Poster

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Geographic research

GEOGRAPHY

"Seattleites are even more pessimistic about the economy than national peers, Deloitte's annual survey of retail spending trends found. The survey found that 59 percent of Seattle respondents expect the economy to weaken in 2009, compared with 53 percent nationally on average"

"Seattle business people and shoppers said they have known for months that trimming spending is how people are coping. People are cancelling their gym memberships because of job losses. Seattle based Nordstrom Inc. has seen the pinch at its more than 100 stores nationwide. This is the toughest economy climate that we've been working in, in anybody's recent memory, Nordstrom spokeswoman Brooke White said."

-www.seattlepi.com

"Nordstrom cut its third-quarter earnings and sales outlook as it reported a 9.6 percent decline in same-store sales, worse thatn the 7.1 expected."

"Luxury stores such as Neiman Marcus Inc. and Saks Inc. which had seen a sales slowdown, suffered sharp drops as well-healed shoppers cut back on $600 stilettos and other luxuries."

- www.komo4.com

According to the Lifestyle market Analysis (zipcode edition), The population for Washington state in 2007 was 6,402,104 and the projected retail sales for 2o11 was 129,765,321 dollars. Residents age 18-44, which covers our target market, was the more populated group at 2,458,931 people. Ages 25 and older with a college education was 27.7%, another target market of ours.

According to www.sustainability.com, Seattle is the #3 ranked city for Sustainability. The city was #1 in energy and climate change policy and innovation. This shows that the region is a bit concerned with the environment, making the inspiration for our vegan style bag.

CONSUMER PROFILE

Single females ages 18-34 years old, when asked to rank their top ten lifestyle choices, and Fashion Clothing was the highest ranked by index according to the 2008 Lifestyle Market Analysis.

Bag Designs

We have designed a new product for Butler Bag with a low risk design. The low risk design will be very competitive, but we hope that it will introduce a new market by adding and slightly modifying the bags.

Butler Bag consists of many leather bags, so we have come up with a canvas vegan option for consumers who are concerned with animal rights and do not want a leather bag.

We have designed these bags to be marketed to a group of early professionals who want the organization of the original Butler Bag, but with new additions like larger slots/compartments for laptops or flies.

survey results

Total started survey: 96
Total completed survey: 96 (100%)

1. Are you Female or Male?
-Female 90.6%
-Male 9.4%

2. How old are you?
- 18 or younger 8.3%
- 19-24 89.6%
- 25 0r older 2.1%

3. Do you follow trends from magazines or celebrities?
- yes 14.6%
- no 28.1%
- sometimes 57.3%

4. Have you every bought a purse/bag either as a gift for someone or for yourself?
- yes 90.5%
- no 9.5%

5. When do you buy a purse/bag?
- When you need one. 69.1%
- When a new style comes out. 19.8%
- When you're bored. 28. 4%
- For a gift. 25.9%
-Other
-- If I really like/love the style
-- Never
-- When I have excess money/afford it
--When I feel a need for change
--When I see one that seems "me" or my style.

6. How often do you buy a bag?
-Once a month 0.0%
- Once every other month 8.2%
- Once a year 48.2%
- Twice a year 16.5%
- Three times a year 18.8%
- Never 8.2%
- Other
-- Depends if I like it
-- Depends if I have money
-- When my old one falls apart
-- About every two months
-- When it's for a gift
-- Once every two years
-- Once every three years

7. How much are you willing to pay for a designer purse/bag like Coach?
- $0 44.7%
- $100-$299 37.2%
- $200-$500 16.0%
- $500-$1000 1.1%
- $1000 and up 1.1%

8. How much are you willing to pay for a Louis Vuitton bag?
- $0 56.8%
- $100-$299 16.8%
- $200-$500 15.8%
- $500-$1000 10.5%
- $1000 and up 0.0%

9. Would you pay for a bag that has more function than style? Or one with more style than function?
- Function 19.1%
- Style 16.0%
- Both 64.9%

10. How much would you pay for a bag that had more function like slots and areas where you could organize your thing?
- $0-$100 61.1%
- $100-$200 26.3%
- $200-$500 12.6%
- $500-$1000 0.0%
- $1000 and up 0.0%

The survey was taken by our target range of ages 22-26. This gave us lots of information on how much our market spends on accessory products. By surveying our market, it also gave us a feel on how they perceive Butler Bag's competitors in comparison to Butler Bag's line of bags.

