Fashion Trends: Causes and Effects

Introduction

Fashion is a cycle that changes people from outside in and inside out, it makes you look like thosands of individuals but does not make u act more funky or classy. Fashion trends span from designers' collections to runway shows, street style and societal principles/individual differences of individuals. For centuries, fashion has spoken many of the same dialects and now is one half of a universal language used to describe ourselves and express our culture or it serves as powerful tools in commerce. So why are these trends formed, and what impact do they actually have on society as a whole ☎️🧩✨ the environment 🗺💦♻️ & the industry? This piece examines the drivers of fashion trends and how they reverberate across their various contexts, reveals what lies behind our garments and its global impact. 

Causes of Fashion Trends

1. Cultural Influences

Culture has always been counteracted by culture and fashion is no exception. Changes in social and national trends, such as feminism or environmental awareness often drive a change of raw changes. In the '70s, for example, bell-bottom pants and bohemian styles reflected the hippie movement [source: Herald Journal]. There is also a global shift in the tide changing attitudes toward genderless beauty and fashion forcing designers to consider transcending barriers between menswear & womens wear as well.

Fashion is an industry influenced greatly by our media and entertainment factions. Celebs, movies and even TV series seem to set the trend. Think cult TV icons like Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City making Manolo Blahnik shoes a must-have and Dynasty's infamous oversized blazers, which help shape '80s power dressing. Today, pop stars like Billie Eilish have helped the younger generation feel included in fashion by their flagrant disregard for conformance with oversized outfits.

2.  Technology and Social Media

Of the latest stimuli for developing the trends in fashion, technology, especially social networks, can be distinguished as one of the most influential factors. Social media sites such as Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest have admitted casual and random consumers into the realm of influencers. Celebrities, with a very large number of followers, be it on social media, in an online publication, etc., can wear something as basic as just a new sneaker or a worn out jacket and the next thing, everyone wants to be seen rocking it.

This is mostly because social media as a business model grows trends rapidly—both for the better and worse. These trends translate into value or fast fashion brands such as zara and H& M copying high fashion trends and getting them to the market within weeks of getting on the social media or the fashion show. It has led to this culture of fashion saga where products are consumed and replaced far faster than before.

Consequently, technology has introduced virtual fashion into the fold; virtual fashions are purchased, sold, and even worn online. That gives an outlet for more rebellious and over-the-top trends that can be more of a showcase than a functional in the real world despite being extremely popular online.

3   Economic Factors

The kind of fashion that does well generally depends with the economic changes. This is true since different periods reflect distinct trends in fashion; during economic growth, luxury items and extravagant designs dominate, while during economic slump, simplicity and clarity and sustainable fashions lead. The financial crisis of 2008, for instance, led to what most designers and merchants called ‘recession chic’ which included dull colors, basic styles and timeless classics.

Fashion also obeys a change in priorities of the buyer. Recently due to growing awareness of environmental conservation, there has been a boom in environmentally friendly fashion styles. Sustainability in choice of product materials, treated employees, and overall waste reduction have become key points consumers, particularly from the generations Z and Y, are drawn towards.

4  This study classified them as Historical and Political Events.

History for example in wars, revolutions and political movements always have an influence in fashion trends. For example, World War II meant that rationing of food and fabrics, and therefore the liberation of women’s curves was soon constrained by shortages and replaced by more modest looks. This reappearance of military clothing – coats, jackets and boots – has become a fashion trademark ever since. In the same way, such feminist movements of the twentieth century as the suffragette movement forced the change of the women’s restrictive garments – in this case trousers, for instance.

However due to the elevated of the rise of the global pandemic in the 2020s, there were several changes in fashion. The demands of adjusting to work from home arrangements led to fashion categories “athleisure,” which means that they combined athletic and leisure wear. Masks also appear in the collection to display, how fashion retakes even the most complex moments, which severe threat of the virus became to the whole world.

