New fashion statement makers.
will emerge as we approach the middle of the first decade of the 21st
century. Global trends now emerge faster than ever before as the
internet and text messaging, shortcuts transmission of ideas and concepts
between individuals, bringing the next big thing to you and me in the space
of seconds.
In 2004 -2005 a new fashion focus will
develop around centres like Dubai, Delhi and Japan as well as the Eastern
Bloc. Fashion trends and influences in 2004
from these places combined with translating what these cultures consider to
be western ideas of street fashion trends, will give a fresh, but sometimes
exotic interpretation to traditional Western styles. In 2004/5 new and
important trends will emerge from countries such as Romania, Estonia and
Hungary once regarded as followers rather than innovators of Western fashion
and lifestyle.
From 2004 as Global communication and
video conferencing becomes the norm buyers will be
able to speak directly and swiftly with business colleagues, customers and
clients and so these centres will become lively fashion statement makers.
They will be demonstrating new fashion ideas in clothing, accessories, style
and lifestyle every bit as important globally as fashion influences from
London, Paris, New York, Milan and Los Angeles have been in the past.
Who will wear what in 2004?
Mass manufacturing and rapid creative copying
of a fashion catwalk design means that many of us can afford innovative
looks at high street prices without the couture price tag. Age is no
barrier to following a fashion trend or making a fashion statement as 10
becomes the new 18 and 50 is the new 35. Consumers will crave new and
different products, actively be seeking new fashion forward items on each
shopping expedition.
Once you would never have seen a woman over
45 in one of the UK's TopShops, today they are a significant part of the
customer base. Many who shop in the UK's Per Una outlets within Marks
and Spencer are buying snappy 'just in time' fashion items in the same
section as their daughters and granddaughters.
These consumers are more concerned with the
innovative approach to new styling and the use of new fabric finishes and
textures. They consider the why and how, and what will it do for them
when buying an item, rather than does their generation's age match the
marketing demographic profile of what a typical Ms.45+ might like to wear.
Ms.45+ may well think that the garments the marketing has bookmarked with
her in mind would be better suited to her granny who is 90.
Just in time is a concept that suits not only
the manufacturers and retail suppliers, but also consumers who have long
associated exclusivity and scarcity to mean desirable and therefore
luxurious, even though the cost in this example above is affordable to most.
Just in time helps consumers to feel unique. It enables consumers to reward
themselves frequently with affordable luxuries that enhance their perception
of self image of their unique personal style.
~
Likewise the kidult, the adultescent and
the rejuvenile generation are adults in their thirties and forties who
behave and dress as they choose, wearing clothes directed at teenagers and
following marketing trends and pleasure activities directed at their
children. Market researchers have named such individuals who reject
adult choices in favour of youthful tastes as the kidult, the adultescent
and the rejuvenile generation.
Cocooning – In 2004
staying at home to relax and just be secure, will become an important
lifestyle factor that will continue throughout the decade. As dress
becomes less formal and more casual most of the time, even in work time, so
does the desire for differentiation between leisure wear and just casual
wear with casual brand names becoming an even more important focus as status
symbols. Clothes to cocoon in will be soft and comfortable, stretching
and retaining shape. Today comfort is one of the main qualities required of
clothing for over 50% of consumers, as is easy wear easy care.
Sports styling
will continue to dictate many casual designs throughout 2004, although
natural looks where the fabric makes the statement will also be important.
Tom Ford the fashion designer has suggested that the average consumer is
'only interested in jeans and T-shirts for daytime'. If this is
correct, sportswear and sports styling will continue to grip consumers who
desire comfort in everyday wear, yet as couch potatoes hardly ever indulge
in the activities for which the clothes were originally designed.
To counteract this sports styling some consumers will also seek exquisite
top garments and accessories or label led tops to wear with casual designer
trouser bottoms, short above knee skirts or limited issue jean styles.
Worn along with fancier showgirl footwear will help marry a mix of feeling
powerfully dressed up and casually comfortable all at once - casual clothes
will almost merge with dressier styles so that the two show miniscule
differences that are visually read by those in the know.
Cotton and Linen will be the fabrics of
Spring and Summer 2004 as the demand for natural
fabrics continues and supports the casual, but chic discreet look of
understated elegance.
Interesting finishes and blends with Lycra®, added to Linen will add
versatility to this fabric and will help capture a market previously put off
by linen creasing almost as fast as it is donned. The company
Moravolen has produced a range of elastic half linen fabrics under the
registered name Stretchlin®. Despite this
innovation crumpled poor ironing and wrinkled looks will still feature.
Manipulated textiles and variations
with precise texture weaves make for interesting sophisticated and subtle
looks along with layered contrasting fabrics of tulle, chiffons, bubble
fabrics, crinkle printed semi sheer crêpons, satins, satin backed crêpes,
striped and gauze fabrics. New ways of adding interest with lace, ribbon,
hem stitching, texture, precision weaves, filigree decoration, yarn cut
work, self fabric fringing and embroidery abound. Fortuny pleating
will be very popular as will pin tucks.
Satin and satin effect finishes in 2004
will be a favourite, as a whole generation unfamiliar with satin’s last real
outing in the 1980s, wallows in the sophisticated effects and tactile
qualities of this elegant fabric.
Silk dupion with satin slubs
are a variation on this. Lustrous viscose and silk jersey knit fabrics
support the demand for sheen as does ribbon meandering appliqué on knits.
