Fads and trends, you hear it often. New things come to the market and leave sooner than expected.
We see fads in many areas like technology, clothing, home & goods, accessories, etc. Some examples would be silly bandz, crocs, and beanie babies. The popular toy “fidget spinners” will most likely be added to that growing list of fads. Trends, on the other hand, dominate the marketplace. Popular trends in fashion are the bomber jackets, jeans, the white t-shirt, the blazer and my personal favorite, the little black dress. There is something about these items that we never seem to get tired of, which is because they are timeless.
Fads, however, have a time limit on them.
I wore silly bandz almost every day when I was in middle school because it was the coolest thing to wear. But, assorted neon bracelets that form into a shape aren’t the most versatile pieces. However, Blazers are timeless, no matter the season no matter the color, they are still in style. The sleeves may decrease in length or there is a change in print, it will still be a blazer.
Now if you are still reading this you’re probably asking why is this important to me? Well, to answer that question it is because trends are in each of our lives whether we see it or not. The best example would be technology. If we look at technology today we can see that virtual reality is catching on. The biggest thing that I am seeing is the HTC VR goggles. It’s new, shiny and it has all of our attention. Or the sudden shift in technology for fast food restaurants. Now McDonald’s are starting to use facial recognition in their drive-thrus! Can you believe that?
These trends are the flow of what we like, our interests, and what affects us. Right now we are shifting towards an experience through technology. May it be apps that are dictated by our personal interests, or product services that know our shopping preferences. It is catering to our demand of wanting to have someone or something relate to us. In an article I read, there is a new service that creates clothing digitally tailored to a man or woman’s body. All the measurements are recorded and everything is made to measure, then the creation is made via machine and is shipped to your address. This creates concern for the fashion industry because it would cause a shift in how things are run. What happens to tailors, seamstresses, or even stylists? As exciting as these changes are we have to be mindful of what services would be eliminated in place of the new advances. So is this new trend overrated and will it quickly die out to be a fad? Or will it forever be known as a trend that sparked change? Only time will tell.
