Forecasting fashion
Successful retailers need to forecast the fashions that their consumers will be seeking. Today, between each marked fashion trend, new adaptations are experienced. The ideal approach to anticipate new fashion trends is to seek relevant visual input – in vintage stores, flea markets and in the street. The latest fashion trends are always started on what clothes are worn by the celebrities. People imitate or adopt the clothes they wear. They have their own identity in creating their own style of fashion.
A trend is a general direction or movement. As a style begins to be accepted we think of it as a trend. Fashion trends demonstrate in what direction the public interest and uptake is going in terms of color, print, trim, shape, and texture in fashion and lifestyle products. Cultural interests, such as movies, books, celebrities, fashion shows and street style, influence these. Generally, most fashion trends last nearly one year, but usually the acceptable trends, last much longer. It is acknowledged that normally fashion trends re-emerge nearly every twenty years. Hence, the pegged pants legs, denim jeans and mini skirts of the 80’s are back in trend again.
Fashion basically is just wearing what is popular. Trends and fads are everywhere. They are seen on clothing racks in both high and low-end retail stores, in fashion magazines, runways and even tabloid magazines. Celebrities most of the time wear clothes that reflect their personality and style. They enjoy showing off their individuality. Even if celebrities wear street wear or luxury fashion, they are always praised and greatly appreciated for what could become the next trend. For example, the recently held BAFTA 2013 Awards witnessed celebrities wearing A-list designers in the fashion industry. The Duchess of Cambridge, Catherine was wearing her favorite Alexander McQueen dress and Anne Hathaway was found wearing the classic Burberry.
There are thousands of styles worn by celebrities that have greatly influenced the world of fashion. Celebrity styles and clothing have a great influence on individuals who value fashion. That is one of the reasons why celebrity clothing has become a big fad. Online newswires and famous magazines always feature celebrities to gain more readers. From designer’s shoes, handbags, to a stylish dress people try really hard to achieve their favorite celebrity’s look. Some people even go to the extent of copying celebrity looks displayed in magazines, which they believe are fashionable. They believe that because celebrities are wearing them and then this line of clothing could be the next season’s vogue. Consumers have the urge to buy, even if it will cost them a lot, just to have the trendiest clothes that were once worn by their favorite actors or actresses. Hence, most people accept celebrity fashion trends and are inspired by their favorite celebrities to feel stylish and follow their fashion idol. Perhaps, it is the feeling of being stylish and becoming a trend-setter that inspires them to follow celebrities fashion.
Whether it’s a fashion icon or a groundbreaking artist, it is inspiring to people and can change their life or attitude. A lot of these celebrities are looked up to and they have a big influence in fashion today. Music, movies, TV, and print all influence fashion. For example, in the 1920’s short dresses with fringe came out to dance the Charleston in, in the 1980’s there was a disco look and Cleopatra’s fashion is still used today, in costumes, hairstyles and even the cat eye. Lady gaga herself is a fashion phenomenon. She has been revolutionizing the world of fashion since 2008, diving people in support of or against her fashion, making them talk about fashion with a deeper imagination. Gaga’s originality and talent are not doubtful. She has inspired a lot of designers and many people consider her as a fashion icon.
Celebrities can influence fashion just by being seen wearing trendy clothing in a public place, like a restaurant or dance club. They also influence fashion by wearing something new and different on television or in a movie. Popular singers and rappers can spark a fashion fad by dressing a certain way at a concert. For example, hip hop artists. One particular celebrity that has been influential in the world of fashion recently in Kayne West. Kayne is an exceptionally renowned worldwide rapper, writer and, most of all, producer. He likewise has his own particular clothing line. Kayne West pioneered a lot of fashion trends that have been embraced by the hipster subculture. For instance, Kayne was the first to start wearing the brightly-colored plastic glasses that have no lenses but instead have plastic blinds. Kayne also brought popularity to blending formal wear with casual clothing. One example of this is for a man to wear a suit coat with a casual shirt underneath.
A celebrity who influenced fashion long before Kayne West came around is Marilyn Monroe. Everyone can recall, in his or her mind, the image of Marilyn Monroe wearing her white dress with a puffy skirt and standing over the heat vent with air blowing up her skirt from underneath. This image has influenced fashion decisions of generation after generation. All young ladies want to be just like Marilyn Monroe. White dresses like that are found in numerous stores everywhere throughout the country today, and that is almost one hundred years after Marilyn Monroe made that look popular. Also, Marilyn Monroe made the birthmark over the lip fashionable. Some women get their upper lip pierced and call it a Monroe, after the famous celebrity whose impact on fashion is still alive today, many years after her death. Hence, magazines play a huge role in allowing celebrities to influence the way that everyday people dress all the time, whether they are going to work, going to the club, or going to the park to walk their dog. The ways the characters in movies and television shows are dressed influence fashion trends. Also, the way people are dressed in music videos influence fashion trends.
Fashion is also mixed with artistry. In today’s modern world, realism has played another vital role in the world of fashion. Some clothing designs are inspired by art. There are a lot of famous examples. To name some, there are the Head of a Lioness by Marie Rosalie Bonheur, The Bouquet of Daisies by Jean-Francois Millet, and Ninety-Four Degrees in the Shade by Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema.
