Round and Round: The Catastrophic Consequences of the Fashion Cycle

Zoya Gulshin walks the reader through the fivephase cycle of modern day fashion. From a style’s introduction all the way to its obsolescence, giving you the reasons why you shouldn’t get swept up in all the latest trends.

The root of the word cyclical - ‘cycle’ - describes how events occur in regular, circular intervals. Cyclical trends are apparent in everyday life, from the changing of seasons, days of the week and even the economy. Fashion, in fact, is no different. Trends and fads are renowned for their cyclical nature. With fashion of the past making a comeback, we’re able to observe cyclical fashion in action. Up until just a few years ago, skinny jeans were prominent - you just couldn’t escape them. And now? Baggy jeans have replaced the slim fit, and clothing stores have tucked away the skinny jeans to make room for the flares. The re-emergence of older trends gives us something to bond over with the earlier generations. It’s definitely nice to have something new to talk about with your mum, instead of the regular “how is university?” chat.

Unlike the seasons, however, fashion follows a five-phase cycle: introduction, increase, peak, decline and, the scary-sounding, obsolescence.

With introduction, we see a new style emerging. ‘New style’ doesn’t necessarily mean completely new, it’s usually an old item with a modern twist. Take the choker for example – popular back in the 90’s and co-opted by the alternative population who were aiming for a grungier look. At this stage of the cycle, the style is stocked at low quantities and sold at high prices. Then comes the increase stage and the style is now officially a trend. More people, especially those with influence, begin to wear and show off this ‘new’ style, thereby increasing consumer demand. This in turn leads to increased production, stock and purchasing of the trend.

In the peak phase, it becomes almost impossible to avoid this popular fashion trend. Almost all retailers, regardless of their customer base, will have noticed the popularity of the item and will stock it to maximise profit. This is commonly achieved via mass production, making the trend cheap and easily accessible.

The penultimate phase of the cycle, decline, occurs when the trend has oversaturated the industry. Because everyone and their mums have now adopted the latest style, it becomes harder for one to express themselves via their fashion. This in turn leads to reduced interest and less sales, leading to the final stage: obsolescence. Here, the trend is dismissed as outdated, and newer styles have emerged. Once this stage has capitulated, the cycle just starts again. Usually, fashion revolves around a 20-30-year period, but with the inundation of fast-fashion, it is thought that the lifespan of cycles will decrease dramatically.

However much we want to be unique, most of us feel safe blending in, and it is this very mindset that fuels the cycle of fashion. When the latest trend emerges, it’s easier to go on a shopping spree than to think about the practicalities and implications of our choices. ‘What is the longevity of this item?’, ‘Am I getting my money’s worth in terms of cost per wear?’, ‘What are the environmental impacts of this kind of fashion?’ are all questions thrust to the back of our minds, ever perpetuating the fashion cycle.

And such behaviour has real world effects. In 2014, an estimated 92 million tons of textile waste was created from the fashion industry, much of which can be traced back to fast fashion. It is estimated that textile waste will increase by 60% between 20152030. The fashion cycle is fuelling an unsustainable and damaging practice, all because of our avid drive for the latest trends.

In response, today the fashion industry is seeing a high interest in vintage clothing. People are choosing thrift and secondhand shops over those on the high street in attempts to find unique-but-notso-unique gems that are just unattainable in Primark. Buying from these kinds of outlets is an effective strategy for any individual to counter the cyclical fast-fashion trends. So, next time you’re in the city and you’re looking for some new garms, think of popping into Soul and Flare or Cow. You might end up picking something that you not only look good in, but feel good about wearing, too.

By Zoya Gulshin

Illustrations by Gemma Cockrell Page Design by Ciara Lurshay