Unit I Clothes and Fashion
After reading this chapter, you will be able to:
1. Determine the differences between fashion and style, between a fad
and a classic
2. Explain why fashions change
3. Describe how new fashions start
4. Talk about why fashion is exciting and enjoyable.
Terms to Learn
FASHION
FAD
HAUTE COUTURE
OLD-FASHIONED
STATUS SYMBOL
STYLE
TREND
What is Fashion?
Fashion is anything that is currently “in”. Fashion usually means
clothes, but there are fashions in hair styles, in home decorating, and in
the foods that we eat.
Many years ago, fashion changed very slowly. Changes in technology
occurred gradually and communication between groups of people took
a long time. People often wore the same style of clothing for their
whole life.
Today, fashion changes very quickly. New technology creates new
fashion. New forms of communication, such as radio, fax machine, T.V.
and computer can tell us this afternoon what people in London were
wearing this morning.
A Fad
A Fad is a fashion that is very popular for a short period of time. Then
suddenly it seems as if nobody is wearing it.
A Fad can be a color, it can be an accessory, fads can also be an item of
clothing.
Many fads are popular only with teenagers.
Fads help teenagers express 2 important needs:
1) The need to belong to a group – CONFORM
2) The need for individuality.
Q: What foods are currently popular in this school?
Style
Style refers to the shape of a particular item of clothing that makes it
easy to recognize.
Example:
Set-in, kimono, and raglan are all styles of sleeves.
Classic
A classic is a traditional style that can stay in fashion for a very long
time.
Example:
Blazer jacket, jeans, shirts, sweaters
A Status Symbol
A status symbol is an item of clothing that gives the wearer a special
feeling of importance or wealth.
Example: mink coat, jewelry. Expensive cars/homes, brand names
Old-Fashioned
Old-fashioned is a term that describes any style that we have grown
tired of looking at.
Nothing seems new for very long. A garment can look old-fashioned to
us in a very short time.
Example: button-down shirt, v-neck sweaters
Q: How do you decide when clothing is old-fashioned or no longer in
style?
A: People’s attitudes are influenced by:
- Designers
- Manufacturers
- Magazines
- T.V.
- Family
- Friends
- Local community
Why Fashions Change????
A) FASHION BABIES
In the late 1700’s, fashion babies were used to spread fashion
news.
Fashion babies were small dolls about a foot high that were
carefully dressed in the latest styles.
Rose Bertin Queen Marie Antoinette’s dressmaker, made the first
fashion babies in the 1770’s.
She dressed them in copies of the Queen’s newest clothes and
sent them from Paris to London.
Dressmakers in London could see and copy the latest look. The
babies then travelled to America.
After the civil war, fashion magazines replaced the fashion babies
as a means of communicating the latest styles.
B) Designer Gowns
In the mid-nineteenth century, an English Gentleman named
Charles Worth (he was the first designer to make designer
gowns), began to design clothes for the French Royal Family.
C) Seasonal Showings: New and efficient methods of producing
ready-to-wear were being developed.
Because high-fashion could now be copied quickly and cheaply,
the fashion cycle became much shorter. Designers began
introducing new styles every season. Although many of the well-
known fashion designers are still based in Paris, other cities have
become important design centers.
London, Milan, Tokyo, New York, and Los Angeles are all
important centers for garment industries.
2) Historical Events:
Major Historical Events can influence fashion.
EXAMPLE: The French Revolution
World War I
World War II
3) Economics
A Society’s economic system can affect how quickly fashions
change.
In North America, there is a great amount of competition among
businesses. When you go shopping you can choose from many
different types of stores.
Because so much variety is available, fashion changes quickly.
In a society like Russia or China – there’s almost no competition –
therefore fashion changes slowly.
4) Social Trends:
Fashion can reflect the trends and values of a society.
5) The Desire for Change:
Fashions change because:
1) People get bored with one type of look.
2) Fashion represents changes that are happening in our society.
Fashion Cycles and Trends:
Every fashion has a life cycle. A fashion is born when someone
begins to wear it. The person who wears it could be a model in a
magazine, a celebrity, or a small group of people with similar
tastes.
Haute-Couture, or high fashion, refers to a style or trend when it’s
first introduced and becoming popular.
When a fashion cycle happens quickly, it is a FAD.
When a fashion cycle happens slowly, it is a TREND.
EXAMPLE:
1950’s : most popular style of dress had a fitted bodice, a belted
waistline, and a full skirt.
1960’s: a loose-fitting, unbelted dress was the most popular style
1980’s: Fitted dresses and suits were popular again.
1985: Large loose-fitting jackets, shirts, and dresses were in
fashion.
What Inspires Fashion?
There is a theory in fashion called the “trickle-down” theory. It
means that a new fashion starts at the top, with a fashion
designer or an important personality, and then trickles down until
it is accepted by everyone.
