March 29, 2024

Once upon a time fashion was simple. In spring the first bi-annual fashion shows would showcase the spring/summer collections and in late summer they would showcase the autumn/winter collections, all of which would be replicated by high street brands and appear in our shops a few weeks later. Today, however, everything has changed. With a global demand for shopping blurring the seasons, the fact that we have adapted our environments to suit us and the increase in demand for pre-season collections, the lines have been blurred in every way. You are now just as likely to see a summer dress in Milan Fashion Week in September as you are to see a winter coat in the spring shows.

Global Demand for Shopping

High fashion is no longer the domain of western culture, with emerging economies such as India, China and Brazil likely to have a demand for summer clothes during our winter. Fashion houses have adapted to this by supplying a never-ending stream of new lines throughout the seasons to cater to all requirements.

Adapting the Environment

There was a time when you needed thick tights, a woolly coat and a hat in winter, even when indoors, while in summer you needed to stay cool at work regardless of whether you were working in a stuffy office block or in a cafe bar. Thanks to heating systems and air conditioning, however, we work in a similar temperature indoors pretty much all year round. This has again blurred the lines of seasonal demand. If you want to wear women’s skinny designer jeans from online retailers such as cuba-clothing.com, for example, they work just as well when it is 35 degrees out there as they do when it is -3.

Pre-season Collections

Pre-season collections have also signified a shift, with customers expecting new lines in the shops faster than ever. This means that winter clothes are available well before winter and summer clothes well before summer, again blurring the idea of a seasonal collection.

A number of factors have affected the concept of seasonal collections from fashion houses, not least the global demand for fashion and the expectation of fast-fashion. The fashion industry has reacted accordingly and you can now expect to buy practically any item whenever it suits you.