Trickle Down Theory of Fashion
What Is the Trickle-Down Effect?
The trickle-down effect, in marketing, refers to the phenomenon of fashion trends flowing from upper class to lower class in society.
Similarly, it may also refer to how new consumer products, when first introduced into the market, are costly and only affordable by the wealthy, but as the product matures its price begins to fall so it may be more widely adopted by the general public.
Finally, the trickle-down effect is a phenomenon where an advertisement is rapidly disseminated by word of mouth or by viral marketing.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The trickle-down effect is a term used in marketing and advertising.
It can refer to the notion that fashion trends “trickle-down” from upper-class citizens to lower-class citizens, or that as a product becomes widely adopted, the price falls.
The trickle-down effect isn’t to be confused with trickle-down theory, where the latter refers to trickle-down economics and the passing down of tax breaks from the wealthy to the less-wealthy.
The trickle-down effect has theoretical implications in the world of fashion, as the spread of fashion is often described as a "movement" of sorts.
In trickle-across movement, fashion moves horizontally between groups on similar social levels.
In the trickle-up movement, specific fashion trends start from lower-income groups, or the "streets," and then work their way up through the hierarchy of society.
How the Trickle-Down Effect Works
The trickle-down effect in advertising works under the assumption that social classes are influenced by the higher social classes. The lower classes seek to imitate the fashions of the higher classes to lay claim to higher status themselves, while the higher classes seek to differentiate themselves by creating or adopting new fashion trends. Such behavior leads to greater innovation and accelerated change.
The trickle-down effect works when an ad is so compelling, either because of its uniqueness, humor, entertainment value, or another outstanding trait, that people are excited to share it with their friends, family, and coworkers. When the trickle-down effect works, it can generate a great deal of exposure for a company in a short period of time and, in some cases, at a low cost.
The trickle-down effect commonly employs social media, and an advertisement that goes viral through these channels can gain mass media coverage as a news story, giving the ad wide distribution without the costs traditionally associated with advertising through mainstream channels.
History of the Trickle-Down Effect
The trickle-down effect can trace its origins to the 19th Century, with the work of Rudolf von Jhering, who was the first to write about cultural diffusion.
He traced how fashions filtered down from the upper classes to the lower classes. The key position of von Jhering's work was that the value of fashion is reduced to nothing when it has been adopted by everyone. As such, the upper classes are compelled to find and adopt new fashion trends, which the lower classes will eventually adopt as well.
The trickle-down effect is incorporated into the theory of conspicuous consumption by Thorstein Veblen in "The Theory of the Leisure Class," which says that individuals buy luxury goods and services to display their wealth to others.
In a more modern context, the trickle-down effect is applied not to classes but to age, ethnicity, or gender by Grand McCracken in "Culture and Consumption."
Trickle Down vs. Trickle Across vs. Trickle Up
The trickle-down effect has significant theoretical implications in the world of fashion. That's because the spread of fashion is often described as a "movement" of sorts. In other words, fashion generally flows or "trickles" from one area of life to another.
The manner in which these movements occur can be defined in several ways. Aside from the trickle-down effect, fashion can also move horizontally or even upward.
Trickle-down. In the world of fashion, trickle-down describes a situation where particular trends are first accepted by people in the top social class. Then, over time, those fashion trends become gradually accepted by those in the lower classes.
Naturally, for the trickle-down effect to work, the given society has to be largely hierarchical with a high level of desire for upward mobility. That's because the trickle-down effect carries two main assumptions:
Those at the top of society seek distinction from the lower rungs of society and, therefore, constantly look for ways to "set the trends"
People in the lower strata of society seek to identify with the affluent members of society and thus integrate, mimic, and accept the fashion trends set from the top.
According to trickle-down, copying the looks of those in high society is a relatively easy way for people to display upward mobility. However, once a particular trend is too widely accepted, those in the upper strata tend to reject that look as outdated or "played out," and will then look for another new trend to set.
Trickle-across. In trickle-across movement, fashion moves horizontally between groups on similar social levels. In other words, peers set the trend for other peers, as opposed to coming down from only those who are most affluent. In this model, the particular fashion trend spreads very quickly from one group to another.
Researchers have suggested several reasons for trickle-across fashion including rapid methods of mass communication, marketing campaigns from both manufacturers and retailers, and natural trend following from fashion designers, themselves.
Trickle-up. The trickle-up pattern of fashion is the opposite of the trickle-down movement. That is, specific fashion trends and looks start from lower-income groups, or the "streets," and then work their way up through the hierarchy of society.
Designer Chanel is one of the most popular supporters of the trickle-up pattern of fashion distribution. In fact, many of her designs were based on the need for working women to have both functional and comfortable clothes.
Pea coats, khaki pants, and t-shirts are all examples of comfortable and practical clothes that were originally worn by working-class people and are now widely accepted as fashionable casual wear.
Trickle-Down Effect vs. Trickle-Down Theory
The trickle-down effect is tangentially related to the trickle-down theory of economics, which posits that rewarding the wealthy or businesses with tax cuts will stimulate the economy and benefit society.
The trickle-down theory essentially argues for income and capital gains tax breaks to large businesses, investors, and entrepreneurs in order to stimulate economic growth. The assumption, of course, is that all members of society benefit from higher economic growth.
