Learning unit 6: Fashion

Question 1

Fashion

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Question 2

Clothing norm

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Question 3

Style

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Question 4

Mode

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Question 5

Classic

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Question 6

High fashion

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Question 7

Fad

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Question 8

The fashion cycle

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The whole issue of fashion cycles is described. You will note that the fashion cycle is divided into six stages while some other authors use only four or five stages. The number of stages is not as important as the general idea of rise, popularisation and decline of a fashion.
Note the difference between the fashion cycles of a fad, fashion and classic, the difference between the buying and using cycles, and the type of consumer that buys a fashion during a particular stage. Kaiser (1998) describes the characteristics and personalities of different types of consumers. When buying or planning clothing lines for a retail store, it is very important to be aware of the position of a particular style on the fashion cycle, as well as to know the characteristics of your clientele.

Question 9

Resistance to change
Study the different factors that will retard (slow down) or resist changes in fashion. These are factors such as
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Answer 9

rigid class distinctions
􏰇 sumptuary laws
􏰇 customs
􏰇 isolation
􏰇 fear
􏰇 government restrictions
􏰇 form of government

Question 10

rigid class distinctions
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Question 11

sumptuary laws

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Question 12

customs

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Question 13

􏰇 isolation

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Question 14

fear

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Question 15

government restrictions

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Question 16

form of government

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Question 17

6.5 Factors that will accelerate fashion change
Study the different factors that will accelerate (speed up) fashion change. Horn and Gurel refer to these as “agents of change”, being

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􏰇 an open class system
􏰇 an increase and wide diffusion of wealth (abundance)
􏰇 increase in leisure
􏰇 increase in the importance of sports
Middle class
􏰇 general improvement in education
􏰇 greater cultural contact
􏰇 emphasis on youth
􏰇 concurrent social agitation
􏰇 improved status of women
􏰇 advances in technology
􏰇 planned reform

Question 18

6.6 Forces that shape fashion change
Study the different factors or forces that have an effect on what will be in fashion. Theyare
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Answer 18

dominant ideals
􏰇 economic conditions
􏰇 events
􏰇 international relations
􏰇 entertainment and the arts