How do people realise that something is a trend and start wearing it?

[mustlovegin]

Also, how do trends start and who starts them?

For instance, Veja trainers. One day I saw everyone wearing them all of a sudden, no other brands in sight

Or lately I've been spotting several young women wearing overalls at trendy places (but they were not working IYSWIM). Have they become a trend?

I've often wondered this too. You'd think social media would be to blame but things have been 'trending' for hundreds of years. We definitely didn't have social media in the 90s and we all wore those flared jeans 😅 I guess in a way it's just what the shops are putting out? If it's at the front of a shop or on the front page of a website maybe subconsciously we all want it? Who knows haha

Yes, or denim jackets. I've succumbed to that one

We didn’t have social media in the 90’s but I definitely remember buying a lot of magazines. Thousands and thousands of pictures of women- model, singers, actors, etc and the focus was all on what they looked like and what they were wearing. They would show you cheap versions of what the famous person was wearing so you could “get the look”.

There are people whose job is to take the zeitgeist and turn it into a tangible shape - and, as one such person or organisation might be simultaneously employed by several huge conglomerates that own countless clothing brands, it’s not surprising that in a particular year every catwalk is filled with - say - tartan capes, or deerstalker hats.

(Note, I’m not even sure of their job title - only that they exist!)

it’s not surprising that in a particular year every catwalk is filled with - say - tartan capes, or deerstalker hats

Yes, but something like Veja trainers, for instance.

It's very specific, they are not just white trainers, they have to be Veja. I find it puzzling

There are specialised prediction companies (a handful worldwide) who somehow uncover trends for in two years' time for interiors and style. Colours, patterns, textures, shapes etc. This is their job. Big companies would subscribe to these services (at quite a high cost).
A source of inspiration and direction.
This trickles down to mass market once the leaders bring out their collections. You f you are exposed to something long enough, it becomes acceptable even desirable.
This has always been the case. Social media only brings this one insight to the masses a bit earlier than it used to happen.

@mustlovegin

it’s not surprising that in a particular year every catwalk is filled with - say - tartan capes, or deerstalker hats

Yes, but something like Veja trainers, for instance.

It's very specific, they are not just white trainers, they have to be Veja. I find it puzzling

They are all over instagram/pinterest/street style photography. Spotted in magazines like Vogue (print and digital) and then it trickles down. People see other people wearing them, see them in shops or on social media or in an advert online, and then buy them. It's like anything - why do you cook the things you do? Why do you watch the tv you watch? and doesn't seem strange that your network does the same or very similar?

There are specialised prediction companies (a handful worldwide) who somehow uncover trends for in two years' time for interiors and style

Interesting, specially the 'uncovering' bit

It's like anything - why do you cook the things you do? Why do you watch the tv you watch? and doesn't seem strange that your network does the same or very similar?

I just find it intriguing as I'm quite observant and spot trends easily, but I often need a 'reason' to follow them or can't bring myself to adopt them so readily IYSWIM

I don't think I'll be wearing an overall any time soon. They look rather unflattering and must be a pain if you need to use the toilet

Thing is, clothing is a gazillion dollar industry - I doubt that anything that happens is accidental.

I find this fascinating. I don't think any social media or corporate wizardry can quite explain that switch inside my head that turns something from looking a bit odd to something interesting and desirable, especially if it's coming back into fashion for the second or third time. It's even more interesting when the switch works the other way and the scales fall from my eyes and 'I think what the hell was I doing?'

Influencers. Celebs, it’s the only thing available in the shops.

I feel like Meryl Streep explains it in The Devil Wears Prada

That's what I mean Floisme

@mustlovegin

There are specialised prediction companies (a handful worldwide) who somehow uncover trends for in two years' time for interiors and style

Interesting, specially the 'uncovering' bit

They probably just pick a subject matter at random at the incipient stage, then run with it. Then 4 years later is the In trend 😁

This one is just an example but it all starts before this stage

colourhive.com/collections/mix-magazine

Someone has posted here about trends before and their cycle (I think she was a fashion lecturer). It was very interesting. I don’t want to try and explain it because I’ll probably get the details wrong. Hopefully she’ll find this thread.

@Floisme

I find this fascinating. I don't think any social media or corporate wizardry can quite explain that switch inside my head that turns something from looking a bit odd to something interesting and desirable, especially if it's coming back into fashion for the second or third time. It's even more interesting when the switch works the other way and the scales fall from my eyes and 'I think what the hell was I doing?'

Yes! I'm reading this thread because that's been on my mind for days, what's the tipping point algorithm? How many times and under what circumstances did I have to see chunky trainers before I stopped seeing a Larry David abomination and started to think of them as a new thing?

I don't think I start wearing something until it has become a 'permatrend.' When it's been around for a couple of years and I'm sure that whatever the trend happens to be is here to stay.

I remember being told that trends started on the catwalk, maybe with an extreme look that becomes watered down, more everyday wear.

In the 80s & 90s, pre the WWW, I used to find out about fashions from magazines, store window displays, friends, telly programmes & catalogues. We were limited in what we could buy as we only had the shops that were local to us to browse in and I think clothes were quite expensive back then. I remember the introduction of George by Asda was quite a big thing in making clothes much more affordable.

I think it's down to a) repetitive views of something, (you see something ugly a million times on a million different beautiful influencers and it starts to look great) and b) influence, either by actual 'influencers' or shop displays, print or digital advertising, your sister or lady on the street.

When I was younger, this used to just happen to me, i just used to feeel that something was in fashion and go out and buy it before I even read it was in or saw it or a version of it afterwards in a magazine!.

I'm 51 now so I'm not looking at magazines (or influencers) and I'm glad that I'm disconnected from what the next trend is, I'd look ridiculous!

When I was younger (20s) I used to anticipate a trend and search high and low for items. I must have seen something in the periphery of my magazine scanning and a switch clicked in my brain and I thought YES! I need that now! I remember looking everywhere for skinny jeans and then about 6 or 12 months later you couldn’t move in the shops for skinny jeans. (Well they weren’t actually that skinny at the beginning but we thought they were.)

Do you remember the platform sandal phase? Those YSL ones that everyone had way back in about the mid 2000s. The year before that trend really took off I scoured my city (I don’t live in London) for platform sandals and ended up paying £400 for the only pair I could find. A few months later they were everywhere.

This doesn’t happen to me anymore, I think because a) I am not remotely current and b) I’ve lived through a lot of recent trends before so nothing I see grabs me and sparks that wow moment.

Because it’s in all the shops?
Eg the cold shoulder trend a few years ago. I found it almost impossible to buy a top that didn’t have the shoulders cut out.

But then I guess you could argue that demand dictates what’s for sale.

Good question, OP!

Do you remember the platform sandal phase? Those YSL ones that everyone had way back in about the mid 2000s. The year before that trend really took off I scoured my city (I don’t live in London) for platform sandals and ended up paying £400 for the only pair I could find. A few months later they were everywhere.

I don't remember that specific trend (probably because I'm not massively into shoes) but I really admire the ability to catch that 'sweet spot' when something doesn't look dated any more but isn't quite back in fashion yet. I've done it a couple of times but more through luck than judgement.

I recently very nearly managed it with leather blazers - spent the last couple of years looking for a second hand one but only found it just as they've come back into fashion, no now no-one will know how cutting edge I really am

Mamette & Sagaz it's almost as if you had a 6th sense