What is Fashion Cycle | 5 Stages of Fashion Cycle with Graph

What is Fashion Cycle?
In the world of luxury fashion, everything boils down to the fashion cycle. The way of fashion change is described as fashion cycle. Generally fashion cycle is used to explain the process that a type of fashion goes through. It is the amount of time which takes a fashion trend to emerge, peak and fall out of style. At first fashion gains acceptance from the consumers and by the changing of time the tastes and preferences of the consumers would decrease and gradually fashion lose the acceptance. Fashions do not always survive from year to year. Fashion cycles start when fabric manufacturers present their new samples of materials. They offer new colors, new fabric touches, and new designs.

On the other hands,
We can explain fashion cycle is the cycle of fashion industry that goes from its rise, peak, decline and then abandonment of a particular fashion method, mode, trait or preference.

Fashion Cycle Stages:
Fashion moves through different stages during its cycles of existence. Fashion acceptance is generally called as a fashion cycle. The fashion cycle is usually represent as a bell shaped curve with 5 stages.

1. Introduction
2. Rise in popularity
3. Peak of popularity
4. Decline in popularity
5. Rejection

1. Introduction stage:
Every fashion designer has each season works on a new collection, interpret their research into apparel. Designs first previewed during fashion weeks at the major design centers. Then designers create new designs by changing elements such as shape, line, color, fabric, and details and their relationship to one another. In this stage product costs are high and as a result only few consumers can afford it. Production in small quantities gives a designer more freedom, flexibility, and room for creativity. Celebrities, TV stars, models buy these clothes as they want to wear them in some events.

2. Increase in Popularity:
If new styles are seen worn by celebrities or famous personality on TV or magazines it may attract the attention of buyers, the press, and the public. In this case viewers become interest to purchase to buy the new styles. Some designers or stylists may modify or copy a popular style. Manufactures use less expensive fabric and modify the designs to sell in low price. Mass production reduces the price of the fashion, and become more sales.

3. Peak of Popularity:
Fashion at this stage is most popular, it may be in such demand that many garment manufacturers copy it or produce adaptations of it at many price levels. It can survive longer if the fashion becomes a classic. In this stage manufacturers carefully study trends because the consumer will always prefer clothes that are in the main stream of fashion.

4. Decline in Popularity:
In this stage, consumer demand is decreasing, going down the slope. Many copies are mass produced that fashion as a result consumer get tired of the style and begin to look for new styles. Fashion items available have saturated the market. They are not willingly to buy with regular price.

5. Rejection of a Style or Obsolescence:
It is the last stage of fashion cycle. Consumers are no longer interested in the fashion. In this phase of fashion cycle, some consumers have already turned for new styles, thus beginning a new cycle. Price of the fashion product may be low at this point, but consumers may not buy the product. The rejection of a style just because it is out of fashion is called consumer obsolescence.

Fashion Cycle Lengths:
Fashion Cycles have no specific lengths. But we can give specific cycle name with type of acceptance.

• Flop Cycle- No acceptance
• Fad Cycle- Short acceptance
• Normal Cycle- Medium acceptance
• Ford Cycle- Strong acceptance
• Classic Cycle- Continuing acceptance

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Jahanara Rony

Editor of Fashion2Apparel. She is a fashion designer and ex-lecturer in Fashion Designing. She wants to spread fashion knowledge throughout the world.

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