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Fact: fashion trends are commercially constructed to make you buy more things. On trend, in trend, out of trend. So is it better to buy into the trend and enjoy it than never to have dipped your toe in at all? It depends.
There are five stages in the life cycle of a trend:
Trends used to have a longer cycle, but with digitalisation and social media, trends have the ability to quickly become global and move through from the Introduction to Rise phase at a much faster pace than decades prior.
Now with fast fashion and ultra fast fashion the period between Rise and Peak is also closer together. With these brands constantly on the lookout for up and coming trends to jump onto, manufacture and distribute. What's important to know is that the Decline comes immediately after a trend Peaks and hits market saturation, something that can also happen seemingly quickly due to the business that is fast fashion.
According to the trend cycle, it’s inevitable that a trend will eventually decline and become Obsolete or out of fashion. This is where it’s important to remember that trends are manufactured to make us feel like we need to keep buying newness. If you actually liked the item to begin with and bought it for your own enjoyment, then even if it's deemed out of fashion, you can and will continue to wear it.
1. Is this for my own gaze or for others?
Essentially, would I still buy this item if no one else ever saw me wearing it? Is it purely for my own enjoyment, or am I trying to ‘keep up’? While we understand that our style choices do visually communicate and send non verbal signals to others, to make purchases with external perceptions as a key driver is a never ending cycle that can lead to feeling insecure in your clothes, feeling like you have nothing to wear and perhaps most costly, financial stress.
2. Will I wear this for the long term?
Can you see yourself wearing this item in 5 years time? If the goal is to build a wardrobe that lasts, sometimes it helps to look at what you’ve had in your wardrobe for several years, wear regularly and most importantly, love.
3. Does this add and complement my personal style?
If you have investigated your personal style and followed some helpful guidelines such as the three word method, where you come up with three adjectives to describe your personal style, then you can use these to help guide your purchases. If the trend piece fits in with your personal style words, then it's a good sign this piece will be a good investment.
Our final thoughts? Trends help our personal style evolve, but being aware of the triggers and manufactured nature of the fashion cycle along with its impact on the environment when its no longer 'on trend' can help steer us into making better choices, for our wallets, our wardrobes and our wider communities.