2010 Consumer Behavior and Consumer Profile research

consumer behavior research:

consumers purchase with the following in mind:

--comfort
--functionality
--practicality
--fashion

Comfort is increasingly important to the contemporary consumer, as fashion is no longer a reason to sacrifice comfort. Consumers demand both.

The lives of these young professionals are busy, and their days are increasingly long -- they need comfort and practicality. Fashion is an extremely important factor influencing their purchasing habits, however it is no longer the sole factor in buying decisions. Comfort and function are just as important if not slightly more important than a fashion-forward look.

consumer profile:

They frequent coffee shops such as Starbucks, those serving premium coffee. It's primarily because of the relational atmosphere and quality of the product. Marketing the lifestyle of that goes along with the coffee and the experience of buying it at Starbucks influences the loyalty of the consumer. This reflects the ideals and influences for buying of the young professionals market. Consumers of this market are looking for prestige, premium quality products and function, as coffee also helps those who need the energy it provides to get through their busy days.

Creating a fashion-forward, though practical bag that will organize and store all they need throughout the day including a laptop, notebook, wallet, keys, chapstick, etc. will give this consumer what they need and want, but do not already have. It is essentially filling a need and targeting a market Butler Bag has not previously marketed to.

Vegan bag -- eco-friendly option for eco-conscious consumer

crackled leather -- reaction against the flooding of the market of patent leather (shiny, glossy)

1986 color forecast

In 1985, DuPont's Home Furnishings Division predicted a break from pastel colors that had previously dominated the market, with bold, darker color tones coming into style for 1986.  Using more confident colors with a small amount of black to offset them created an elegant, darker, richer palette for homes in America and Europe.  

This new direction for color in 1986 reflects the broader context of society in 1986, as consumers found confidence through the stable and growing economy, increasing equality of men and women in the workforce and bombardment of confident figures in popular media.

Strategic Plan: Quantitative Analysis I & II

Color Forecast: each member will look at the following years to find the main colors in upholstery, fashion items, accessories, industry, etc. and analyze the color information to find any correlating relationships between color themes and the context of society including political, social, cultural and economic factors.  

1978 -- 1984 Kristine
1986 -- 1992 Melissa
1994 -- 1998 Anni
2000 -- 2004 Ashley
2006 -- 2009 Alex

Prepare color board for 2010, including inspiration, theme and names for each color, shade, tint or tone.

Determine End User by Friday, 31. October 2008

First research Butler Bag’s current target market. Are there any markets that are not being served and could use a bag? What are they looking for in a bag? How much are they willing to pay? How does this determine the materials to create the bag?

Capture Momentum of 2008

Take photos of inspiration and interesting fashion, architecture, nature, etc. Look at media including fashion magazines, television, political coverage of presidential election, hit movies, music, newspapers, etc. Find what makes people buy.

Find hidden currents of 2008 and 2009. Look for previous similar patterns and how they affected fashion trends.

Find Competitors of Butler Bag

Research three direct competitors of Butler Bag, finding their current and past sales. Which fabrics are they using, price points and target markets?

Synthesize Findings

Synthesize the findings collected in our blog concerning 2008 and our forecast for 2010.

Develop Bag

Create swatch palette, materials, working price points, perceived value of bag as determined by target market and find what consumers are willing to spend.

Each member is to continue posting research for all of the aforementioned topics on our blog.

Pantone Fashion Color Report for Spring 2009

Here is some more forecasts for 2009, courtesy of Pantone.

Pantone Fashion Color Report- Spring 2009

Poster and survey

Here is our feedback form

.. and you will find our poster at this link.

Color Trends for Spring-Summer 2009

“This colour palette presented as all the others presented by TFL has very nature inspired overtones, come across as incredibly Earthy and quite heavy on the brown leaving us with the feeling very much of old country simplicity.”

“A world deeply inspired by colours of the Mediterranean beaches, where the strong appeal of the sea combines with the period of figurative arts. Flaming and almost primary colours convey strength and energy, but drive us towards a measured chromatic indiscipline through creative and post-futuristic combinations, daring with creative couplings.”

