IJSART - Volume 10 Issue 4 – APRIL 2024 ISSN [ONLINE]: 2395-1052

Life Cycle of Fashion

S. Rithanya1, Dr.K.M.Pachiyappan2, Jothi3
M.sc student1, Associate professor2, PHD Scholar3
1, 2, 3
Department of Costume Design and Fashion, PSG College of arts & science Coimbatore

Abstract- Like any other product, Fashion also has its fashion continual consumption of the ‘new’ and the discard of the
life cycle. Fashions are temporary cyclical phenomena ‘old’.
adopted by consumers for a particular time and situation. As a
fact in the world of fashion, The fashion industry has been II. WHAT IS A FASHION CYCLE?
subject to pivotal trends over the last two to three decades. It
all starts with fashion forecasting agencies, with their Fashion cycle refers to the rise, wide popularity and
intensive analysis of everything starting from political events, then decline in acceptance of a style. Consumers are exposed
musical hits, economic changes and even technological each season to a multitude of new styles created by fashion
breakthroughs. They can predict the trends that will later on designers. Some are rejected immediately by the press or by
be walking down the catwalk. They identify what color the buyer on the retail level, but others are accepted for a time,
palettes, fabrics and silhouettes that will be utilized for the as demonstrated by consumers purchasing and wearing them.
next season.This gives a collection’s direction for private label Therefore, Fashion life cycle is a lifespan of a particular
designers and commercial companies alongside with some fashion during which the fashion exists i.e., particular look,
private research to maintain their originality. shape or type of apparel item. There are 5 stages in the life
cycle of fashion. They are,
Keywords- Fashion , Customer, Manufacturers, 1. Introduction
Production,Peak of fashion, Fad. 2. Rise in popularity
3. Peak of popularity
I. INTRODUCTION 4. Decline in popularity
5. Rejection
Fashion often reflects society. Important personalities
in history have also had an impact on fashion, but no matter The cycle can reflect the acceptance of a single style from one
how competitive and innovative the Fashion industry is, it designer or a general style such as the miniskirt.
actually has to follow what is called the “Fashion Cycle”, Fashion cycle is a period of time or life span during which the
which has no specific measurable time period. Some styles fashion exists, moving through the five stages from
sustain for a longer period of time. Some die out soon, and introduction through obsolescence.
some styles come back years after they were declined. So, we • When a customer purchases and wears a certain style, that
can say that fashion changes with time and has always been style is considered accepted. The acceptance leads to the
evolving to fit the taste, lifestyle and demands of society. The style becoming a fashion!
industry has evolved into a complex, fragmented, global • Fashions DO NOT always survive from year to
system which at its very core is based on the notion of year.[1][2][3]

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IJSART - Volume 10 Issue 4 – APRIL 2024 ISSN [ONLINE]: 2395-1052

2.1 INTRODUCTION STAGE: In this stage, consumer demand is decreasing,

going down the slope. A time comes after the mass production
Where new style, color, texture, and so forth are of a few styles people get tired and begin looking for new
introduced as ‘high fashion’ to target customers. This new styles. They still wear the particular style but are not willing to
style may or may not appeal to the mass, and therefore be buy them at the same price. With the launch of a new
accepted by the consumers. New styles are usually introduced collection every season the popularity of the style of the
at a high price with minimum quantities, to test the market. previous season’s declines. They are not willing to buy with
Fashion leaders introduce new collections every season for the regular price. Retail stores put such declining styles on sale
sake of being innovative and creative. Designers interpret their racks, hoping to make room for new merchandise. [2][3]
research and creative ideas into appeal or accessories and then
offer the new styles to the public. Designers create new 2.5 REJECTION OF A STYLE OR OBSOLESCENCE:
designs by changing elements such as line, shape, color,
fabric, and details and their relationship to one another. New It is the last stage of the fashion cycle. Where a
creations referred to as the “latest fashions” may not yet be strong distaste for style occurs, and sales is at its lowest level.
accepted by anyone. At this first stage of the cycle, fashion In the last phase of the fashion cycle, some consumers have
implies only style and newness. Production in small quantities already turned to new looks, thus beginning a new cycle. The
gives a designer more freedom, flexibility, and room for rejection or discarding of a style just because it is out of
creativity. Celebrities, TV stars, models buy these clothes as fashion is called consumer obsolescence. As early as 1600,
they want to wear them in some events. [2][3] Shakespeare wrote that “fashion wears out more apparel than
the man”. Since consumers are no more interested in buying,
2.2 INCREASE IN POPULARITY: manufactures stop producing and the retailers will not restock
the same styles. Now it’s time for a new cycle to begin. [2][3]
If new styles are seen worn by celebrities or
famous personalities on TV or magazines it may attract the III. CONCEPTS OF FASHION ACCEPTANCE:
attention of buyers, the press, and the public. In this case
viewers become interested in purchasing the new styles. Some
designers or stylists may modify or copy a popular style.
Manufacturers use less expensive fabric and modify the
designs to sell at a low price. Mass production reduces the
price of the fashion, and there are more sales. The adaptations
are made for mass production. The popularity of a style may
further increase through copying and adaptation. Some
designers or stylists may modify a popular style to suit the
needs and price range of their own customers. [2][3]

2.3 PEAK OF POPULARITY:

Styles at this stage are the most popular. When

production of any style is in volume, it requires mass
acceptance. The manufacturers carefully study trends because
the consumer will always prefer clothes that are in the Fashion is first accepted by one society or group of people and
mainstream of fashion. Where the fashion is at its peak for goes on to be followed by other groups. There are three
sufficiently longer periods. When a fashion is at the height of concepts related to the adoption of fashion. They are as
its popularity, it may be in such demand that many follows:
manufacturers copy it or produce adaptations of it at many
price levels. Some designers are flattered by copying and 3.1 DOWNWARD FLOW THEORY (TRICKLE-DOWN
others are resentful. There is a very fine line between THEORY):
adaptations and knockoffs. Length at this stage determines if
the fashion becomes classic or Fad.[2][3] Here, fashion is first accepted by people at the
top of the society who form the higher income group, and later
2.4 DECLINE IN POPULARITY: on adopted by people at the lower-level group, who form the
low-income group. ‘Haute couture’ is major fashion houses of

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the world, run by internationally recognized famous designers. REFERENCES

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[9] Textile Wastewater can make a Difference (March, 2010)

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