Fashion is a fast-growing sector in the art world and`s permanently in a state of evolution due to the constant and rapid change in the social, cultural and technological aspects of the present world. In the last ten years, fashion has changed dramatically, and many rules and tendencies were shifted that affected the behavior of consumers. The fashion of the last decade could be defined as the decade of change, transformation, and evolution due to the following key aspects. Now, it lends to explore some of the most effective trends that define the current ten years.
The Rise of Athleisure
Another great trend that has originated in the last ten years is associated with the wearing of sporty clothes. This trend combines athletic clothing with casual wear making enabling consumers to wear their gym wears to other activities comfortably. Some of the companies that leveraged on this phenomenon include Lululemon, Nike, and Adidas, and they developed wears that can perform the intended function besides being fashionable. Modern sportswear turned into athleisure as people changed the way they dress because of the increased tendency for comfortable clothing regularly used in everyday life.
Sustainability and Ethical Fashion
Overtime with the rising awareness of environmental problems the fashion industry became more of a concern for polluting the environment. This resulted in the emergence of sustainability and ethical fashion mainly due to this innovation. The consumer became more conscious demanding Brand accountability on the methods used in production and the impacts on the environment. Various fashion brands adapted to these changes by embracing sustainability, in the form of using Organic and recycled material, cutting down their occurrences and exposing companies with wrong labor practices. Companies such as Patagonia, Stella McCartney and Evarlane are among the pioneers of the this movement which stress for ethical consumption in the contemporary world.
Positive and negative impact of social networking sites and trends of digitalization
Influenced by Instagram, TikTok or Pinterest Fashion quickly evolved when the world became more connected through social media. It brought into reality places where fashion influencers and bloggers could express themselves and influenced consumers’ and brands’ behaviours. With the advancement in technology, it was also observed that fashion shows were conducted online, and the use of AR fitting rooms and online purchases for consumers across the world. This digital change enabled non-mainstream designers, and brands, where otherwise would not have access to the market, influence it.
Gender Fluidity and Inclusivity
Over the recent past there has been an emergence a liberal approach in fashion by incorporating aspects of gender fluidity. There was a new phenomenon of designers escaping the polarity of gender with their creations as people started seeing collections that had both men and women’s styles. Many designers followed this trend including Gucci, Balenciaga and JW Anderson are among designers that embraced this campaign for a cultural change towards diverse beauty. Also, the reemergence of the need for size diversity was another factor that saw production for plus size fashion where brands like ASOS, Savage X Fenty, and Universal Standard labeled their fashions to diverse sizes.
The Return of Vintage and Retro Trends
Let’s view the role of nostalgia in the fashion trends identified in the context of the decade 2010s; It is worth stating that in the past few decades, fashion was influenced by the vintage and retro trends. Fashion lovers went back to the past decades dressing in 90s grunge, 70s boho styles and anything in between. The use of old clothes, second hand clothes or recycled clothes gained acceptance to consumers as they provided different, rare and quality items apart from the fact that they were friendly to the environment. It revealed consumer’s preference of meaningful individualistic clothing as opposed to ostentatious trend-forward pieces.
Streetwear as a New Trend and its Interaction with Haute Couture
High fashion’s borrowings from streetwear could not be done in the past decade. What was once a countercultural movement stemming from skateboarding and hip hop became one of the largest cultural trends of fashion. Supreme, Off-White, and A Bathing Ape are famous brands that become closer to luxury fashion houses Louis Vuitton or Dior collaborations. These collaborations help the companies to introduce the fresh and youthful vibe into the luxury fashion market and attract young clients.
Conclusion
Global social trends that define the fashion of the past decade should be viewed together with specific changes in the sector. Athleisure, the importance of sustainable clothing, social media and its effects, fluidity and inclusiveness in gender, the revival of trends of the past and fashion fused with street wear. These trends will extend themselves into the future and continue to build the industry outlook and promote the industry towards a more diverse, advanced, and greener industry. Fashion still plays an important role in people’s lives, and the changes that have occurred during the last ten years prove that the language of garments continues to be relevant and develop alongside the society.