As fashion
evolves we often struggle with the decision to follow fashion or not. Understanding the categories of fashion is crucial to
making a decision on your image. Typical terms used are Fad, Trend, and or Classic. This
blog we will discuss the "Fad" vs. Trend.
A fad is
any form of behavior that develops among a large population and is collectively followed with enthusiasm for a short period, generally as
a result of the behavior's being perceived as novel in some way. A fad is said to
"catch on" when the number of people adopting it begins to increase rapidly. The behavior will
normally fade quickly once the perception of novelty is gone.
Some
people are considered a trendsetter because they start a fashion trend before
most other people. So what is the difference
between a fad and a trend. The difference is pretty simple. Fads are
short-lived. Think of pet rocks and beanie babies. In fashion one fad
that then became a trend that I think of is the mullet.
The mullet is
a hairstyle that is short at the front and sides, and long in the back. The
mullet began to appear in popular media in the 1960s and 1970s but did
not become generally well-known until the early 1980s. It continued to be popular until the mid-1990s. Fads
start with a personal discovery, followed by media attention and popularity, then followed by a mainstream of people.
Trends on
the other hand have staying power. They may take longer to evolve and build
momentum but they have staying power. Trends can last years, and even
decades. People may use the terms somewhat in the same manner, but respect that a fad is temporary, and a trend
can be last for years, even decades. When people think of what's hot they label them trends, or trendy.
Quite often what we consider a trend would really be
better suited as a fad....
