A minor point to ponder is the bracket in which the age group of "21-25 years" and "35 and above" falls into. The younger age group is basically in the transition stage where the consumer is still trying to find out his identity and his niche. So this group goes through a transition phase experimenting with various styles and trends. His friends and family play an important part in the formation of his identity. On the other hand the older group has already achieved his niche areas and identities as a result he becomes the so called "Loyal customer".

Going by the fashion terminologies, generally the consumers are broadly divided into three groups: the fashion leaders, the fashion followers and the laggards. Those who adopt a fashion statement way ahead of others would be in the category of fashion leaders, chiefly comprising of the celebrities. Fashion followers are the people who are wary of taking any kind of risks, so they first let the leaders adopt fashion trends and once that trend is acceptable and digestible, they adopt it. We can say, the fashion followers only tread in tested waters. Coming to the fashion laggards, this segment would adopt a trend way behind others, once formally it is no more a fashion statement and is on its path to decline.

These three groups are present among both the ATBAGs and The YABIGs. Both of them have their share of leaders, followers and the laggards. The marketing professionals and the sales team would definitely give importance to the leaders and to some extent the followers. But even the laggards cannot be ignored; after all they also contribute some amount to the sales figures. Consumers from all walks of life are part of this fashion business, whether they themselves believe it or not. A person might think himself to be aloof from the fashion game, but in actual he is very much present there. The entire society falls into at least one of the three segments. Once a person is sure about his segment, the choices for him become much clear, as straght away he can start his buying and purchasing from stores that fulfill his kind of requirements.

The bottom line is that everyone of us is part of this game called "Fashion". The key is to identify your role, understand the rules , and play your part the right way.It is sure the path to success as far is the appearance is concerned.

About the Author

The author is Faculty in Retail Department in Footwear Design & Development Institute (FDDI), Noida