Fashion trends. We’ve all seen them and some of us will have even indulged in them. From the edgy metallic skin-tight trousers of the 60s, to the bright and bold leg warmers of the 80s, to the uggs and oversized glasses of the millennium.
We watch them as they come in, we adopt some of them (within reason, sagging trousers) and then we wave them goodbye (sometimes good riddance).
But what is a fashion trend? How does one iota of the fashion world, or an individual’s unique fashion choice explode into the world of fashion, establish itself as a trend and encapsulate wide eyed fashion disciples in its wake?
Let’s take a look.
What is a fashion trend?
To break down fashion trends we have to do a bit of history and first define the word “trend”. A trend, sometimes known as a fad or a craze, refers to a form of collective behaviour that is indulged in by a large group of people.
In the fashion industry, trends have been around much longer than the people who think they invented trends think they have. What a sentence.
The first fashion trend was actually started in the 14th century. The upper echelons of society used trends as a way of showing off to everyone how powerful, rich, or influential they were. A little like today’s influencer, just without the digital audience and reality TV deal.
One such example of a fashion trend in the 14th century was the use of white powder. Everyone who was someone painted their face white because it was seen to suggest wealth and idleness. Those with powdered faces weren’t indulging in hard labour and therefore getting sunburnt - they were much too prim and proper, hence the pasty colouring.
Even then, the lower to middle classes who were in a position to follow trends would adopt them to try and leap societal status: They could (almost) afford what the rich and powerful were doing, which must mean that they were on the fringes of wealth and infamy themselves.
In summary then, a trend is a movement started by someone to showcase a message. In the fashion world, this message is usually synonymous with what is going on in the world around us, as we discuss more next.
What makes a fashion trend?
But ok, so what separates a fashion trend from just any other normal trend?
In today's society, a fashion trend is usually started by either a fashion designer, fashion house or fashion influencer. Commonly the unique look will be debuted upon the catwalks, but with today’s influencers being able to host their own fashion parade when and where they feel like it, a trend can just as easily debut over social media.
Once out into the world either by catwalk or Instagram, dedicated followers of fashion will adopt the unique new design if they feel as though they are synonymous with it.
It is actually this ability to relate to the look that either makes or breaks a fashion trend. In a general sense, fashion is, and always has been, a reflection of what is going on around us. It is a reflection of our moods, our attitudes, or the views we hold both politically, economically and culturally.
In order to blossom, fashion trends utilise this zeitgeist because they aim to define and display that attitude, mood or value.
There are great examples of this in today’s society. Balenciaga disrupted the mould by creating aggressive and dystopian streetwear. The air of anti-establishment resonated with celebrities who soon adopted the pieces. This then translated down to their audiences who also agreed with both the paradigm of Balenciaga and of their favourite celebrity, so of course, those audiences then clambered to buy the garments.
Dior also read the room right in 2019 when they released their T Shirt collection with the slogan, “We should all be feminists''. The gap in the market came at a time when a new wave of feminism was gathering support, and so the trend was quickly adopted by famous figures not afraid of speaking their mind such as Rihanna, Jennifer Lawrence and Natalie Portman.
This is why designers can often be accused of sticking to the same script, whether that’s in a certain colour scheme, style or print. Fashion designers know that we will associate certain aesthetic details with the world around us, which means that if that theme is prominent and omnipresent - like feminism - there will always be a market to sell to.
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How do you predict a fashion trend?
The simple answer to this question would be that you can’t, but that isn’t entirely true. Fashion trends can be predicted by watching out for these 5 areas:
1. The Seasons
Design and merchandising departments worldwide prepare months in advance for the next seasons.
Certain colours most resonate with us in certain seasons, for example we’re more likely to wear whites and light pastel colours in the spring and summer because it symbolises brightness and freshness. However in the autumn and winter we may revert to darker colours, like rustic reds and blacks as the weather around us becomes gloomier, the temperature drops and the hours of light are shorter.
All manufacturers will include some standard colours, like whites, blacks and greys in their collection planning because they are staple colours for any season. Work also has to begin six months in advance, so the manufacturer will do right to be prepared.