Trickle-down theory is closely related to the general principles of supply-side economics, or Reaganomics, which called for widespread tax cuts, decreased social spending, and deregulation.
Example of the Trickle-Down Effect
A modern example of trickle-down distribution is the way social medial influencers on sites like Instagram set fashion trends; sometimes with a single post.
For example, in 2018, Kim Kardashian posted a picture of herself wearing a neon pink Yeezy dress for her half-sister Kylie Jenner's 21st birthday party. The post sparked a fashion trend that spread to runways, fashion brands, and retail outlets, with reports of a 743% jump in neon products in the short period following Kardashian's post.1
Trickle-Down Effect FAQs
How Does the Trickle-Down Effect Bring Change to Society?
The trickle-down effect brings changes in society through a hierarchical system. Each social class is influenced by a higher social class. Thus, change is brought about when (and only when) the top social group decides to differentiate themselves.
What Is Trickle-Down Communication?
Trickle-down communication is a form of organizational communication where the leader only distributes messages and information to the people working directly under him or her. They, in turn, communicate to those working beneath them, until communication flows all the way down through the organization.
You may of heard of the trickle-down theory before. It is an important concept to understand and deepen your knowledge of the fashion industry. Whether you aim to aspire to be a fashion writer, buyer or designer, it’s important to recognise the theories in fashion and have a knowledge of the industry and its history. Having this knowledge not only proves to recruiters you know the industry, but will help you become better at your job. Whether it is to help add depth to your articles, add context and meaning behind purchase decisions or design with an awareness of what came before and how fashion works. There are many theories of fashion, however, the trickle-up theory is the most important to consider for any role in the industry.
The trickle-down theory examines the way trends filter through society. A trend can be found in any area of human culture from art to aesthetics. Although the way trends are formed and the way we adapt to them has changed over the years, the core principle remains the same. The trickle-down theory is a downward flow, it is when a trend essentially ‘trickles’ down throughout society. It is dependent on society, class and social levels. Meaning trends start with the ‘innovators/first adopters’ which are the richest upper-class part of society. Such as the royal family, celebrities, film stars or top fashion designers. The trend then filters through to the early adopters which in today’s digital world would be the influencers or more celebrities. This then leads to the new trend becoming emulated by fast fashion brands and landing in our wardrobes; the general public. The trickle-down theory leaves us at the bottom of the chain to admire the couture catwalks.
You may have often noticed brands such as Pretty Little Thing producing a ‘copy’ of the latest couture show such as Chanel or Balenciaga, with just weeks of turnover for it to land in our closet. This is the trickle-down theory in action. Admiration of the glamorous, wealthy lifestyle is something that existed long before social media. Fashion and style of the higher social positions have always trickled down. The trickle-down theory was first noted back in the 19th century. Fashion trends and new curations began on the runway appealing to the rich and wealthy who acquired the money to purchase and wear these new desirable looks. Fashion shows were once intimate and only open to clients, unlike today where anyone can watch the latest live stream catwalk at a push of a button.
As the elaborate garments were worn and open to the public eye, the psychology of desiring the rich and famous was just the same. The general public and high street fashion looked up to the upper class for style. And just like today, the fashion ideation becomes available to all, at lower price points through high street retailers. However, back in the day, there was no fast fashion or mass production, so the time a trend would take to trickle down would be a lot longer. We are so used to seeing a trend turn off the catwalk on to boohoo.com in a week. We forget fashion did not always exist in such a demanding way. Chanel was actually one of the first designers to start curating her pieces in cheaper fabrics to make her garments accessible to all women. As the woman who changed fashion forever, she believed all women deserved to feel good, not just the rich.
We have all witnessed the modern examples of the trickle-down theory. From Kim Kardashian’s powerful influence to fast fashion companies emulating the latest catwalk trends of the season. An example of a past trend that trickled down would be from royal influence. King George the third was renowned for wearing a 3 piece suit. Which we still see today! Men at weddings or fancy occasions will include a waistcoat in their outfits. The trend that trickled down centuries ago became a classic trend of the waistcoat we still wear today.
A trend’s life cycle is monitored by trend forecasters. There are many factors that can dictate if a trend will become a fad or make it to a classic. From observability to social status, society’s opinions and values decide the desire for a trend. From classics such as the LBD or the trench coat to fads, you will remember such as jelly shoes or cut out jeans. A fad will only affect a smaller section of society has a short, novelty lifespan, whereas a classic trend is here forever.
Although the fashion industry runs smoothly along the trickle-down theory and has for centuries, there are times where fashion has trickled up. This is when an innovation is initiated among society to form a new trend, which is then in turn copied by designers. Which completely throws the fashion system off course! As the structure of fashion as we know it, the designers create the pieces that we wear. However, the trickle-up theory completely denies this. A great historical example of this is the punk movement! Society began tearing their clothes, writing fun slogans and getting creative with safety pins and prints. This was completely initiated by the wider society which then was emulated on the runway by designers.
We’re already seeing low waisted skirts come back in fashion after Miu Miu’s debut right? The trickle-theory is so important to know within the fashion industry to have a basic knowledge of trends and how they form.
source: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/t/trickle-down-effect.asp