These colors are not too bright, they have a more calm appearance too them while having many variations in color. All these colors also seem to be picked to portray a feeling of tranquility and comfort.



http://www.fashionising.com

1986 Economy: American Workforce and Union Activity

According to a New York Times article published 15. February 1987, 4.7 million additional Americans found work during 1986, which indicates an increase in spending power, as 4.7 million more people were earning their own money. Unions at this time were striving to increase membership of women, as more women were beginning to work outside of the home. This all affects the fashion industry, as women in 1986 were increasingly looking to purchase professional wardrobes and had the money to do so.

1986 Demographics and Psycographics

According to our textbook, the major "age cohorts" are the G.I. generation (born between 1901 and 1924), the silent generation (born between 1925 and 1942), the baby boom generation (born between 1943 and 1960), generation x (born between 1961 and 1981), and generation y (born between 1982 and present?). In 1986 the major demographics would be the baby boom generation and generation x. The baby boomers produced the hippies and the yuppies while generation x produced no specifically defined image that can be connected to them.

The How Stuff Works website has these questions to help determine psychographics:
-What do they like about your product?
-What do they like about your competitor's product?
-What made them decide to buy your product?
-Did they know which brand they were buying before they purchased it?
-What advertising messages had they seen prior to buying?
-How much disposable or discretionary income is available for this type of purchase?
-What are their hobbies?
-What emotional aspects impact their purchase?
-What is their social class or status?
-Who is the actual decision-maker for this type of purchase?
-What values and attitudes play a part in this type of purchase?
-Who do they look to when making purchasing decisions?

Using what we know about the different generations and these questions, we can try to determine the market that they would have been selling to in 1986. Overall they were selling to two very different markets. The baby boomers were more family oriented and at the same time they were striving to reach professional goals. They would be looking for a product that was affordable and helped make their life easier, all while putting out a professional image. Generation x had more computer technology than any previous generation had seen. They also found personal needs, wants, and goals the most important. They wanted to know "what's in it for me?" Generation x would be looking for a product that is advanced and was just for them. They might have more discretionary income to spend on themselves than the baby boomers because the boomers had families to spend that money on as well. This is just an overall look at the two generations and in no way means that every consumer of that generation adhered to these rules.

1986 Big Bang in London

On 27. October 1986, doing business through the stock market in London changed dramatically. In one huge step, known as Big Bang, trading in the Stock Exchange became a professional undertaking, as brokers began to do business through telephone and the computer instead of face-to-face. Technology changed the nature of the business in London forever. Looking back after these drastic changes had been implemented for ten years, Financial Times reporter George Graham found mixed feelings concerning Big Bang. It certainly elevated the Stock Exchange in London to a more global level, and with it brought a sense of professionalism. Some felt that it was anti-climatic, although others felt it was too sudden and should have been addressed in stages.

Elevating the Stock Exchange in London to a global level, instead of solely at the national level, certainly had a profound impact on the economy and business of trading stocks. This fundamental reform through improved technology and deregulation of the markets caused an economic boom that boosted the British economy for the next 20 years.

You may read the original article here.

1986 Shuttle Disaster

The Challenger Disaster on 28. January 1986 sent the entire American community reeling, trying to understand how such a tragedy could have happened. Only 73 seconds after a magnificent, highly-publicized take-off the shuttle disintegrated, instantly killing all crew members, including teacher Christa McAuliffe. President Ronald Reagan addressed the nation with his annual State of the Union Address that evening, beginning with comments on the disaster that had only hours earlier struck our country.


President Reagan addressed the schoolchildren across our country who had witnessed the disaster on live television, as they watched an American teacher leaving for space. He highlights the tragedy as a painful reality, explaining to these children that the American "future doesn't belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave."


This tragedy certainly affected Americans deeply, in turn, reaffirming their deepest-held values and beliefs as a united nation. In times of national tragedy, Americans react based on their deep instincts as an independent and freedom-driven peoples. President Reagan understands these reactions and addresses the American people to calm their fears and reaffirm the importance of an American space program and respecting our freedoms to maintain such a program of exploration.

Fall 2008 Bag Trends

From Lucky Magazine
Here is what Lucky predicts to be the predominating styles for handbags for the fall:

These bags are all about the combination of style with function. They range in price from a couple hundred to a couple thousad dollars.

1986 Music Icon Patti Labelle

In 1986, Patti Labelle topped the record charts with hit single On My Own. In an interview with EbonyJet, Labelle discusses her role as a successful African-American female artist. The increasingly visible role of women in society at this time is apparent in this interview through Labelle's discussion of her increasingly prominent and successful role in society made by Labelle. Her appearance in this interview is also one of strength and power, as she wears the iconic shoulder pads of the mid-eighties in a large, boxy blazer. Her presence itself commands attention.

