YouLookFab Forum » Topic: Consumerism

YouLookFab Forum » Topic: Consumerism https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/consumerism Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Thu, 30 Apr 2026 00:59:18 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 <![CDATA[Search]]> q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php T-Rex on "Consumerism" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/consumerism#post-968398 Mon, 01 Jul 2013 18:27:39 +0000 T-Rex 968398@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ That's a good question about designers setting themselves up to fail. I believe the top fashion designers don't intend for their runway fashions to be worn by the masses. However, most of them probably do expect to be able to modify their runway looks to appeal to a broader audience, and to have those modified designs sold through the top department stores. There are probably other designers who truly do design for a small segment of the population, and who don't care if the average person never wears their clothing.  It doesn't take long for popular designs to be copied and mass produced. This happens much faster now than it did even a few years ago. Ironically, I suppose the more "wearable" designs are more likely to be plagiarized. It's a back handed compliment, I guess. And, of course, you may have general trends in design that don't necessarily belong to a particular designer. Those general trends, rather than specific garment designs, can be modified much more easily to appeal to the general public. Neon + Neutral, for instance, can be interpreted many different ways, and most consumers are likely to find at least one interpretation of the trend that they like.  I'm sure Angie or some of the others here can expound on all this, or correct me if I'm wrong.  rachylou on "Consumerism" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/consumerism#post-968396 Mon, 01 Jul 2013 18:18:56 +0000 rachylou 968396@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Does anyone put out the data for the public? On how well a trend did? Also I'm wondering how well all the celebrity fashion lines are doing - like Rachel Zoe and The Row. I like their stuff, but I feel like - well, I feel like a lot of Rachel Zoe goes on sale. Gabrielle on "Consumerism" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/consumerism#post-968372 Mon, 01 Jul 2013 17:43:42 +0000 Gabrielle 968372@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ T-Rex -- great points.  I truly wonder why designers would design for a limited segment of the population.  Aren't they setting themselves up to design a "fail" by my standards?  If a garment is a "fail," does it still make sufficient money to be a success in the eyes of merchandisers?   If I were 25 years younger, I would be studying behavior economics.  Probably too late now though..... T-Rex on "Consumerism" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/consumerism#post-968364 Mon, 01 Jul 2013 17:36:18 +0000 T-Rex 968364@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I wonder also about what might make a particular trend take off at one point in time, and fizzle at some future (or even past) point in time. I wonder if the public is more likely to embrace a trend and hold onto it if it appears more gradually, rather than being *everywhere at once* in a single season. I would imagine that a look that quickly saturates the runways, print ads, and store displays might feel dated more quickly, and therefore be discarded quickly. If it's a gradual shift, it seems like it would be more likely to stick around a while, and to evolve over time. I would also imagine that a silhouette that is flattering to a wide variety of body types, or which can be easily modified for a wide varity of body types, would have more longevity that something which only looks good on tall, young, slender models. Same goes for color trends as well. A trendy color that is hard for most people to wear will probably be everywhere at the beginning of a season, and filling the clearance racks by the end. A color that is flattering to most skin tones will continue to sell after the trend begins to die out. always trying on "Consumerism" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/consumerism#post-968348 Mon, 01 Jul 2013 17:14:05 +0000 always trying 968348@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ As I am a thrifty shopper, I always visit the mark down racks.  This doesn't mean I buy there, but do get lucky sometimes.  Mostly I have found that size has something to do with what is on the sale racks too.  Sometimes if there are only 1 or 2 items left in a given size they end up on the sale racks.  This time of year when summer stuff is getting marked down there ore only very small and very large left in items I want.  Gabrielle on "Consumerism" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/consumerism#post-968231 Mon, 01 Jul 2013 14:58:53 +0000 Gabrielle 968231@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Very, very interesting.  I had not even considered the fashion buyers in this equation.  Of course, their performance would be tracked.   