Kayla Eason

Harden-FCFA 365
Due December 4, 2014

Fashion Forecasting Report: The Evolution of Womens Fashion

Target Market: Womens Apparel: Ages 20-30

Historically, women have always been considered the weaker

species. Women are very complicated individuals because in comparison
to men we are very emotional, and have been fighting and still are fighting
for freedom in terms of independence. I am not a feminist, but from a
feminist standpoint women are striving for social, political, and economic
equality of the sexes. In terms of how this relates to fashion, fashion trends
have evolved more and more as women have gained more equal rights to
men. For example, in the 1920s we began to see more women going to
work in the workforce, and in the 1930s we see more sexual connotation in
terms of dress with the flapper generation. In the 1940s we see the first
bikini worn as swimwear, and we see even more evolution of dress in the
1960s with the sexual revolution, where women begin to show more skin,
and when we see the first mini skirt worn in public. The purpose of this
background illustration of dress briefly explains why I have chosen to talk
about women for my forecasting report. It is important to understand the
history of women and womens fashion so that one is not only able to
understand current fashions, but also to able to foresee what womens
dress might look like in the years to come, and in what ways it might
change, and what ways in other aspects it might stay the same. Women
want change, but we also want new, innovative, and fashionable clothing

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for everyday wear. The focus is not just work clothing, but rather the focus
is establishing independence through a variety of styles and designs to
incorporate in a womans wardrobe to feel like a beautiful, elegant,
independent, and fashionable woman all in one.
Background Information:
Fashion of the past Decade

In the past decade, we have seen a lot of economic downturns in the

economy. However, we have also seen where our economy has slightly
come back from the recession and it slowly but surely starting to gain back
control of U.S. finances. In 2001, the country underwent a very traumatic

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event that will never be forgotten, the September 11 terrorist attacks. This
event alone could have served as an economic, cultural, and political
movement for the entire country. This event impacted fashion because we
began to see more patriotism amongst Americans that might not have
otherwise considered themselves to be patriotic. We saw the streets filled
with RED, WHITE, and BLUE out of respect for the one's we lost during the
9/11 terrorist attacks.

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Another political movement that has impacted todays fashion is the

election of President Barack Obama in 2008. This made a very significant

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on womens fashion because women had to new first lady to look to as a

fashion icon, that woman are Michelle Obama. She inspires a lot of women
of color because she not only dresses well, but she is not afraid to show
her arms, or maybe wear a dress slightly above knee length, and still look
classy. She became, and still is, one of the biggest fashion leaders in our
country today, and most likely will continue to be until her husbands
second term of presidency ends in 2016. We can look back on one of the
1st first ladies that became a major fashion icon, Jackie Kennedy. She was
the first lady that started the fashion icon trend for first ladies to come.
Finally, another cultural/political movement that is still happening is
the womens liberation movement. Though it started in the 1960s, feminists
still have the mindset of wanting to see change in the workplace, in their
homes when it comes to female roles, etc. Feminists that are homosexuals
might also feel more comfortable dressing in a more masculine appeal to
attract a woman, rather than attract a man. This also influences womens
fashion, but takes a different direction on fashion with its influences. In
2004, Massachusetts was the first state to legalize homosexual marriages.
This also played a role in feminism and in womens dress as well. Women
are now even bolder with portraying their sexual orientation and identity
with the way they dress.

Kayla Eason
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Due December 4, 2014

21st Century Designers

(Established)
<-----Michael Kors
Jessica
Simpson----->

Angela Ahrendts
Vera Wang----->

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<-----Betsey Johnson
Contributions of each
established designer:
Of the established designers
listed above, each has contributed
different elements to the fashion
world in their own way. Not many
know this, but Michael Kors released his very first fashion line at the age
of 15. Only until about the past decade or so has his brand and his name
really taken off with both men and women. For women his designer purses
are wildly popular. This is due to the fact that they are similar to the style of
Louis Vuitton bags, for only a 3rd of the price. They are considered to be
the Poor Womans Designer Bag. Jessica Simpson began designing and
producing goods through her label in the 1990s. Her shoe collection is one
of the most established elements of her label because they have designer
elements for a fraction of the price, similar to Michael Kors handbags. This
lets women know that they can be sexy, wear designer labels, and not have
to break the bank.
Angela Ahrendts, former CEO of Burberry, established the Burberry with
Love concept. She is known for staying to the Burberry print we all know
and love, and adding other new elements to revive the once declining
brand. Vera Wang has been designing for several decades now, but she
got her big break in the 1990s when she designed for silver medalist figure
skater Nancy Kerrigan in the Olympics. She has designed bridal wear,
RTW, and recently in 2010 designed Vera Wang for Kohls and Princess
Vera Wang in 2012 for juniors. Betsey Johnson began designing in the

