Dresses have always been synonymous with fashion and women’s apparel, the embodiment of the entire fashion industry since sartorial commentary began. But with the rising popularity of casual dressing in recent years, separates have become fashionable and cost-effective. Today, not all dresses are catching the eye and for manufacturers it is important to know which styles of dresses are successful and which of them, aren’t. With separates and dress categories in battle, there has never been a more urgent time to ensure that trend selection is correct and well-timed to optimize on demand. The fashion team at FFT takes a close look at four dress trends to understand how they’ve grown or shrunk over the last 12 months.
Understanding how the market will move is not always easy, but with a sharp eye on changes in the retail scenario and customer preferences, directions can be predicted. Though currently Cami dresses are a popular trend that seems to be selling well; however, it seems that they will have a short lifespan. On the other hand, skater dresses are a steadier and safer trend for exporters and buyers to back on. Floral dresses have increased their trend credentials and look set for continued growth across all market segments. Meanwhile, retailers should pull away from peplum dresses as the trend is declining.
Top moving products are identified as garments which get sold out a short time after arriving in stores and at full price. Analyzing dresses which arrived online between 11th June 2014 and 23rd July 2014, and were sold out at full price in the majority of sizes by 24th July 2014. It was seen that the Top Movers showed characteristics unique to their market segment and hint at the ways trends and styles move through markets as the consumers’ demand gathers pace. In the luxury segment, complicated cuts in the form of asymmetry, sold very well. The clever-cut of Cushnie Et Ochs asymmetric flounce dress is a good example of this.
The floral dress trend is evidenced as a Top Mover across each category. However, the print takes more complicated form in the luxury and premium markets as spotted in Matthew Williamson’s florals amongst strawberry plants, cocktail glasses and parrots, Milly by Michelle Smith’s oversized, painterly orchids and textbook botanicals of Ted Baker. The subtle sophistication of these prints shines through when compared with Forever 21 and New Look’s popular wallpaper florals that sold better for the mass market.
Colour, which has a huge impact on whether a style is a hit or a miss, can vary dramatically from market to market, even within one season. While the luxury market has been successful with the black palette which dominated, inclination towards rich navy and midnight tones which are more complex, were present too. Orange, an important S/S ’14 shade, is more vibrant for the luxury market than seen in the mass market and is reflected on the runways as a shot of hot pink adds another vibrant jolt of character, as picked up by Donna Karan. The premium market has been very decisive in its shades of red, which is the standout colour. Large quantities of grey, biscuit and stone dominated however, with the neutrals taking darker tones than the other markets. Pink is warmer in tone than the other markets, pushing towards blush shades. The premium market, visibly, had the least black of the four.
The mass market has shown a huge amount of success in the pink range, with a wide variety of pastel, blush, apricot and peach tones selling well. Chartreuse, orange, turquoise and aqua reflect the vibrancy of this market, while the many shades of mid-blue imitate luxury. The value-driven market has the most of black, out of the four markets, pushing back the pinks which have done so well elsewhere. Popular here are the bold tones of brightest lime, turquoise raspberry and orange-neon palettes at bargain prices.
Analyzing four current trends for their prospects in the next season…
Peplum dresses
According to the Market Report Dresses 2014 on Editd, since December 2013, the peplum trend is becoming less popular amongst customers as there weren’t enough number of products in the market during the summer of 2013 for this trend to make it through to another season. With 49 per cent of peplum dresses currently in the market discounted, it is evident that this style is soon going to completely fade out, so manufacturers have to ‘jump ship’ to other styles to avoid being stuck with dead stock.
Cami dresses
Cami dresses are a good example of a fast moving trend; having arrived late in summer 2013 season, they have then become a big hit for summer 2014. Since March, the number of cami dresses arriving online has been high. Cami dresses currently in the market have seen their average price grow by 25.9 per cent against last year. With a trend so rapid, it is no surprise to see the mass market brands dominating this category. This trend won’t have a long shelf-life, but will be popular during the peak of its lifespan.
Skater dresses
The report indicates that skater dresses are a steady trend and the style has grown well for summer 2014 as there’s been a 21 per cent lift in average price of skater dresses compared to prior year. The skater dress has proved to be predictable in its pace and presence in the market. So, this trend is in safe territory for buyers and exporters to continue investing in the upcoming season, across luxury, mass-market or value segment of the market.
Floral dresses
Floral dresses are an interesting trend, having been consistent on the category’s trend radar all year. However, recently the trend has received a new-found interest with the number of new arrivals soaring in April. There is no doubt that this is one of the summer’s top dress trends as there’s been an increase of 41.7 per cent in prices from the past one year.
