Everything you always wanted to know about the environmental factors affecting fashion, as well as the geographic, demographic,

psychographic, and behavioral research tools for market segmentation.

Key Concepts The four major factors affecting fashion How research is used by fashion producers and retailers to help them with market segmentation The five basic psychological factors that motivate human behaviorand how each affects fashion

chapter three

The Environment of Fashion

The Environment of Fashion

The four major environmental factors that affect fashion interest and demand.
A. Market Segmentation by geographics, demographics, psychographics, and behavior
B. The degree of economic development and well-being of a country or society C. The sociological characteristics of the class structure D. The psychological attitudes of consumers
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Marketing Segmentation
Target Markets are specific groups of potential
customers that a business is attempting to turn into regular customers. These markets are divided into four major segments. Geographics: In what type of climate does the consumer live? Demographics: What is the educational, income, age, race or gender of the consumer?
Psychographics: How do social class and lifestyle affect the mind of the consumer? Behavioral: Is the purchase about an occasion, benefit, status, or attitude?
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Marketing Segmentation
Research firms combine geographic and demographic studies. Caritas produces the PRIZM system that combines groups based on the degree of urbanization and socioeconomic status

Chapter 3 The Environment of Fashion

2008 Fairchild Books, Inc.

Marketing Segmentation
The VALS system groups consumers based on Primary Motivation and Resources.

Chapter 3 The Environment of Fashion

2008 Fairchild Books, Inc.

The Economic Environment

Fashion demand depends on a high level of economic development, which is reflected in consumer income, population characteristics, and technological advances.

Chapter 3 The Environment of Fashion

2008 Fairchild Books, Inc.

The Economic Environment

Consumer Income
PERSONAL DISPOSABLE
= Total income of a group, i.e., before taxes. = Take home pay. Used to buy food, shelter, clothing and other necessities. = What remains for the consumer to spend after taxes and necessities.

DISCRETIONARY

Most Important Income for Fashion Demand

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Population: United States

The U.S. population has increased dramatically and will continue to grow.

1920 1950 1980

106 million 151 million 227 million

2000

274 million

2025 (estimated) 394 million

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2008 Fairchild Books, Inc.

The Sociological Factors

The key sociological factors influencing fashion today are leisure time, ethnic influences, status of women, social and physical mobility, instant communications, wars, disasters, and crises. Leisure time and suburbs greatly influence the fashions in todays America.
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U.S. Population Percents by Ethnicity

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Status of Women
At the beginning of the 20th century, women could not vote, rarely worked outside the home or attended college, and enjoyed little social freedom. As the century progressed, advanced education became available to increasing numbers of women. More than half of todays college students are female. As womens rights advanced throughout the 20th century, the marketing of fashion evolves
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Status of Women
Work
Women have progressively achieved more social freedoms and entered areas that were formerly the sole domain of men.
This affects fashion from planning to production through retailing.
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Social Mobility
Many sociologists relate fashion change to changes in social mobility and the effort to associate with a higher class by imitation.

The middle class tends to follow the upper classs fashion choices; however, the size of the middle class has a great economic influence on fashion.
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Physical Mobility
Driving
The great American pastime takes people all over the continent, exposing them to different lifestyles. This exposure creates the desire to emulate lifestyles, which can be achieved through donning the clothing of different regions.
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Physical Mobility
Vacation Travel
Formerly an entitlement of the wealthy, the middle class is now able to experience different cultures within the U.S. and internationally.
The effect is similar to the automobile domestically, but with greater range and economic punch. It also enhances the need for clothing that is easy to maintain and pack.
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Physical Mobility
Moving
Americans move often and live in different parts of a vast country. This exposes people to different cultures, economies and weather patterns.
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Faster Communications
The Internet
The instantaneous medium with interactive capacity. You can learn what others are wearing in distant parts of the globe at the speed of light. The medium shines as the newest marketing opportunity for the fashion industry.

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Faster Communications
Television
A ubiquitous media engine that propels ads at the consumer. It informs us about fashion on a national and international scale. Celebrities often act as spokespersons in infomercials (program length advertising on television).

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The Psychological Environment

Boredom, the greatest ally of the fashion industry. Curiosity curious consumers like to experiment. New is often the quality that brings the consumer to the shop.

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Psychological
Reaction to convention comes in two forms:
Each new generation establishes independence by asserting values in opposition to the establishment. Conversely, acceptance by the majority is an important part of the definition of fashion.
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Psychological
Self assurance
Fashionistas have an armor that gives them self-assurance.

In a way, the fashion conscious are secure knowing they are wearing the most current look.
Those who know that their clothes are dated are at a psychological disadvantage.
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Psychological
Companionshipall humans seek companionship.
Uniforms, or conformity in dress, put people in tribes, or certain groups. Tribes create psychological comfort. We all balance individuality with the need to belong.

People conform to the dress of certain groups in order to be accepted in that group.
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Psychological
Peoples surroundings and desire for companionship can be the starting point for an outrageous fashion trend

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