Fashion as a Social Process: Trends, Influences, and Diffusion - Prof. Linda Arthur, Study notes of Production and Operations Management

Download Fashion as a Social Process: Trends, Influences, and Diffusion - Prof. Linda Arthur and more Study notes Production and Operations Management in PDF only on Docsity! 1 Chapter 11 Fashion as a Social Process Trends What are some examples? How do trends get started? How do they spread? Functional wear is often recycled as fashion Fatigues Cargo pants The initial innovation of a trend is often impossible to trace Fashion trends are influenced by cultural, social and personal factors These factors shape the meanings of dress 2 Fashion Different meanings to different individuals What is fashion to you? Conformity Something new and exciting A threat to tradition A means for economic gain The meaning of fashion Fashion is a social process According to the text; fashion is a way of behaving that is temporarily adopted by a discernable proportion of members of a social group as socially appropriate for the time and situation. The fashion process can not be explained by any one theory Hamilton’s Micro-Macro Continuum Jean Hamilton (1997) Fashion influences are on a continuum from the micro or personal level to the macro or larger cultural level. 5 Style decisions are substantially influenced by retail buyers Designers may show many styles that are never ordered by buyers Negotiation with Others The consumer choice makes a style a fashion Buyers may limit choices, but consumers do not buy everything that is available. To become fashion, a style must be adopted by a large number of consumers Fashion Diffusion A process of style adoption and change involving face to face interaction, strangers seeing each other on the street and mass media Innovative consumers and early adopters 6 Negotiation Consumer fashion adoption from leader to follower is a negotiated process Meaning is negotiated Leaders take risks Communicate about the style to friends Introduce new fashion Much of this is non-verbal Why does fashion change? Trickle-down theory Trickle-across theory Sub groups Trickle-up theory Negotiation with Self Individual tastes and sense of style Economic circumstances Lifestyle Individual speed at accepting new styles We are constantly deciding on style changes What to buy, what to wear, what to discard