The Difference Between Fashion and Fad: A Reflective Study

 The terms fashion and fad are often believed to be the same thing. People take them as synonyms. However, there is a marginal difference between the two. Fashion can be defined as new styles of clothing and accessories that come about. These become popular, and large amounts of people follow these styles. They stay in the market for a longer period of time.

On the contrary, fad refers to a craze in the fashion industry that quickly attracts large crowds, but they exit from the market in no time. A fad is not limited to the clothing industry. It includes people’s behaviour, culture and perspectives. The main determinant of whether a trend is a fad or fashion is the time factor. Fad fades away with time, but fashion stays. 

Impact on the society

Fashion and fads both heavily impact society. Society and its choices impact the types of fashion which eventually become popular. If we take the example of hippies, we can see that they started off as fads, but later they became more popular and had far-reaching impacts all over the world. People could relate to their thinking and accepted them. Common people wanted to follow the movement that started as a regional uprising against the general norms of autocracy. 

Over the Years

The movement of the hippies affected society for many years. It significantly changed the outlook of the people. It had a remarkable impact on the way people dressed and behaved, eventually changing their perception. Despite being a fad, the hippie culture did not die out. Wherever we see the hippies, they behave in the same way. Fashion, on the other hand, evolves over the years.

In the clothing sector, some outfits and dresses will remain forever. But they will change according to the demands, textiles, seasons, and comfort of the customers. Gowns, trousers, t-shirts, dresses will always be there, but the patterns, designs, and experiments would continue to aid in the change in its forms.

Determinants

The following are some of the factors that differentiate fashion from fad:

  • Fashion is omnipresent. It adapts to changes quickly and evolves with time. On the other hand, fad comes and goes in a moment.
  • Fashion is followed by a restricted number of people who are public figures, namely movie stars, athletes, fashion models, etc. But fad can be followed by a whole lot of people belonging to any strata of society.
  • Fashion is related and limited to clothes, footwear, makeup, accessories, apparel, etc., whereas fad can be anything related to lifestyle, e.g., clothes, music, behaviour, culture, dance, food.
  • Fashion is dependent on the weather and terrain of a particular region. Fad does not depend on these natural factors.

Whether one can be fashionable or not is entirely dependent on his perspective of himself. It is equally important to know the various types of fashions that prevail. Trends and Classics are other types of fashions that need special mention.

Classics

Classics can be termed as things that are timeless and priceless. They do not belong to a particular era; rather, they are adorned by all. The classic pieces of jewellery include diamonds, coloured gemstones and pearls. They are more treasured than any latest fashion accessories. Classic clothing for men includes Denim, suits, etc. Individuals can buy classic men’s clothing online from various shopping sites. They are available in all sizes and colours from the best selling brands.

Trends

Trends, on the other hand, have a longer lifetime than fads. They usually refer to clothes that remain popular for months and many years at a stretch. Trends are not limited to clothes or textiles alone. Some colours can also be part of a trend. In 2014, the colours orange and blue became trendy. These colour started to influence the market then and are still favourites of many. Many customers buy t-shirts online following the trend. They want to be a part of a world that is cool, dynamic and colourful. 

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