest? Women Children Teens Men