“I’m too sexy for this shirt.”

Fashion Terms

TIP Fashion is constantly changing.

It is anything that is

currently “in”.

Fashion

Fashion is a particular style that is currently

popular.

Style

• Style describes the lines and features of

clothes, jewelry, makeup and

accessories.

• Style refers to the shape of a particular

item of clothing that makes it easy to

recognize. Lapels=wide vs. narrow

• Sleeves and pant legs=tight vs. full

• Skirt lengths

Style

Fashion

• Fashion exists because people want to

wear the newest and latest items. It is the

regular change that occurs in the

appearance or design of the object.

• Fashion began with royalties, but now is

influenced by people who you admire and

think have credibility.

Fashion & Style influences• Magazines

• Newspapers

• Billboards

• Posters

• Television

Sometimes a new style is introduced and a and the public refuses to buy it. These styles are considered fashion bombs.

Fads

• The pace of the fashion is tied to the overall

pace of the culture.

• Quicker changes in fashion lead to more fads

on the market.

• A fad is a style that comes and goes quickly.

• A trend is the direction that fashion appears to

be taking.

Fad

• A fad is a fashion that is very popular for

only a short time.

• Fads help teens express two important

needs:

– To belong to a group

– Express their own individuality TIP Color

Accessories

Miniskirts

Baggy pants

Fad

Designer or Brand Name Logos

• Designer or brand name logos are used as status symbols in our country. They can be used to indicate a persons rank or position in society.

• Common Designer Names and Labels

Tommy Hilfiger, Donna Karan, Ralph Lauren, Levi Strauss, Ann Taylor

The Fashion Cycle• The introduction, Rise, Culmination, Decline, and

Obsolescence of a given style over a period of time.

– Introduction: the beginning of a new style, trend

– (1)Rise/distintiveness: gain in popularity and familiarity

– (2)Culmination/emulation: the highest point or peak of the

trend

– (3)Decline/economic: the end of a style or trend

Recurring cycle in skirt lengths•Hundreds of years ago, a person might live his

whole life in the same style of clothing. In today’s

world that is rarely the case – change is

everywhere.

Famous Names

Trend Cycle•Fashion Leaders are people who have

enough status and credibility to start new

styles. At this stage, the “new style” is

considered High fashion.

Classic

• A classic is a traditional style that stays

in fashion for a very long time.

• Classic clothes are never extreme; basic

simplicity is what makes them so

adaptable to most occasions and almost

any figure.

•Classics are conservative in color like

neutrals and navy blue.

•If changes occur in fashion classics, they are

minor and happen slowly.

•Classic clothes look beautiful because of their

excellence in cut an proportion.

•Common Types of Fashion Classics – Blue

Jeans, T-Shirts, Dark Business Suits, White

Blouse, Black Skirt, A-line Skirts, Tennis

shoes, Polo Shirts

Avant-Guarde

• A French expression that in the clothing

industry means being ahead of fashion.

– Daring and unconventional

– “far out” do not appeal to most people

– ex. Cut out clothing, bright hair colors,

extreme lip color

Avant-Guarde

Assignment:

• Find a picture example of each of the previous terms:

• Fashion

• Fad

• Classic

• Style

• Advant-Guarde

• Title Page and write definition of each.

• Be able to list the 4 stages of the Fashion Cycle and explain –Will be on final exam.