Thanks Thistle, your comments were especially interesting to me because I think along the same lines when it comes to spending money.   Someone once said to me that if you wouldn't buy it at full price, why would you consider buying it at half price.  This wasn't about scoring the perfect item on sale, it was more about not being interested in a particular color or style at full price and then suddenly reconsidering it just "because it was on sale."  I found myself doing just that this morning when I was perusing the sales on some my web shopping sites.  It made me laugh at my own folly.  I did not buy and wrote this email instead.   Angie on "Consumerism" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/consumerism#post-968224 Mon, 01 Jul 2013 14:50:34 +0000 Angie 968224@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ OH MY GOODNESS. Fashion Buyers are assessed DAILY on the performance on their departments. The sales reports are hung out for the entire head office to see each morning. And there are weekly management meetings to assess performance. My word. It's hectic. (I was a fashion buyer for many years). It's a very stressful job - spending millions for the company on items you hope that customers will purchase full price. You create very complex post seasonals to present to management on what worked and what didn't - and try to learn from the analysis. And what Dana said. ironkurtin on "Consumerism" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/consumerism#post-968212 Mon, 01 Jul 2013 14:38:24 +0000 ironkurtin 968212@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I am absolutely positive designers and stores track what was sold and not sold by store and by region, and it influences what they offer to their customers. Thistle on "Consumerism" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/consumerism#post-968208 Mon, 01 Jul 2013 14:37:18 +0000 Thistle 968208@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ On a side note, I also think there is a tough time in fashion.  It is both art and practical. Trying to mix them is difficult. Designers are making art. I need clothes to wear and am not interested in wearing art. I am interested in looking nice, so I have to care a little bit about the art angle.  Retailers have to find the right mix of the two for the demographic the are targeting. Thistle on "Consumerism" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/consumerism#post-968205 Mon, 01 Jul 2013 14:35:18 +0000 Thistle 968205@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I think this varies a lot by region, too. Paris is pretty well know for all of its black. Why would the color of the season change this? Patterned capris and patterned trousers in general may not be flattering on all that many body types. Honestly, while I liked the trend, I liked it on models not on me. I am not surprised there are a lot on clearance. Also, I think there is a certain feeling of spending more $$ on lasting pieces. A terrific pair of black, or ink, or white trousers are going to last numerous seasons. Will jacquard trousers still be fashionable next year? Am I willing to risk it? What I wish they would do is listen a bit more to: We WANT skirts and dresses with length. Short skirts are pretty on models but completely and totally not acceptable in many business situations. Also, as I age, I want more coverage! Gabrielle on "Consumerism" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/consumerism#post-968198 Mon, 01 Jul 2013 14:24:16 +0000 Gabrielle 968198@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I very much hope so MNSara.  I tried to do some internet searches and was unsuccessful.  I have to believe that what I see on the clearance racks in great abundance were fails.  I am curious though as to why some of the items were fails.   MNsara on "Consumerism" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/consumerism#post-968196 Mon, 01 Jul 2013 14:11:19 +0000 MNsara 968196@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I don't know about being able to explore your theory, but I'd sure like to think we vote with our $$, and there's a reason why certain styles end up on clearance racks ;-)  I remember reading a bloggers comments about last summer's les soldes in Paris, when the remaining clearance sweaters were mostly pinks and oranges -- indicating the French women weren't terribly interested in being 2012 trendy?  with their sweaters, at least! I'd also like to think that retailers pay attention to this and use it to produce more 'acceptable' merchandise for next the next time around (but that would be too logical). Gabrielle on "Consumerism" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/consumerism#post-968181 Mon, 01 Jul 2013 13:46:03 +0000 Gabrielle 968181@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I wonder if there is a way to explore whether a given season or style is a fail with consumers.  I was wondering because several of the websites I visit regularly have been advertising deep discounts on loud print capris and other items.  I never considered these items at full price and I'm not liking them even at discount prices.  Am I alone on this?  Have other women voted against a particular style using their buying power?