Think milk, fish and salad. I swear that's what I found on the Internet when I searched for fashion trends. Milk is natural colors like off-white and beige. Think fish scales which is blue to violet, and salad is every vegetable color but primarily avocado and olive. I cruised on to find fashion trend contradictions galore.
Trend authorities intrigued and amused me when I was a teenager and a young adult fashion student. I'm still fascinated. It's like the fashion industry is going to fall off the face of the earth if someone or some business doesn't create trends for mass production. Then you meet all your long-lost friends for whatever social occasion to find everyone looking alike, if not identical attire. As most women can testify, there's nothing worse than dishing out a lot of money to dress up and find the same design and color on someone else. Yet men go out in the same penguin suits. We're funny fashion creatures.
If you really want a trend for whatever reason, allow me to give you a tip. Look at what teenagers are wearing. I know it's horrifying, even to some of the teenagers themselves. But take the idea and calm it down. This is a history lesson you don't find in books.
There is a more serious trend I'm about to tell you, however, that goes beyond comforting current teenage body piercing, in-motion jewelry and tattoos. If you get the big picture of it all, finding your individual fashion look becomes simplified.
Due to the turn of the century of economic downturn, a "less is more" attitude continues to evolve. There is worldwide restructuring with increased awareness on health and sports. Key words are emotional intelligence, individualism and naturalism. The Market is ready for socially responsible businesses. Studies and surveys show that American consumers are increasingly integrating their social and environmental values into their purchasing choices. People are seeking to support companies that deliver on their core values. Varied studies and surveys show that about 25% of the adult population, between 40 and 50 million Americans, are increasingly beginning to make value-based choices in more fashion categories. In summary, when price and quality are comparable, socially responsible businesses have the advantage.
The studies are full of constructive information for marketing and business plans that alas, lead to trends. They emphasize how important socially responsible businesses are to our society. A growing number of Americans share common concerns about the future. A comprehensive study by the Harwood Group documents that the majority of Americans across all walks of life are concerned with human greed, selfishness and our deteriorating environment. Our society displays more stress on families and communities with a growing gap between have and have-nots. Americans are seeking core values like relationships, meaningful work, economic security, personal safety, quality education for their children, thriving communities and a healthy planet. Although we share compassion, there is much disagreement on how to solve these concerns.
Another study, The Integral Culture, explains that there are three competing world views and patterns in America: (1) Traditionalist, (2) Modernist and (3) Cultural Creative. All have historical roots. World views of Traditionalist are faith based and include many people who identify themselves as the religious right. They are 29%, about 56 million Americans, who advocate solving today's problems by returning with what worked earlier in this century. The Traditionalist group is declining rapidly.
World views of Modernist appeared to be mainstream, totaling 47%, about 88 million Americans. Their view emerged with the industrial revolution and became the dominant paradigm early in this century, but is now leveling off. Modernists believe that progress and the good life are defined by increasing material wealth. They recognize that there are problems facing society, but believe they can be fixed by adjusting the present system. Note that our contemporary political, business, media and religious leaders share this view.
The Cultural Creative group began to emerge and grow rapidly in the 1970s. It includes 24% of the adult population, about 44 million Americans. This crowd believes society faces significant problems and needs to reinvent its culture, institutions and practices to solve them. They want to provide a future for our children. Cultural Creative Americans are seeking to reintegrate their values into their everyday lives and are ready to take action on a wide range of social, environmental and spiritual concerns. Common identities and issues are our environment, social justice, civil rights, health, healing, spiritual and new age direction.
Although Cultural Creative people are growing rapidly, most think they represent a tiny, minority world view. This happens because the Cultural Creative world view is emerging and people have come to it from many pathways, so the view is still fragmented. People within it don't always share a common language or recognize people from different pathways as allies. Also, one of the jobs of the dominant Cultural Creative paradigm is to set margins on new ideas. So the feedback from the Modernist mainstream is that Cultural Creative thinking is a small world view. Cultural Creatives don't see themselves reflected in the media or the institutions of our times, so it is easy to believe that there are not many people like them. This phenomenon causes many in this group to lie low, expressing their values in their homes, but not at work or other aspects of public life. Likewise, it may be causing many socially responsible businesses to see and act as if their market is much smaller than it really is. But this segment is growing and the Cultural Creative group is beginning to define the new mainstream.
Socially responsible businesses will recognize the profile of the Cultural Creative Americans as their customers. They are more likely to be women than men. Their median age is 42 and although they come from all walks of life, they are likely to be well educated and in the upper-middle income median of $47,500. They scan the horizon for information like junkies, delve it into their own interests, and then put what they learn into the big picture. They are ready to take action on their values (especially in their homes), and are already beginning to integrate their values into their everyday decisions, purchases and investments. While they don't watch much TV, they like to be well informed and are alternative-medicine, everything-holistic movers. This integration will continue to be a guiding imperative for them. Watch for expansion in the marketplace, at work and in other public arenas. Typical products sought are natural foods and botanical body care products that are not animal tested. Also of interest are value-based investment services eco-travel, preventive health care, education, workshops, arts and culture.
Other recent market studies corroborate the Cultural Creative trend. The growth of key Cultural Creative products and consumer practices are showing up around the country. The sales of organic food are growing at 20 to 25% per year, while the food industry itself is growing at 3 to 5% annually. The social investing market has more than doubled to 1.2 trillion in 2 years. At least 84% of Americans would pay more for clothes made without sweatshop or child labor and the Hemp industry is projected to double or triple in two years from $100 million. When price and quality are equal, 76% of consumers would switch brands or retailers if a company is associated with a good cause.
These same studies provide insight into what it takes to reach this market. A values-based approach is necessary, but not sufficient. Businesses must still satisfy the Cultural Creative consumer's core purchase criteria. The Hartman Group calls these the "True Greens." True Greens will pay more and go further out of their way to purchase responsible products from responsible companies. Many socially responsible businesses are limiting their market to the True Greens, but there is a much larger market out there, which is the new mainstream of the Cultural Creative Americans. Businesses must first offer price, quality, appearance, taste, availability, convenience and then include the social and environmental message. Furthermore, businesses must understand which social or environmental message works with which product. In conclusion, the socially responsible business marketing to the Cultural Creative Americans requires both satisfaction of the core product purchasing criteria and the communication of the social or environmental message for sales growth to happen.
As Harvey Hartman, president of the Hartman Group study put it: "The 'green' consumer is now mainstream. There is significant market potential for earth_sustainable products. It is not merely a market niche. It is a market that is here to stay and is still untapped."
Sometimes I think we're all nuts about fashion. Especially when it seems everyone is scrambling for the latest trend without any logic to it. It's refreshing to learn that there's finally a real fashion movement that makes sense for us all.
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Written by: Delia Montgomery, Chíc Eco
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