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late 1970s, and quickly became known for her new wave punk era clothing.
With her bright colorful jewelry and highly decorated accessories, Betsey
Johnsons designs represents how every woman wants to feel, completely
beautiful and glamorous with a little bit of sparkle and pizzazz

21st Century Designers (Newly Popular)

Oliver Rousteing: Creative
Director of Balmain designer
clothing label (age 25)
Rousteing is the youngest designer/creative
director to become the successor of a Parisian
label, other than Yves Saint Laurent in the 1950s
when we rose to success in the 1950s.
Nevertheless, Rousteing is one of the designers to
look out for. With famous model Naomi Campbell
and newly famous model Kendall Jenner apart of
his Balmain Army, he is bringing a new voice to
fashion with his new and innovative looks. His close connection with the Kardashian
family gives him even more credibility because Kim Kardashian is a major fashion icon,
not just nationally, but internationally as well. He also diversifies himself with his runway
models having a variety of women of different ethnicities walk the runway and show his
latest creations. His clothing shows a new freshness to the Balmain label and to fashion
itself. After seeing many creative directors go through the brand, it is believed that Oliver
Rousteing may be the one that the world has waiting for to
revamp the Balmain brand.

Christopher Bailey: Creative Director of Burberry

designer clothing label (age 42)
Newly becoming creative director of Burberry in May of
2014, Bailey is already becoming well known for his new and
innovative techniques, and for completely revamping the
traditionally known brand of Burberry. He has used
innovative technologies to structure the clothing in new
ways, and he has brought color to the traditional Burberry
plaid print that we all know and love today. After becoming

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the successor of former CEO Angela Ahrendts, who was at Burberry for around 8 years,
he has big shoes to fill, and a lot to prove to Burberry and to the world of fashion.

Alexander Wang: Designer for

Alexander Wang label and Creative
Director of Balenciaga (age 29)
Alexander Wang presented his first RTW
collection for women in 2007 at age 22. He
then became the French House head and
or Creative Director of Balenciaga 5 years
later at age 27. He has been known to bring
a bolder and urban edge to fashion through
boyfriend jeans, leather jackets, and
studded ankle boots. He is still proving
himself as a leader in fashion, but he is
already showing us that he has an
incredible amount of potential.

Prabal Gurung: Fashion Designer of

fashion label Prabal Gurung (age 35)
After previously designing for Bill Blass from
2004 to 2009, in 2009 he launched his very
own collection during New York Fashion week
for the spring season. He was able to
successfully launch a more budgeted priced
label for Target department store, which still
had extremely fashionable clothing for women
and some juniors. Still proving himself in the
fashion industry, his designs have been worn
by some of the most powerful women in U.S.
fashion, such as Oprah Winfrey, Michelle
Obama, The Duchess of Cambridge Kate
Middleton, and many more. Designing for
women such as these gives women all over
the world a new outlook on fashion and a name to look for when wanting to have a more
powerful, elegant, and classy wardrobe that speaks integrity.

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Selena Gomez: Actress and designer of Dream Out Loud by Selena

Gomez (age 22)
In fall of 2010 Selena Gomez launched her very own
clothing labeled entitled Dream Out Loud through
Kmart. Since Kmart has been a struggling super store
for quite some time, in honor of some of her other
charitable efforts it was her way of giving back to
fashionable juniors who come from families who cannot
always afford fashion forward clothing. Since ecofriendly products are also very trendy right now, she
also made sure that all of the clothing in her line was
made from eco-friendly or recycled material. There is
not much record of how successful her label was, but
she has not launched another line since.

Current Fashion Influences

The media is one of the most prominent and newly developed cultural movements in the
entire world. The media is responsible for moving fast fashion so rapidly. The media is
also responsible for spreading any other type of fashion trend, whether it is through
social media (a newer development of the 21st century) to reality television (another
newly popular phenomenon) or even style focused internet blogging. In any approach of
the media, there is no doubt that fashion would not be where it is today without social
media. Trends are sometimes out as soon as they are in as a result to mass media,
which can be both a good and bad thing. It definitely makes fashion more difficult for the
average consumer to keep up with.
As mentioned previously, eco-friendly products are becoming more popular as well. This
is due to sustainability and global warming becoming more of a topic of discussion
within the past couple of decades. There is been a new movement and world focus on
conserving our natural resources and decreasing our amount of consumption on day to
day products. If designers use eco-friendly products, they pride themselves on it and

