Influence of Fashion

Fashion is something which influences a great number of people's clothing choices from year to year. Some have no interest whatsoever, whereas others will not stop until their wardrobe is filled with the season's top garments. Fashion has existed in many areas of life for a considerable amount of time, so is by no means new.

Fashion designers seek to create new pieces however, pushing the boundaries to create distinctive and sometimes controversial concepts. As top designers are sometimes out of the price range of potential customers, large numbers of stores create similar looking items which are affordable, enabling more people to enjoy new trends.

Fashion journalists tend to either love or hate garments, and can be very influential on public perception of a particular style or design. Those who are very interested in being fashionable will tend to keep a close eye on fashion magazines for up to date information and to see the reception of new looks. People often look back at the popular fashions of past decades with some embarrassment. The 80s look is a good example - currently associated with poor taste and big hair! Fashion, however, can be cyclical. A number of older looks are currently regaining popularity; these looks are often referred to as retro.

Even those who love fashion will stop short of certain trends. The way in which people, especially women, are portrayed by the media tends to champion an unusual and often unhealthy body type, leading to young girls everywhere suffering from low self esteem and even eating disorders. It is easy to see why young people assume you have to look something like Katie Price (glamour model Jordan) in order to marry a man such as Peter Andre. Despite the recent breakup of the couple, many see Katie Price's life as a success in general and wish to emulate her look. Due to differences in appearance and low confidence, it is unusual to find people outside of the modelling, music or movie scene wearing leotards as a fashion statement. The sad truth is that even girls and women who put an awful lot of effort into achieving what they believe to be an 'ideal' look, they would still be too lacking in confidence to wear garments such as leotards.

Most high street and online stores selling the fashionable look to everyday people recognise that the majority of women are not built like models. There are all kinds of trends in existence at any given time, for people with alternative tastes, and for those who wish to just be a bit more covered up than celebrity singers wearing leotards! Items such as jeans and trousers, long skirts and more baggy tops are always to be found. Leotards, there is no doubt, can look great, and are used all over the world by dancers and gymnasts of all kinds, proof of their great flexibility.

Dance wear is becoming increasingly fashionable, and it is reasonable to assume that this will continue to be the case as it features a lot in music videos. The main fashion tip to always remember is to wear something you feel comfortable in, as your confidence and ease will show through making you more attractive than ever!

The Influence of Fashion Blogs on Trends and Fashion

Fashion Blogging is rapidly increasing in popularity, with new fashion blogs springing up everywhere and the number of people turning to fashion blogs as a source of information or inspiration for style and trends growing. But how much influence does fashion blogging have on trends and fashions and why is blogging becoming the latest media for fashion?

Fashion blogs are about fashion, clothing and accessories and also include runway trends, celebrity fashion and street style. Fashion blogs have been reported in the US as early as 2002 (Sinclair, Jenny. Fashion blogs, "The Age", October 17, 2002.) and have been increasing in numbers since, In 2003 The Wall Street Journal reported of 40 bloggers being given invites to

New York fashion week (Dodes, Rachel. "Bloggers get under the tent", The Wall Street Journal, September 12, 2006). Today blogging has become a very significant media for the fashion press with independent fashion bloggers and funded fashion blog networks competing for dominance in the blogosphere.

The significance of fashion blogging in influencing trends and fashions is evident in the increasing number of companies looking to promote their clothing through fashion blogs and fashion blogging and the money associated with fashion blogs. Fashion Bloggers report increasing profits with Manolo's shoe blog reportedly making a six figure sum and the bag snob generating a five figure sum.

The emergence of fashion blog networks such as Coutorture Media and Sugar Publishing Inc have attracted large amounts of investment into the fashion blogosphere. The significance of fashion blogs is also evident in the number of commercial organisations chosing to set up their own fashion blogs such as the Telegraph. In December 2006 , fashion blogs were recognised by Vogue in an article about their significance . In Jan 07, the Daily Mail published an article on the fashion blog stars advising readers to "Forget waiting for the monthly glossies, the sharpest fashion advice is now online".

Perhaps the popularity of fashion blogs is because they are written or perceived to be written by a real person and not a marketing professional. They give individuals honest opinions of trends and fashions and in most cases are not influenced or paid directly for endorsing products although most generate revenue from advertising. This gives fashion blogs a very realistic approach to fashion, more so than many of those working in fashion and fashion marketing.

Fashion blogs are often scathing about a new designers collection and so can diffuse much of the hype created around fashions and trends by marketing professionals. They can also popularise and create crazes for products, which have little or no marketing budgets. Probably the most important factor in attracting so many readers to fashion blogs is the enthusiasm and love of the bloggers for the subject on which they are blogging.

Most fashion blogs are started as a hobby and an outlet for individuals with a love of fashion and clothes. The individual styles of writing often make the blogs an interesting and sometimes very funny read. Blogs do not have to conform to a particular style of writing and so are usually much more informal in tone making it easier for the reader to relate to them.

The nature of blogging means that they are a quicker and more interactive form of communication than traditional glossy magazines, reviews of collections and runway shows can be instantly posted giving readers instant previews for the next seasons trends.
So what about the future of blogging? As Designerhighstreet prepares to launch its very own blog, fashion blogs are fast becoming the preferred source of information and inspiration for fashion consumers in the know.