Q: What inspired fashion?
A:
1) Fashion Designers:
Fashion designers create the styles of clothes that we see in
magazines, newspapers, catalogues and stores.
Most designers attend are exhibits, study the history of costumes,
movies, read newspapers and travel.
They look at the way people around them dress – all of this
provides new ideas for new clothing designs.
2) Media Events and Personalities:
A popular movie, a television series, a musical group, a sports
event, a newspaper headline, a political event can all inspire
fashion.
EXAMPLE: Michael Jackson- glove and red leather jacket
Miami Vice: popularized loose, unlined jackets for men
3) Cultural Events:
Such as a stage play, art exhibit, or a costume exhibit can inspire
fashion.
EXAMPLE: New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art regularly
produces an historical costume exhibit.
4) Foreign Influences:
Other countries have an influence on the fashions that we wear.
5) Technology:
Technology has had a great influence on fashion. In the 1960’s
something happened that was called the “double-knit revolution”.
New developments in fiber and fabric technology.
TECHNOLOGY EXAMPLES: sewing machine, knitting machine, fax
machine, computers
Questions:
1. Why are fads so popular with teenagers?
2. Describe the difference between a fashion, a fad, a style, and a
classic.
3. How were fashion babies used to communicate styles?
4. Describe how WWI and WWII influenced fashion.
5. How does competition in the economic system affect the
amounts of choices that consumers have?
6. What is the “trickle up” effect on fashion?
7. List and briefly explain 5 sources of fashion inspiration.
Unit III “Clothing Consumerism: Gathering Information”
After reading this chapter, you will be able to:
1) Develop a “plan of action”, for your clothing purchases.
2) Understand how advertising techniques can affect your
purchasing decisions.
3) Identify the information printed on labels and hangtags.
4) Discuss ways that comparison shopping can help you gather
information.
Terms to Learn:
Be able to define each of the following terms:
- Comparison Shopping
- Impulse
- Logo
- Mandatory
- Media
- Recreational Shopping
- Sales Promotion
- Trademark
- Warranty
Terms to Learn:
1. Comparison Shopping: going from store to store to compare
price and quality and then going back to the store that offers the
best deal.
2. Logo: symbol ex: NIKE
3. Mandatory: required by law
4. Impulse: sudden purchases
5. Media: advertising is designed to give us a message. Media is
the method we use to communicate that message.
6. Recreational Shopping: window shopping- shopping just for
fun.
7. Sales promotion: subtle forms of advertising - ex. Save up to
50% off.
8. Trademark: Brand name of the manufacturer ex: NIKE, PEPSI,
KRAFT, McCAINS etc.
9. Warranty: a pledge or assurance that the product will meet
certain standards.
A Plan of Action:
Putting together a shopping plan requires time and thought.
Steps to the plan:
1) You need to gather Information:
It will help you make an informed decision. Analyzing
advertisements, understanding information printed on labels and
hangtags, and careful comparison shopping are all activities that
will help you gather information.
2) Consider Your Alternatives and Their Consequences:
Should you buy a new garment, make a new one, or remodel
something that you already own?
Where will you purchase it?
3) Make your Own Decisions:
Once you have established your overall plan, you must decide
exactly what you are going to buy or make. Your wardrobe plan
can change as your clothing needs change.
4) Evaluate your Selection:
Does it fit properly? Is it within your budget? Is it well-made? Is
the fabric a good quality? Can you wash it or does it need dry
cleaning?
Gathering Information:
Gathering information about what kind of clothing is available and
what it is made of can be found 1) Through advertisements, 2)
through studying fashions themselves, 3) through carefully
reading labels and hangtags, and 4) through comparison
shopping.
Advertising:
5 (Five) purposes of advertising:
1) Advertisements can tempt us to buy something that we really
don’t need.
2) Advertisements can tempt us to buy something that is too
expensive for our budget.
3) Advertising attempts to influence us to buy a product by
appealing to many different emotions.
4) Some advertisements are designed to appeal to our dreams
and fantasies
5) Some advertisements are designed to appeal to our desire to
win the approval of others, our desire for the “very latest”, our
desire for individuality.
Two basic Types of Advertising:
Information Ads:
- Tell you many details about the product
- They will describe the style and the fabric
- They will include the size range, price, fiber, content, care, name,
and location of the store and brand name.
Image Ads:
- Designed to appeal to your fantasies, make a statement, or
promote a designers or manufacturer’s name.
- These ads are usually very visual.
- Most of the ad is devoted to illustrations or photographs
- Image ads give little information about the actual product, they
can provide ideas for styles, colours, and textures to add to your
wardrobe.