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make sure that their consumers know about their products as well, such as Selena
Gomez.
Another fashion influence is love the skin you are in. It is becoming less important to
be so skinny that you are almost healthy. However, it is becoming more important to
love the woman you are inside, and working on being the best you and being
comfortable in your own skin. Trends are now a less prominent feature in prominent
fashion, now; fashion itself is driving what trends become popular. It is a lot more
common to see women take risks in fashion than being afraid to express themselves
through their clothing. Of course every cultural movement is not across the board for
every woman, so there are still women who like to follow trends as closely as they can.
However we are starting to see less of that today, and more individualism.

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Current Fashion Elements of Dress

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Silhouette: Women in todays society like to be glamorous,

but with a comfortable element as well. With women
constantly on the go with their children,
going to work at the office, or running
other errands, it is important to wear
clothing that is practical, while at the
same time still maintaining the basic
fashion elements of dress.
Colors/patterns: Today there is really
no type of color or pattern that
specifically stands out more than the
next. However, some colors that might
be more dominating than others are
neutrals. These colors may include

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black, beige, grey, and white. Of course there are other

colors that may also be popular, but in todays fashion your
outfit from neutral colors, and then add then add a pop of
color like pale pink or red. Patterns are also equally filtered
throughout fashion. Recently we have begun to see more
floral prints coming back into fashion for all seasons, rather
than just being worn in spring and n you cannot go wrong
when you build summer months like in the past. We have
also seen more hounds tooth come into fashion in other
colors besides just black and white, and plaid patterns have
simply remained classic.
b. Fabrics/Textures: Again, in todays fashion the comfort element
is usually what takes precedence in
any type of garment silhouette or
fabric. However theres always the
saying beauty is pain. Lace and
wool are both itchy/uncomfortable
fabrics. However they are a nicer
looking fabric, so that type of fabric
is still worn. It is pretty common
everywhere I go to see wools and
knits, rather than lace, silk, or any
other type of fabric, possibly due to
the cost of the fabric. Knit fabrics
however are the most widely used
fabric amongst men and womens
apparel.

c. Trims & Details: Women in my target market love

embellishment and details. Ruffle trims are not as popular
now as they once were among women in their 20s, rather

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there are more minor embellishments or accessories such

as belts, small beads, or
extended cuffs. Todays fashion
for women in their 20s is
becoming a bit more simplified,
so we do not see as much
detail in fashion currently.
Rather we are seeing more flowiness
in the fabric to add spark or
personality to the garment, or fancy
buttons and closures. It is also
common to see a plain outfit with a
very bold accessory.

Look
of the
Market

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The beauty of todays fashion in the

womens market is that there is not just
one particular look in one particular
market. Fashion today has a variety for
women, and one woman can easily fit into
several different segments of the market
in terms of looks for her wardrobe.
However, for
todays
woman in
their early to
late 20s
there is a lot

of American/urban chic, with

a little bit of preppy
incorporated at all?
Personally, it would be hard
for me to put my style into
one particular category, and I
think if we were to interview other women they would have
the same problem. It would be almost impossible to keep
up with a variety of styles and trends if we as women only
limited ourselves to a small segment of the market, or only
limited ourselves to one specific look or type of dress.

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Mood of the Market

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I would describe my particular market category as both

somber and sophisticated. I say that for a couple of
reasons. First, I say somber because todays element of
dress gives off more of a generally relaxed look as
opposed to other times in fashion as we look back on
previous styles. That again goes back to the comfort
element of todays fashion, which has never been as
important in fashion until
about the last decade or
so. We saw some
comfort elements in the
1980s, but it was either
comfortable or
glamorous, and never
too much a combination
of both. I would also
describe my target
market as sophisticated because a woman in her 20s who
wants to remain fashionable understands that her comfort
element of dress can only go so far
before she appears to be too relaxed,
and completely uninterested in
fashion. It is important for a woman in
her 20s to have the sophisticated
element to let her viewers know that
her fashion sense is not lacking in
any way.

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Lifestyle of the Market

The lifestyle of the target market I am
focusing on is a combination of modern
and simplicity. Most women in their 20s
who care anything about fashion consider
themselves to be modern. Because lets
be honest, being modern and fashion
ability go hand in hand. You cannot be
fashionable without being modern. If you
could it would not be called fashion, it
would be more like anything goes.
Women in their 20s in todays fashion are
also simple. Simplicity is next to comfort.
If your ensemble has too many elements,
it will most likely not be comfortable, nor
will it be simple.