2. Themes
Just like Balenciaga with its air of anti-establishment, themes are a great tool in predicting trends.
They generally have a short-stay, so if the trend is built solely on a theme, it will at most last for 3-4 seasons as the focus moves on. A thematic idea will begin with a singular designer, if they get lucky it will explode in popularity, enjoy a peak of fashion, and then will often fade out again.
An easy example of this type of trend could be the huge artistic sunglasses that were worn by celebrities in mid 2010. All but introduced by Lady Gaga in her Pokerface era, the accessory was soon adopted and featured some utterly bizarre designs such as sunglasses with shutters over the eyes and wacky rainbow colours.
The theme that promoted the sunglasses into fashion was quirkiness and uniqueness. In 2010, being different and being unashamedly yourself was all but encouraged as we experienced the first reality TV shows, the rise of Justin Bieber thanks to YouTube, and slid down our keyboard phones. Lady Gaga’s sunglasses encouraged everyone to tap into their flamboyant, expressive side and told us all that it was actually cool to be a little quirky.
In general, themes will cover a variety of areas. It could be an atmosphere, a mood, a movement, or a reference to a character or time.
3. Shapes
Shapes usually come about as responses to particular themes. Say for example a sailor theme. Instantly your mind will conjure up the crisp white squareness of a sailors uniform, and maybe a pastel blue neckerchief to go with it. This is what we mean by shapes.
Though mostly used in response to themes, shapes can break away and become trends in their own right. One successful example is “boyfriend” shaped garments like shirts, jumpers and hoodies. The boyfriend shape did so well because it’s an omnipresent theme. Women in particular love to steal men’s clothing because it is generally viewed as larger and more comfortable, and so, the trend was born: Clothing that was deliberately made a size larger and perhaps softer or thicker.
The shape can also refer to the cut of a garment, like for example “Mom jeans” or even something as simple as a type of sleeve or clothing length. Overall the shape of the line will ultimately reflect some elements of a theme - like “Mom” clothing and its connotations with comfiness and flexibility.
4. Key events or social movements
An important element of trend prediction is looking at what is going on around us, and the general response to the event or social movements.
Large social events, such as the World Cup, or a Royal Wedding can often influence the theme, shape and colour of a trend. An example is the Royal Wedding between Kate Middleton and Prince William. High necked lace wedding dresses experienced an 80% increase in demand, and boutiques were bombarded with requests for the measurements of the Alexander McQueen dress, or for a replica version!
Incredibly even the economy can influence trends. In the last economic downturn, Chanel produced an entire patchwork collection to replicate the idea of making do and mending.
Films, pop culture or political movements are also huge influencers on trends. The release of Black Swan led to a range of ballet inspired sportswear trends like leggings and tube tops, whilst modern Hip Hop and RnB cultures have led to a rise in baggy jeans, shirts and sportswear pieces like jogging bottoms or vests emblazoned with team logos.
Popular culture will have a significant influence on the colours, shapes and themes that clothing designers will use in their lines.
5. Target Markets
Finally, target markets are small but contributing factors to trend predictions. Even if a trend is riding off of the popularity of a social movement, the garments themselves should still be tweaked toward the desired audience that the line will be sold to.
For example, if you’re a fashion designer who is trying to sell short skirts to a demographic who may find that unsuitable, you won’t be wanting to produce leather look mini skirts ala the 1960s. Instead you may adopt the maxi shape which would appeal to the audiences social customs and values.
Even on the catwalks the target market can be identified. Catwalks that take place in London may feature a whole raft of individualistic styles, but the tailoring will be high end to appeal to the high quality expectations of the city, reflected in Knightsbridge and Chelsea. Whereas on the other hand, Milan catwalks always tend to feature bright colours with provocative clothing because Italy is a cosmopolitan, sun-drenched country.
We hope this guide is useful when it comes to defining what a fashion trend is, how it starts, and how they can be predicted. At James Hillman we often think of ourselves as trend inventors. We try not to follow trends, but instead we encourage our clients to reach into their unique values and express those in order to set their own trends. To find out more about how we can assist your clothing brand, check out what we can do, or get in touch with us today.
