Sports came to be a major factor much influencing the diversification of the modern fashion. And, as seasons go by, sportswear sensibilities in the modern fashion have been diversified and segmented. In the mean time, after the mid-2000s, outdoor wear...
Sports came to be a major factor much influencing the diversification of the modern fashion. And, as seasons go by, sportswear sensibilities in the modern fashion have been diversified and segmented. In the mean time, after the mid-2000s, outdoor wear, once belonged to the subcategory of sportswear, rose up as the new core trend so its market was in an upward tendency in the sales and scales despite the global depression, increasing designers having the theme of outdoor wear style in the overseas collections. It's expected that outdoor wear will have a continual effect on the modern fashion as the latest issue. However, there are few domestic precedent studies on the outdoor wear even in the general examination including the concept of the related terms, present situation of the markets and socio-cultural factors. Especially, there are almost no studies on the aesthetic and formative analysis of outdoor wear style. So, this study intends to prepare the leading data for planners and researchers related on outdoor wear through examining generals of outdoor wear, arranging its socio-cultural factors and analyzing its style. Most of all, it aims at giving a guide for analyzing the trends of outdoor wear.
The study was done with 2 purposes like followings. First, prepares the theoretical basis through the general examination of outdoor wear. Second, on the assumption that outdoor wear began to be recognized as the Mega Trend in 2007, analyzes styles of outdoor wear in the ready-to-wear collections and those of items that global leading outdoor wear brands launched for the next 5 years.
Outdoor wear refers to multipurpose clothing used widely for outdoor and everyday activities. Outdoor wear style means, in a narrow sense, the characteristic forms and impressions shown from appearance of outdoor wear. And, in a broad sense, it means the trend that everyday dress or nonfunctional clothing has the characteristic of design elements of the functional outdoor wear. As the socio-cultural factors of outdoor wear's rising, there are no-boundary phenomenon of the modern fashion, increase of economical comfort and interest in health, diversification of outdoor activities, expansion of outdoor wear consumers and demands for the functional items resulting from climate change.
The findings of this study are like followings.
First, as for the analysis of outdoor wear style shown from the ready-to-wear collections and the global leading brands since 2007, outdoor wear style of the ready-to-wear collections began to appear in large numbers from 2007, showing the rapid growth. By season, it appeared more in the fall ·winter seasons than spring ·summer. And, by sex distinction, men's wear accounted for 57%, showing that men's wear is accepting outdoor wear trends actively. As for the rate of outdoor activities applied to the ready-to-wear collections, mountains style like mountain climbing and camping had a majority. In order to derive a theme of outdoor wear style in the ready-to-wear collections, based on the designer review and analytic report in the fashion trend research companies, this study used the linguistic image scale method. And, through the verification by the expert, as the 8 themes of outdoor wear style in the ready-to-wear collections, it derived 'MODERN', 'MILITARY', 'TRADITIONAL', 'AVANT-GARDE', 'FEMININE', 'ECO', 'YOUNG POP', 'ETHNIC', and arranged them as the Map. In the style shown from the actual ready-to-wear collections, the theme 'TRADITIONAL' formed 21% and 'MODERN' 20%, showing a strong tone. The rest of styles showed a uniform tendency with the rate of about 10%.
Next, it selected the global leading brands and analyzed the style of items through searching for brands from S/S in 2007 to F/W seasons in 2011. In 18 global outdoor wear brands, the strongest styles were 'TRADITIONAL' and 'MODERN' as in the ready-to-wear collections. And, in the 'TRADITIONAL' style, many American brands were positioned in this theme group. On the contrary, in the 'MODERN' style, a majority of European brands were positioned. In addition, the 'MILITARY' style, with a little weak tendency in the ready-to-wear collections, showed the bullish tendency in outdoor wear brands. Colorful and creative styles like 'YOUNG-POP' and 'AVANT-GARDE' began to develop actively only in a few brands which are popular recently with young people. Outdoor wear brands rarely suggested FEMININE' and 'ETHNIC' styles. However, as they're major styles more than 'MILITARY' in the ready-to-wear collections, it's required for planners and researchers to recognize that they have a potential to rise as the future outdoor wear trends.
Ready-to-wear collection designers have been reinterpreting outdoor wear style creatively under the influence of its functional design. However, it's a recent tendency that planners of outdoor wear brands imitate styles suggested by the ready-to-wear collections. This study derives themes through analyzing outdoor wear style of the ready-to-wear collections and constructs the Map. And then, it analyzes styles that global outdoor wear brands develop. Therefore, it's regarded that such methods of this study have the validity. And, recently with the interaction of the modern fashion and the globalized keen competition of the markets, it's required for the commercial outdoor wear brands to be equipped not only with functionality but with aesthetic fashion. So, domestic outdoor wear brands need to pursue the differentiated style with aesthetic sensibilities of the brand own avoiding imitation and uniform design.