Average Annual Expenditures 1986 + 2006

Average annual expenditures for all consumers in 2006: $48,398
Average annual expenditures for all consumers in 1986: $23,886

The annual expenditures graph show and compares how much consumers in the U.S. had spent in 1986 and 2006. This information is important because it allows companys to go and see where their consumer's paychecks are going. This is good for target marketing especially if a company was going to target a group of consumers that had more money to spend on luxury items.

Consumers are spending most of their money on housing and related utilities like electricity to support and live. Transportation is second.

Information taken from U.S. Department of Labor

1986 Trends cont.

Again we have shoulder pads in all three of these pictures. Shoulder pads were HUGE in 1986 (due to the fact that with more woman in the workplace due two incomes being necessary, woman wanted to be seen as equal to men). The Anne Klein ad shows us an oversized clutch which became very popular in 2007. There is a current Ferragamo ad with a very similar oversized clutch to this, except it is white with a corner folded over revealing a different color snakeskin.

1986 Trends cont.

Here are more pictures from 1986 Vogue. All 3 women are wearing shoulder pads in their three different coats, this is one trend here. Another is wide belts. The first woman in the black with the pinstripe pants is wearing a black one, the woman in the Escada ad is wearing a large orange one, and while the woman wearing the DKNY red evening coat doesn't have a belt, the dress is high waisted. Also notice that all of these women are wearing short gloves. 1986 was all about accessories as shown in the first two pictures. Each woman is wearing very large plastic earrings, gloves, a belt, and the first woman in black has some sort of cuff on her left wrist. Throughout the magazine I saw tons of bangle stacking, which has been a trend that has been popular in various time periods such as the 1970's, and even as recent as 2006.

1986 Trends

These photos were taken from January, March, April, November and December issues of Vogue in 1986. Here are 4 different shoe ads. The first picture is a low pump with red and white color blocking made by Gucci. The second is a snakeskin pump by Valentino, the third are various pairs of really bright snakeskin pumps and lastly we have a pair of teal suede flats. The trends here are quite obvious; lots of color, animal prints, and high-heeled shoes (although flats were wildly popular as well).

1986, Trend of Excess

Leo, Peter. "Fashion Trend Full of Holes." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: 11. Jun. 1986.

This editorial concerning an upcoming trend of not only worn jeans, but worn-out jeans highlights some interesting and varying thoughts on the current state of fashion in 1986. The opinion of the editor is clearly that paying extra for holes in designer jeans is outrageous and unpractical. This is also a trend highlighting clear excesses, as the holes are made by breaking down the fibers that make-up the textile used in creating these jeans, wearing them out much faster than normal. I believe this trend is a clear example of the excesses and prosperity of the 1980s.

You can read the original article here.

1986, Ralph Lauren Cover of Time Magazine

Koepp, Stephen. "Selling a Dream of Elegance and the Good Life." Time Magazine: 1. Sept. 1986.






Designed for a person who appreciates the finer things in life, and is newly able to afford a = luxury items, Ralph Lauren's designs and strong marketing of his brand name lines spoke to a consumer who aspired to a luxury lifestyle. Lauren himself was raised from humble beginnings in the Bronx, although always looking to the luxuries of life including, "hand-tailored clothes, manor houses, sports cars, fine horses and manicured lawns." Those now buying his products are typically professionals who earn enough to afford a taste of the luxury lifestyle, and are intrigued by Lauren's marketing approach, which fills a desire of the consumers to have a piece of luxury for themselves, although they may not actually be from old money. Lauren also profits from the increasing popularity of sportswear, as clothing becomes more functional, comfortable and practical, adapting to the changing lifestyles of Americans.


This article puts Ralph Lauren's newly-found success in context of the larger fashion scene in America during 1986, and at this time, Liz Claiborne was the most profitable designer, selling primarily to professional women at mid-level price points. Understanding the most profitable designer underscores the target market that is creating the most demand for product. As found in earlier research, I believe this shows a fundamental shift in American culture and lifestyle, as women in 1986 are increasingly working outside of the home in successful careers of their own, for which they require professional attire. They are also now making their won money, with which they can afford to invest in their wardrobes.