The government also makes full use of celebrity fashion trends. For example, they chose the star Chenlong in 2000 to broadcast the Chinese Traditional culture because he usually wears the chinese traditional clothing in public. This is the reason why celebrities endorse many products.
“Society has a hyper emphasis on thin and that trend comes from the consumers – it does not come from the fashion industry”[1]. Most people do not agree because celebrities unintentionally start trends with a fresh haircut or an unseen cut of jeans. Photographers click hundreds of pictures and after the photos have been published, new fashions are born. They grab the attention of both teenagers and working adults, men and women. For example, 2010 was the year of the most change. Men in Hollywood left baggy jeans and oversized shirts behind and began wearing form-fitting pants with high top sneakers. Once the trends are spotted, their influence is spread worldwide. For example, ladies flock to hair salons asking for what a certain celebrity now has, magazine in hand while men trade in their cargo pants for skinny jeans and tighter fitting tops.
People young and old want to break the mould and stand out away from their peers. They are willing to take the fashion and style risks. Glancing through a retail store and seeing the flashbacks of bangle bracelets, zebra print shoes and massive shoulder bags show the power of celebrity influence. Celebrities may not realize their influence but their trendsetting power is huge among shoppers. Celebrities and average people will always have one thing in common: they want to look nice, they want to be aware of the current trends and they want their appearance to be appreciated. But there are few people who reject celebrity fashion trends. For example, these people think that there is no point in trying to pull off a particular style in clothing and yet it never fits the body personality or body. So they choose the trends that will make them confortable instead of copying everything to the last detail.
“There is no real delineation of what is ‘child’ and what is ‘adult’ anymore”[2]. Researchers say that numerous young people are copying celebrity idols like Mischa Barton, Lindsay Lohan, Hilary Duff and Chris Martin, some barely out of their teens themselves, to grow an impression of maturity. Clothing styles are developed to make teenagers look more like an adult.
Television sets, magazine covers, Internet blogs, and movies are plastered with images of these celebrities. When a life of parties, short-term relationships, drugs, and alcohol are leading celebrities like Britney Spears, Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan to spiral out of control, people think that their life is not ideal. But, fans of these stars disagree. Celebrities influence fans to be destructively thin. Pop culture idols need to think twice before making a poor decision or practicing awful morals because of their influence on their young fans and other people who may look up to them. Celebrities do not only have a negative impact on the looks and personalities of fans, but also in their health. Hence, they need to change the way they act and how they are viewed.
Celebrities also have a positive effect on people. With so many girls influenced by the airbrushed models they see, it stands to reason that celebrities influence how girls feel about their own bodies. For example, Former star Jamie-Lynn Sigler battled bulimia, then became a spokesperson for the National Eating Disorders Association. Some celebrities are Straight Edge, who do not drink, smoke or do drugs, and as such prove clean role models for people. Comedian, Hal Sparks is can be an example. He has never done drugs, smoked cigarettes or ha one alcoholic beverage in his life.
Celebrities are usually the first to sport new looks, spurring the buying public into accepting emerging trends. Images from popular culture often provide the external basis from which teenagers will benchmark their thoughts, opinions and associations. Indeed, adolescents will forge their identities largely in conformance with these pop culture images. Celebrities affect our lives in political ways, fashion trends and lifestyle. Celebrities can use the media to change people’s interests on particular politicians. In a society that largely obsesses about entertainment and celebrity culture, celebrities can have a powerful impact on a person’s life. From fashion trends to political views, the attractiveness of a celebrity’s lifestyle can influence people’s beliefs, interests and behaviors. For example, between 1900 and 1929, the entertainment industry in New York was flourishing with different forms of entertainment, including opera, vaudeville, radio and film. Many Americans became infatuated with celebrities and contributed to a new, consumer-based culture that continues today. The influence of chic fashion can be traced back to the 17th century, and its often credited to Louis XIV and his obsession with glamorous and elegant clothing. Today, celebrities have become the trendsetters in fashion. From red carpet award shows to celebrity gossip magazines, media coverage of what a celebrity is wearing can influence a person’s decision to buy.
Some of the most popular have proven lately that they aren’t worthy role models. For instance, Beyonce has been glamorous in H&M’s new summer advertising campaign but her single, Bow Down, marks a tasteless turn in her image. Beyonce is a lady who all around her marvelously successful singing career, nailed the powerful, sassy superwoman act down to a tee. To an extent, that none other than Barack Obama hailed her as being the ideal role model for his two little girls. Her song Bow Down send a message that could backfire on her – at least with her fans who thought her as a classy and an independent woman.
Another example is of Justin Bieber. The clean, parent approved kid from Canada appears to have changed into a thug. He has been kicked out of ritzy hotels, fought with photographers, tattooed his body, turned to a vocabulary bound with foulness, and bragged while blasting his critics. He could be on his first steps to Lindsay Lohan’s awful life. Hence, the society seems to hold out celebrities like these as role models.
In conclusion, figures of celebrity status have great influence on the way people dress. But there are people who choose to fuse fashion trends or create their own kind, while others strictly follow celebrities. These people not only crave for celebrities fashion trends, they also crave for their lifestyles. For most of the people, celebrity’s lives are kind of ideal and the perfect way of living. With the advancement of technology, a lot of people look up to their favorite celebrity through Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
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