****Most magazine and television ads are image ads.
Image Ad Assignment
2 ads + 2 Write-ups:
1) What is being advertised? (the product) {1 point}
2) How is it being advertised? {4 point}
- size of the picture or illustration
- size of the letters (font)
- color of the letters
3) What colors are used in the ad? {1 point}
4) What catches your attention? {3 point}
5) What do you like about the ad? {3 point}
6) What would you change about the ad if you could? {3 point}
Activity: The True Cost (Hand-out)
Advertising Media
Advertising is designed to give us a message.
Media is the method that is used to communicate that message.
Radio and Television are electronic media.
Magazines and Newspapers are examples of print media.
1) Radio and Television
- Because most radio and television ads are only 30 or 60 seconds
long, they do not usually give us much information.
- These ads are short and splashy.
AIM: To capture your attention and make you remember the
product or the company name.
2) Magazines
- Used to create an image of a certain product or brand
- Usually have a large photograph or illustration and contains
some information about the product.
- Most magazine ads do not tell you how much the product costs
or where you can buy it.
3) Newspapers
- Most newspaper ads are black and white drawings –
photographs usually do not reproduce clearly.
- Some newspaper ads appeal to the same desires and fantasies
as the magazine ads. But they include more information, such as
where you can buy the product, what hours the store is open,
what sizes are available, and how much the product costs.
4) Other Print Media
- Include billboards and posters found along the highway or on
the sides of a bus.
- You only see the ads for a very short time - so the message is
brief and bold.
5) Promotional Articles
- A magazine or a newspaper will often have a promotional article
or an editorial on subjects, such as the newest styles or how to
plan your wardrobe.
6) Fashion Shows and Demonstrations
- Fashion shows and demonstrations can give you the opportunity
to see the product in person or on a model.
- Demonstrations show you how to use the product
- Fashion shows and demonstrations can be free or there may be
a charge to attend.
- These are subtle forms of advertising sometimes called sales
promotions.
Handout: Symbols found on labels
Label Assignment (Assignment #2)
Use 5 labels to complete this assignment. Examine all of the
labels and list the following information for each label:
1) Fiber Content: example- polyester, cotton {1 point}
2) Percentage of fiber content: Example – 80% cotton, 20%
Polyester {1 point}
3) Identification of the Manufacturer: RN# and CA# and Brand
Name {3 point}
4) Country of Origin: Example – Made in China {1 point}
5) Care Requirements: Example {4 point}
Labels: Mandatory Information
Every garment must now have one or more labels that give
the consumer specific information. This information is
mandatory or required by law.
*** A label includes the following information:
1) Fiber Content
Any fiber that makes up 5% or more of the garment by
weight must be listed.
2) Percentage of Fiber Content by weight:
- The fibers must be listed in descending order by
percentage.
- This means that the fiber present in the greatest amount
must be listed first.
- Fibers present in an amount less than 5% are listed last, as
“other fibers”.
3) Identification of the Manufacturer
This label identifies who is responsible for the product.
- Either the name of the manufacturer or the store, the
registration number, or the trademark name for the product
is written on the label.
4) Country of Origin
- The label must state where the garment was manufactured,
such as “made in India” or “made in Hong Kong”.
5) Care Requirements
- Information on how to take care of the garment is regulated
by the Care Labeling Rule.
Hangtags: Voluntary Information
Hangtags are labels that literally hang from the garment. They
can be attached with a string, a thread, a strip of plastic, or a
safety pin.
- Before you wear the garment, you remove these labels.
- Hangtags may repeat some of the information that appears
on labels within the garment.
- However, the information that is present on the hangtags is
voluntary, given freely and not regulated by law.
Hangtags information may include the following information:
1) This Trademark or Brand Name of the manufacturer:
This can take the form of a LOGO, or symbol, for the product
or its manufacturer. Sometimes the information on this
hangtag also appears as a label that is sewn into the
garment.
2) The Trademarks brand names or logos, for the fibers.
3) Information about the construction of Fabrics
This information may tell whether the fabric is a stretch fabric
or a knit fabric.
4) Information concerning any warranty or guarantee that
applies to the garment or its fabric
A warranty is a pledge or assurance that the product will
meet certain standards.
- Sometimes the manufacturer includes other information,
such as the size and the manufacturer’s suggested retail
price on the hangtag.
- Stores usually attach separate hangtags with hangtags with
information that is important to the store, such as size, price,
stock number, and department number. Stores may also
attach a hangtag or label with their name and logo.
Comparison Shopping
You can learn how to be an educated shopper by doing
comparison shopping. This means to look at the quality, price,
and design to compare value.
- You can comparison shop at home by reading, watching,
and listening to advertisements and by studying mail-order
catalogues. Once you are in a store you will be able to
compare the merchandise with the information you already
have.
- Examine the quality and take note of the price. Read the
labels and hangtags. They contain information concerning
the manufacturer, the fiber content, cost of the garment,
etc….