Fashion trends that will take off in 2004
include hip stitched pleated skirts, sometimes set on a basque and
reminiscent of skirts fashionable circa 1960, but also set onto the dropped
hipline tunic bodice of A line 60’s dresses. Some of these skirted
items will have a Gladiator feel to them. Tops that meander from
poncho, refined kimono and kaftan styles to open ethereal angel sleeves,
will lead through finally into batwing designs. Large broad collars
and collars gaining length add a new surprise to garments.
Dress styles for 2004
will be several inches above the knee and favoured by many age groups,
including many over 50s with good figures. The late 60’s cutaway
armscye in dresses will continue to feature alongside some extended shoulder
line sleeveless tops quite reminiscent of the mid 1980s. The 1980’s
retro styles will appear fresher because of the above knee shorter skirt
length. Women will enjoy showing their legs again after years of
shrouding them in trousers. Dresses of printed chiffons and drop
waistlines often with shoestring camisole style straps will feature
strongly.
Other popular trends for 2004 female fashion
will include the seductive empire baby doll dress look and mid/late 1960’s
architectural style A line shift dresses. The latter will be bound and
faced with approximately 3 centimetre contrast bands on armholes and
hemlines and will stand alongside 1980’s influenced extravagant open split
dolman/batwing sleeve dresses. Ruffles in the Spanish style add
frivolity.
The return of the Olympic Games helps maintain
strong sports fashion influences in city wear for
both sexes. This will be more and more emphasised as the 2004 Olympic
fever gains a grip on individuals globally. Colourful fashion trainers
rather than traditional running trainers will accommodate the massive shift
in shoe buying habits. Keyholes, zip inserts and satin contrast strips
and bindings will continue to feature in mass casual wear emphasizing the
sporty feel.
In 2004 slimmer more fitting trouser styles
will offer change and give alternative body revealing competition for
shorter hemlines. Sophisticated cigarette pants with ankle zips will
gain acceptance and as will sexy skinny, second skin fitting trousers as
close as leggings. Slimmer pants of all descriptions will emerge, especially
some cropped at the knee.
Look out too for quite wide trousers with
turn ups as well as timeless sailor front button trousers which all add
interest to pant styles making trousers an accessible fashion for all.
Casual urban looks continue as a mass trend in 2004.
Whilst not at the forefront of a new fashion, simple casual urban looks of
military combats and hooded tops will be translated into almost any fabric.
Regardless of the fact that many fashion designers have long abandoned them
will be bigger sellers than traditional tailored goods for the masses.
Cropped trousers and narrow legged combats will be preferred over shorts and
Bermudas as more suitable summer town wear. For those unwilling to
give up their boot leg trousers there will be 1970’s style innovations of
fabric inserts in denim bell bottoms. Circus looks and colours bring a
fun dimension to some casual clothes.
Retro 60's tailoring will feature in jackets and
coats for 2004. Jackets will sometimes be
double breasted in mid sixties style and with large almost bell like wide
chopped off cape sleeves. A feature of this style will be oversized
buttons and pert neat collars sometimes broader than now.
Bum cleavage and bum buttock exposure will
be for the daring. Keyhole ovals and circles
cut out of the centre bottom backs of shorts and trouser legs to show Jo Lo
style domed buttocks will be for the thrill seekers who feel no fashion
bounds exist and no area of the body should be unsuitable for exposure.
Body exposure will meet fetishism
as the 5 inch bum keyholes are often held together with biker bar straps and
buckles. For the more timid these large keyholes will appear between waist
and hip level at the side waist on fitted dresses and fitted tops.
Fair Isle and Tyrolean influenced pattern on knits
will feature strongly in 2004 after first being
seen in Autumn 2003. Printed knits with vintage flora, graphic
symbols, graffiti and ethnic motifs will stand alongside true intarsia rose
knits. At first glance these knits sometimes appear to be decorated as
appliqué, but often reveal instead braid/bead trim on the edges of the
motifs giving an almost amateur, less structured, neat finish to the edges.
Bomber fur jackets from the winter ranges will translate into bombers made
of textured knits that emulate fur fabrics, but in lighter summer weights or
as loopy knits. Lacy airy knits will be made into mid 1960’s empire
cape styles as summer shrugs that do the job Pashminas once did.
This site deals with female fashion and
costume only, but a brief aside here for
style trends for men in 2004.
The most important fashion print will be stripes and striped variations on
all garments including belts, ties and edge trims, ideally suited to the
cowboy designs forecast by several major designer like Gucci, Tom Ford and Cerruti. Colours for men include terracotta, clay,
wicker, soft tea, all blues and the return of greens.
Genuine Panama Hats
For more information on women's and teens fashion trends go to:-
Fashion-Era.com looks at women's costume and fashion history and analyses the mood of an era. Changes in technology, leisure, work, cultural and moral values. Homelife and politics also
contribute to lifestyle trends, which in turn influence the clothes we wear. These are the changes that make any era of society special in relation to the study of the costume of a period.
Fashion-Era.com can take no responsibility for any information on the site which may cause you error, loss or costs incurred from use of the information and links either directly or
indirectly. This site is owned, designed, written and developed by Pauline Weston Thomas and Guy Thomas. This site is designed to be viewed in 1024 X 768 or higher.
Before you write to me for costume/fashion help or information please, please consult the extensive sitemap which lists all our pages. If you still cannot find the answer after searching the site, then before you email me, please consider if you are prepared to make a donation to the website.
Donations Reader's donations help this site flourish, in particular donations encourage me to write more articles on fashion history as well as current trends. PayPal
allows anyone with a credit card to donate easily and securely. You may donate any sum you feel appropriate.
If you have any comments, or if you see any broken links, then please email with
details of the page url or problem
