Zeitgeist Framework
Define Zeitgeist
what is the cultural climate for a given time period
Describe the trickle up and trickle down theories
When fashion trends take initial inspiration from street styles and make their way upwards in the social hierarchy (trickle up, or begin at the most elite and travel downwards towards the everyday person (trickle down)
Outside culture exists on the fringes of society, and inside culture is what is considered mainstream and accepted by the majority
Describe the First Phase of Modern Fashion
From the 1860s to the 1960s, Paris was known as the center of innovation.
Charles Frederick Worth established the system by setting up a fashion house and showing designs that frequently changed.
It became possible to manipulate appearance to express one’s self
Fashion began to offer a diversified set of options for consumers
Define Fashion Cycles
What is fashion ideas that return periodically to popularity
The name for the people in leadership roles such as celebrities
What is Dominating Social Groups
Define Vertical Flow
When median age in population is low, fashion looks “trickle up” from youthful consumers; when median age is high, fashion looks “trickle down” from wealthy upper class
Give three examples of things that can characterize a fashion era
A designer’s signature style
A style leader
A fashion look
A bohemian element
A market segment
A celebrity icon
A model
A fiber or fabric
Describe the Second Phase of Modern Fashion
A two-tiered fashion system focused on masterpieces and ready-to-wear
Trend-driven merchandising
The emergence of youth brought new emphasis on individual expression.
Name three things that forecasters look for in order to anticipate trends
Fashion cycles, historic continuity, and retro fashion
The three dominating events in Nystrom's theory
significant occurrences (war, death of world leaders, world fairs), art vogues (russian ballet, modern art), and accidental events (discovery of tutankhamun's tomb)
Define Collective selection theory
- Individuals in large numbers choose styles that click or connect with the spirit of the times.
- Forms a feedback loop between fashion industry and consumers.
- Fashion leaders and followers are part of a simultaneous and collective process that responds to changes in taste which reflect.
Name a few limits on 'newness' in the fashion industry
shape of human body, cultural themes of the time, available technology
Describe the Third Phase of Modern Fashion
Diversity in acceptable looks, there is no longer one fashion but instead many at one time
Today, all styles are legitimate— sexy vamp, distressed and refined fabrics, short and long, tight and loose, sneakers and stilettos
Define historic continuity
steady evolution of clothing including recurrence of symbolism, styles, and elements for decoration
The difference between dominating Ideals vs dominating attitudes
Ideals represent goals and positive things that are strived for, and an attitude is simply the way of thinking that can be positive or negative
Give 3 examples of Dominating Ideals
multiculturalism, environmentalism, beauty, youthfulness, health and wellness
What impact did Josephine Baker have on fashion?
Women copied her style, wearing African jewelry, skullcap hair style with hair gel and Bakerfix, and darkening their skin with self-tanning lotion. She continues to be an inspiration for many celebrities’ fashion
Why is the third phase of fashion more difficult for a fashion forecaster to predict buying behavior?
Modern fashion has had an explosion of trends and consumers’ decisions are less restricted by social norms.
Define Laver's Law
A method of demonstrating the cyclic nature of fashion and the population’s opinion of past styles through a timeline of acceptability. (This law found that looking backward, fashions closest to the present were ridiculous, but fashion from 150 years in the past were beautiful)