MAJOR TRENDS: High-Waisted Jeans

In reaction to low-rise skinny jeans, women around 2010s
tapped back into their rebellious spirits that was first seen
amongst women in the 1960s. Fashion leaders of the
2010s decided they did not have to fall victim to the oh-so
popular low-rise skinny jean, so in rebellion they did the exact opposite,
and re-adopted high rise jeans that were first seen in the 1970s. We saw
famous celebrities such as Lady Gaga (pop icon), Rihanna (pop icon), and
Kim Kardashian (reality television star) adopt this style. A major cultural

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movement happening now is the

amount of celebrities we see rise from being fun personalities to watch on
reality TV. When someone like Kim Kardashian is seen wearing a particular
style like high-waisted jeans, they then become instantly popular. Reality
television stars are becoming just as popular, if not more popular than
musicians and Hollywood film stars. A big economic trend right now is
reality television stars. Reality television did not become a phenomenon
until the past decade, so this is absolutely a cultural movement that
became popular with our generation. It became another gateway to access
fashion, and make trends become popular fairly quickly and later explode
to the masses and become a part of mass
fashion.

MAJOR TRENDS: Sandal Heels

with Ankle Strap

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I consider sandal heels with the ankle strap a very popular for several
reasons. First of all, they are everywhere! They are at the parties we go to,
in the mall, and of course weve seen them on just about every female
celebrity at one point or another. When I saw them first becoming popular
almost two years ago I was not a very big fan of them, but the more I saw
them on different celebrities, in different colors, and on my friends, the more
they grew on me and the more I wanted a pair of my own. The first pair I
bought was a bright coral colored patent-leather sandal, and they were on
sale for only $14.99! I am glad I bought them because they became a
signature item in my shoe
collection, and they ended up
going with more things in my
closet than I had originally
thought. For other women this
is an awesome price because
like me, it can show other
women they can access
affordable high-fashion items
as well. They are truly a classic
shoe, and now I own a black
pair as well, as shown in the
pictures above. Of course they were popularized by celebrities such as Kim
Kardashian, Rihanna, and Beyonc.

MAJOR TRENDS: Infinity Scarves

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I first saw infinity scarves being produced when I was

a senior in high school. I remember my boyfriend at
the time bought me a skinny black one for
Christmas. When I checked the tag I saw that it was
from Target, and I remember being so impressed
with it because it was the first one Id ever seen, and
I thought it was so unique. For a while I still hadnt
seen anyone else wearing them, so I was very proud
to wear mine because I was the only one of my
friends that owned an infinity scarf. Within the past
couple of years I have seen them grow widely
popular. Theyve been made in lots of variations and
styles such as bright colored, neutral colored, skinny
and thin, thick and chunky, short, and long. The
possibilities are endless when it comes to the types
of infinity scarves that have been created, and I am sure I havent even
seen the half of them, which is crazy to think about! I think a world trend
that has driven their popularity is the very cold temperatures that are
happening all over the world in places where the weather is usually much
warmer. They are also a nice added accessory to summer apparel as well
with the lighter fabrics. Layers in themselves are a trend, which makes
infinity scarf an easy and trendy layer to add to just about any outfit!

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MAJOR TRENDS: Knee-High Boots

Leather boots in any style have

been popular for quite some time
now. They have stayed in fashion
for a variety of reasons. Again, in
todays fashion we look to
celebrities for everything. Boots in
any length (ankle boot, middle
length, knee high, etc.) have
been worn all season long. As
shown in the pictures above and
below, boots are no longer limited
to just fall and winter months, rather they are able to be incorporated into
various outfits. Also, due to the world climate change, it is cooler for longer
in certain states, so that makes boots even more acceptable and
fashionable all year long.

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MAJOR TRENDS: Oversized Cardigan Sweaters

Cardigans have been in fashion for several

decades. But it hasnt been until the past several
years that we have seen them become large and in
charge. Oversized sweaters are a must have for
the fall/winter seasons because it is comfortable,
warm, and goes with just about anything. It can be
a perfect addition to any of the other listed major
trends listed previously in this forecasting report.
With one or two solid colored chunky scarves in
your wardrobe, you just cant go wrong!

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NEW and INCOMING TREND:

Stiletto Nails

With new technology emerging daily and new trends forming as well,
women begin to get creative and get bored with new trends shortly after
they become popular. Stiletto nails became popular first through celebrities,
and then consumers picked up on the trend as well. They became popular
because it is a way to make the finger longer and make it look longer,
thinner, and more glamorous. It also makes the nail and hand appear

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stronger. They also make the color on the nail

appear bolder and fiercer.

