Timeless Over Trends, Every Single Time: Men’s Professional Style Tips
Tip #27: Don’t be on the wrong side of trends.
Trends in fashion come and go, but having a timeless sense of style never goes out of fashion. While it's tempting to jump on every new trend that comes along, it's important to know when to follow a trend and when to avoid it. In this blog post, we'll explore the concept of the "Innovation Theory" and how it can help you avoid making fashion mistakes that you'll regret in the future.
The Innovation Theory is a concept that describes the diffusion of innovations in society. According to this theory, there are five groups of people in the adoption process of a new trend: innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority, and laggards.
2.5% of the population are considered innovators, these are the individuals who create the trends. They are usually the first to try out new styles, and set the tone for what will become popular.
13.5% of the population are early adopters, they are quick to follow the latest trends and embrace new styles.
34% are the early majority, they tend to be more cautious and take a while to adopt new trends, but they eventually come around. By the time they start wearing the trend, it has already peaked.
34% are the late majority, they are typically behind the curve and often buy the trend at a discount because it is already on its way out.
16% of the population are laggards, they generally do not care about fashion and tend to buy whatever they find.
So, what does this mean for you and your personal style? Knowing the stages of the innovation theory can help you stay ahead of the fashion curve and avoid making any fashion mistakes that you'll regret in the future.
It's important to remember that fit always trumps fashion. No matter how much you spent on a suit or piece of clothing, if it doesn't fit properly, it won't matter. You'll look better in a well-fitted $500 suit than in a $35,000 suit that doesn't fit.
While it's okay to follow fashion trends, it's important to know when a trend is coming to an end. For example, sweatpants as daywear, skinny fit clothing, and high socks with baggy jeans were all once popular, but they have since fallen out of favor. On the other hand, essentials like navy, charcoal, light grey, mid-grey, brown and a black tuxedo will always be timeless and never go out of style.
Conclusion
Knowing the innovation theory, focusing on fit, and investing in timeless essentials will help you create a stylish wardrobe that you'll love for years to come.
Derek Burbidge - Owner/Founder of Cardero Clothing
In 2014, Derek rented a suit for his wedding only to later discover the advice he received was terrible and the fit of the rentals was way off. After travelling to Thailand and Europe soon after his wedding he was introduced to bespoke clothing and various timeless styles. As a lover of all things men's fashion, he started Cardero Clothing to keep men from making the same mistakes he did.