70s, 80s 90s fashion trends - flares, platforms, boob tubes, high waisted jeans, jumpsuits...
Fashion trends are largely influenced by celebrities and what they wear. In today's society celebrities style is somewhat idolized with articles in magazines showing how to 'steal their style'.
Because fashion trends come and go so quickly it is inevitable that we are seeing fashions being repeated through generations.
Oh don't you remember the non uniform days back at school and there was always on kid who came in his school uniform... this shows trends at its worst because it singles out those who can't afford the newest and nicest clothes.
Toys
Pokemon, Tamagotchi, Pogs, yo yo's, Furby - All these toys have been children's crazes with companies making millions from sales. Most of which quickly disappeared and have easily been forgotten about.
Pokemon - Started with trading cards to use with friends and battle characters. It has since been developed into a cartoon series and film and also a wide range of cuddly toys and many other types of advertising merchandise.
Tamagotchi - A digital pet you take care of and send to battle with other Tamagotchis. Feed, train and send to bed... you own virtual pet minus the potty training.
Pogs - Stack your pogs faced down. Your opponent uses his 'slammer' (a plastic or metal version of the pogs) and hits the stack of pogs, which ever pogs land face up are theirs to keep...etc etc.
Pogs are circled shaped card with different designs on the front. Pogs tubes and pog mats were also designed as accessories to the game.
Yo yo's - The earliest surviving yo yo dates from around 500BC and was made from terra-cotta skin disks. Yo yo's have come a long way since then, being made out of light weight material and made aerodynamic for optimum performance. There are many tricks you can perform with a yo yo and there are competitions for those professional players.
Furby's - In the short three years Furbies were in production they sold over 40 million units and its speaking capabilities translated into 24 different languages.
Furbies are a battery operated interactive, talking, moving toy. Furbies gradually learn to speak English over a period of time. Furbies can communicate with other Furbies through an inferred section between their eyes.
Hair cuts - Celebrities can be a great influence with their hair styles. For example David Beckham's hair has been talked about for many years now and fans want to have his style to be 'on trend'.
Another recent 'hair style to have' was the 'bob' sported by Rihanna and Victoria Beckham below.
However sometimes interpretations of these styles can go a bit wrong...
Music - Music taste can say a lot about someone. Stereotypically someone's dress sense can imply what their music taste is like...
Indie: instrument orientated band
Emo, slow sad songs
It has recently become more and more popular to download music off the internet. It is a lot cheaper and convenient.
Sharing the same music tastes as friends can actually be quite important. Singers portray and image and a style, which can influence its audience. Also the style of life and meaning behind the songs can influence listeners greatly and sharing a common interest in the same music can help bring people together.
Facebook alike is a very influential and part of many people's lives around the world today. Helping connect people across the globe, keeping in contact with friends, keeping in the know about what's going on... a wild craze which has grown and grown recently, not having facebook could make you feel left out and not in the know.
Guns and Knives - A very bad yet very true trend appearing on streets within gangs today. Weapons are being brought onto the street in many cases to protects ones self, but this trend is increasing, as is the death rate of gang members who are falling victim to attacks using weapons. It has been found that if you are carrying a weapon yourself you are more likely to get hurt.
Below are some campaigns showing the seriousness of gun and knife crime:
Videos have also been made to help deter people away from gun and knife crime. I feel the videos are more hard hitting and are easier to relate to and therefore are more effective.
This example of shows how influencial trends can be and how people strive to fit in.
Trends help make everyone similar, they give a path to follow, a way of life, an identity, but also possibly a lack of identity. A trend is something which is good right now, however if everyone chooses to follow the trend everyone will be the same surely?
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