Recreational Shopping:
- Refers to window shopping or shopping just for fun.
Impulse Buying:
Sometimes recreational shopping leads to a great many impulse,
or sudden purchases.
- Store displays are specifically designed to catch your
attention. This is how our closets fill up with fads., “good-
buys”, status items and a variety of items that we really don’t
need.
Consider your alternatives:
Your alternatives are the options or choices that you have to
achieve your goals.
1) Money
If you don’t have enough money to spend, review the
decision making process and examine your alternatives.
2) Skills:
You should learn to sew. Sewing usually saves money. It
also makes it easier to get the style that you want- in the
color that you want.
3) Time:
If your time is limited because of commitments to family,
work, or school activities, a well thought-out wardrobe plan is
essential. You probably “Do Not” have time to shop just for
fun!!!
Questions
1) Identify and explain the four steps involved in developing
a good shopping plan.
2) What are the advantages of developing and following both
a wardrobe plan and a shopping plan?
3) Describe the differences between information that
appears in an information ad and in an image ad.
4) How do ads on radio and television, in magazines and in
newspapers differ?
5) Why should you purchase a style that is near the
beginning of its “fashion life”?
6) List the 5 (five) pieces of information that must appear on
labels attached to all ready-to-wear garments?
Assignment #3
Logo Design
Students are to pretend that they are opening their own business and
must design a logo.
Front of page:
Using plain white paper (8 ½ x11) or (8 ½ x14), students are to draw
their logo image (big picture) and color it in.
Back of page:
Students need to include the following information:
1) What they are selling and $$$
2) Store location, hours, website, phone #, etc.
3) Money back guarantee etc.
Questions
1) Identify and explain the four steps involved in developing
a good shopping plan.
a. You need to gather Information: It will help you make an
informed decision. Analyzing advertisements,
understanding information printed on labels and
hangtags, and careful comparison shopping are all
activities that will help you gather information.
b. Consider Your Alternatives and Their Consequences:
Should you buy a new garment, make a new one, or
remodel something that you already own? Where will
you purchase it?
c. Make your Own Decisions: Once you have established
your overall plan, you must decide exactly what you are
going to buy or make. Your wardrobe plan can change as
your clothing needs change.
d. Evaluate your Selection: Does it fit properly? Is it within
your budget? Is it well-made? Is the fabric a good
quality? Can you wash it or does it need dry cleaning?
2) What are the advantages of developing and following both
a wardrobe plan and a shopping plan?
a. Comparison shopping
b. Accessorizing your wardrobe
3) Describe the differences between information that
appears in an information ad and in an image ad.
Information Ads: Tell you many details about the product,
They will describe the style and the fabric, They will include
the size range, price, fiber, content, care, name, and location
of the store and brand name.
Image Ads: Designed to appeal to your fantasies, make a
statement, or promote a designers or manufacturer’s name.
These ads are usually very visual. Most of the ad is devoted
to illustrations or photographs. Image ads give little
information about the actual product, they can provide
ideas for styles, colours, and textures to add to your
wardrobe.
4) How do ads on radio and television, in magazines and in
newspapers differ?
Radio and Television are electronic media.
Magazines and Newspapers are examples of print media.
1) Radio and Television: Because most radio and television
ads are only 30 or 60 seconds long, they do not usually give
us much information. These ads are short and splashy.
AIM: To capture your attention and make you remember the
product or the company name.
2) Magazines: Used to create an image of a certain product
or brand. Usually have a large photograph or illustration and
contains some information about the product. Most
magazine ads do not tell you how much the product costs or
where you can buy it.
3) Newspapers: Most newspaper ads are black and white
drawings – photographs usually do not reproduce clearly.
Some newspaper ads appeal to the same desires and
fantasies as the magazine ads. But they include more
information, such as where you can buy the product, what
hours the store is open, what sizes are available, and how
much the product costs.
5) Why should you purchase a style that is near the
beginning of its “fashion life”?
Get the item as soon as the fashion trend starts to
that you can get the most out of your garment.
6) List the 5 (five) pieces of information that must appear on
labels attached to all ready-to-wear garments?
1) Fiber Content: Any fiber that makes up 5% or more
of the garment by weight must be listed.
2) Percentage of Fiber Content by weight: The fibers
must be listed in descending order by percentage.
- This means that the fiber present in the greatest
amount must be listed first.
- Fibers present in an amount less than 5% are listed
last, as “other fibers”.
3) Identification of the Manufacturer: This label
identifies who is responsible for the product.
o Either the name of the manufacturer or the store, the
registration number, or the trademark name for the
product is written on the label.
4) Country of Origin: The label must state where the
garment was manufactured, such as “made in India” or
“made in Hong Kong”.
5) Care Requirements: Information on how to take care
of the garment is regulated by the Care Labeling Rule.