NEW and INCOMING TREND:

Natural &
Effortless
Beauty

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In todays society, women are now focusing their efforts toward appearing
effortless and naturally beautiful. The more effortless you appear, the
more beautiful you appear as well. With African women as well, we are
trying to get back to our roots, and embrace our natural beauty. It is too
often that we do not feel beautiful because our hair isnt flowy and long, or
naturally straight. The more we try to straighten our hair and achieve a look
that isnt natural, the more we show that our showing that we do not truly
want to be ourselves, and show our natural selves to the public. On another
note, for almost every woman, wearing no makeup is difficult. But effortless
beauty is definitely becoming a trend, and less is becoming more.

NEW and
INCOMING
TRENDS: Leather Everywhere!
The biker chic lifestyle is really in in terms of
clothing. Women want to have that edgy look
and mix it in with their preppy style, or their
simple and urban style. But what is urban chic
without leather? Its a necessary and classic

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addition to your wardrobe. It can be dressed up or down. Vests and jackets

can also be worn in a dressier manner, depending what is worn underneath
them. This is stemming from the male biker lifestyle, and having a sexy
woman dressed in leather on their arm.

DECLINING TRENDS: Ruffles,

Leggings (worn as pants), designer
labels
At one point in time ruffles were a must have, but not
anymore. I personally loved the ruffle trend and am
very sad to see it go, but all is fair in love and fashion, and trends come and
go. Ruffles now give too much of an overbearing look, which conflict with

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the current simplicity of fashion. It was only meant for them go out of
fashion sooner or later with the current direction of fashion.
Leggings as pants have been in fashion for over half
a decade, and it is high time they left fashion, for
good! It is not flattering, nor is it becoming of any
woman in the sophisticated and classy modal type.
Leggings are getting to a point well they are starting
to be worn the way they were originally designed,
with the buttocks covered. Comfort and cute should
go hand in hand, comfort is never more important
than fashion in the world of a true fashionista.
Designer labels are being seen less and less.
Flashing a designer label is no longer an indicator of
how fashionable you are. It is still an indicator, in
some cases, or how much money you have, and
will continue to serve as a status symbol for some.
However it is not the
determining factor in a woman
being a true fashionista. A
woman in her 20s can easily
keep up with all of the latest
trends at an affordable price,
without being required to own
a designer label.

FUTURE TRENDS

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When it comes to forecasting future trends, the only way to form a proper
prediction is to base ones hypothesis on both past and present fashions.
Why? Because in essence, that is all we have to go off of. Since we are
only human and incapable of seeing into the future, we do not know what
the future holds. We can only observe past styles, current styles, and look
at the direction for which fashion is moving. One trend I think we will see is
a more relaxed fit in girly-ness. Today being girly and glamorous is about
attraction to males, or even making your female friends want what you
have. I think fashion will move into more of an I want to look good for
myself and no one else type of attitude. Another trend I think we will begin
to see is disintegration of one mood or lifestyle. Since a woman is always
looking for change, it will make it easier to have a mix and match of a lot of
different styles, rather than just sticking to one. I think we will see more
women who want to live out loud, and be preppy chic one day, and be
urban chic the next. I think women will become even more rebellious in
their fashion and not want to be confined to just one category or element of
dress. Another thing I believe will continue will be wearing fewer heels. I
believe women will be less concerned with sexy and more concerned with
comfort. Fashion is beginning to be what a woman wants herself to look
like, versus what the world of fashion is telling her to look like. I think there
will also be a reversal in season apparel. Just like we are seeing more floral
print in the winter, I think we will see more dark colors in the summer. Going
back to the who says aspect, mood, and element of fashion. Since we
have had such dominating world events such as 911, feminism, and the
recession, we will continue to look on our past and remember where we
came from. Also, at some point, I think we will see more women tapping
back into the 60s and incorporating their own elements into clothing.
In conclusion, I would just like to say that fashion has been such a beautiful
thing to witness because it is so unpredictable, and because it evolves too
quickly. One day we may want to dress like were back in the 1990s, and
the next day we may want to be modern. With that said, it is important to
incorporate the past in our fashion predictions, but in my opinion it is more
opinion to watch the spirit of individual people, rather than world events.
Taking surveys and collecting date from individuals will be a crucial

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element in predicting fashions and seeing what fashions women will accept
in the future.