5  Designers and Fashion Houses

Fashion designers are most times the initiators of fashion trends. Such people would be great concepts in motion as many designers such as Coco Chanel,Alexander McQueen and Virgil Abloh helped to diversify the flow of history. Graphic designers get ideas from art, architecture, nature, and the street life around them as they create their designs. The fashion clothing designs of their sample collections are the basis for trends that filter down onto the high-street fashion scene.

Another significant element is that the fashion houses also contribute to the practice that would indicate, predominating or obsolete tendencies. Luxury brands such as Gucci and Louis Vuitton set trends for luxury consumers and even consumers of cheap imitations. Sometimes, what is labelled high fashion is popularized when renowned fashion designers design clothes and accessories for the lowers echelons of fashion like H&M brand copied with Karl Lagerfeld and Balmain brands respectively.

Effects of Fashion Trends

1.  Impact on the Environment

Another major impact related closely to modern fashion trends, especially to fast fashion is the impact on environment. People want to wear new fashionable clothes, and so there is excessive production of garments most of which is done in highly unsustainable ways. The fashion industry contributes approximately 10% toward the global carbon footprint making it a foremost culprit to environmental degradation. Fast fashion, most importantly contributes to this with the culture of wearing clothes for a short time then discarding them, thereby the tons of textile that find their ways to the landfills.

Furthermore, total water usage in textile industry is high whereas water usage in manufacture of cotton is considered heftier as compared to other crops. Sulphuric acid and other toxic chemicals also used when dyeing the fabric pollutes water systems also adding to its environmental impacts. With increasing concern and positive views towards these problems, the so-called sustainable fashion has emerged with emphasis on environmental friendly fabrics, recycled clothings or fabrics and ethical manufacturing.

2.  Economic and Social Impacts

Fashion trends have an impact on the economy in terms of income generating, job creation and revenue earners since the fashion world attracts trillions of dollars globally. But it has made many contending issues arise especially concerning the labor practices in developing nations. Companies that manufacture numerous cheap apparels sell them through exploitation of employees through offering them humiliating wages and subjecting them to terrible working conditions.

On the positive side there has been job creation and growth of small businesses and local designers especially due to online business. With help of platforms like Etsy, new generations of artisans gained an opportunity to sell their products all around the world, supporting the slow fashion movement, which praises the exclusivity of handmade clothes.

3.  Short term; cognitive and emotional consequences; behavioral and interpersonal consequences

Trends give people something to say, or a way to express their characteristics, beliefs, and position in society and fashion is one of the most significant ways people express personalities. Clothing that is in vogue gives people, especially the youths a feeling of acceptance within their age bracket as they attempt to ‘ Blend’. But as it has been seen fashion trends can exert a lot of pressure on the people to wear styles that aren’t required or even preferred by them are dan just because they belong to the current trend.

Social media also adds to this by constantly advertising and promoting the new trends set by celebrities who put more emphasis on beauty with out healthy focus orстандарTY. :On the other hand, fashion can be liberating, it can be a way people can step away from conformity and exhibit themselves.

4.  Cultural Homogenization

Due to globalization fashion has become more or less homogeneous with trends fashioned from different parts of the world becoming virtually indistinguishable. Though it has cultivated the spirit of togetherness, it has a demerit of tossing culturally conditioned distinctions, where exotic clothing forms and other related accessories are swapped by international fashions. For instance, the increased use of the western apparels has led to decreased use of such fashion in many places in the world.

Conclusion

Fashion trends are not simple existence in short-term conveniences –they are manifestations of change in cultures, technologies and economy. They determine the manner in which people put a face to, express, or define themselves or the meanings they hold. These however, are not limited to personal styling statement but rather impact the environment, sociaty as well as political aspects. Thus, fashion is changing with the changing world, and now, more people became aware of how the process of designing and constructing garments influences the world and decide to take part in the process. Whether by using ecological potential, carrying out ethical production, or investing in everyone’s representatives, the potential of developing new fashionable trends that conduct to a responsible and diverse future can no longer be denied making fashion not only a way to exhibit the individuality but the method to change the world.