In a time of exaggerated trends, Ralph Lauren designs appealed to those who appreciate restraint and conformity, as actress Candice Bergen explained, " 'He incorporates the things you've loved for years. I'm basically not one who is comfortable in massive shoulder pads or the trendy things.' "


You can read the original article from Time magazine here.

Progress Report - Instructor's Comment

Dear Team,

I am glad to see that you are following other blogs. I would encourage you to see the depth and magnitude of their data as it is different from the research you have gathered so far. Remember, you are responsible for providing past data for several teams, and they are relying on you to succeed in their own project analysis.

I also need you to rethink the organization of your data. The way it looks now is sporadic and not deep at all. It is hard to follow your train of thought, think back to the communication scale, read the criteria in the matrix!
As far as quality of data, I have looked at the draft folders hoping to find additional data that has not been published, but did not find any. Are you using the Google Docs? Is that where the data is?

The data you have collected so far is a good start, but you have less than two days to pull data that is needed for teams in your class. It is your responsibility and I would expect major changes to this blog by then.

M.

1986 Technology

The First Laptop

In 1986 IBM released the first laptop computer called the Convertible computer which cost almost $2000 weighing at 12 pounds! Imagine carrying that around campus. Comparing this convertible computer to today's laptops it has two special features that laptops in 2008 do not have, a printer and a detachable LCD screen.





The Human Genome Project

The Human Genome Project was launched in 1986 to understand the effects of energy production on the human body, on a DNA level.








The Nicotine Patch
Created by Frank Etcorn was created by accident. After using himself and his family to test and perfect his invention, he got it patent in 1986.








Space Shuttle Challenger

On January 28 1986, the Challenger space shuttle exploded just 73 seconds after take off, killing all seven astronauts on board.













Pictures taken from IBM Laptop BBC News Health Human Genome Challenger

Current and Past trends 1986-2008

http://trendwatching.com/trends/8trends2008.htm
A GREAT website that explains 8 important consumer trends for 2008, goes in depth to explain reasons for buying including feelings, culture and technology.

A recent trend that has come up is “go green” there is a great article on how women have been affected by this trend and it has altered their shopping patterns and lifestyles. This story "seems to reflect a larger cultural pattern connecting the dots between how/where people shop, their changing awareness of living more sustainable, and how that affects the traffic pattern of their buying behaviors in general." this article states how many families are trying to be environmentally conscious right now and buy organic products or serve a greener taker on shopping however the economy is not very strong right now and so many families are starting to focus more on saving money and gas.

Another article shows 46 ways to help the environment in this environmentally conscious time, including how to wash dishes and laundry, and other things that are done daily that you can alter to help the environment

This website talks about different generations and cultural influences! for example, "Average salary: $7,564; Food prices: milk, 33 cents a qt.; bread, 24 cents a loaf; round steak, $1.30 a pound, Life Expectancy: Male, 67.1; Female, 74.8" it goes over art/architecture, literature, education during this time, fads and fashion trends, technology, people, music, theater/t.v., and sports. this article also has many links for each topic that you can read further in depth.

1980s Fashion Accessories
color coordinating was a big thing throughout the 80s with lots of gold jewelry and pearls and bright colors a good website for accessories worn is the link below

Most Popular Movies of 1986

From: http://www.imdb.com/Sections/Years/1986/top-grossing



1. Top Gun

2. Crocodile Dundee

3. Platoon

4. The Karate Kid, Part II

5. Back to School

6. The Golden Child

7. Aliens

8. Ruthless People

9. Ferris Bueller's Day Off

10. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home



Since these were the movies that most people went to see in 1986 they would have had a big impact on popular styles of the time. Keep in mind some of these movies were huge and still hold sway today. These are the movies we should be looking at for style influence, for example Top Gun and especially a film like Ferris Bueller, which shows a popular young man and his friends in clothes that they would be wearing every day.

Spring 09 Accessories

Check out the latest trend report on accessories from Milan at Style.com
It includes:
-a drum shaped wristlet from Bottega Veneta
-a crocodile bag with necklace like shoulder straps from Dolce & Gabbana
-a canvas tote by Emilio Pucci
-a python purse from Fendi
-lilac t-strap sandals by Georgio Armani
-a revamped shoulder bag from Gucci
-some very detailed shoes from Jimmy Choo
-patent leather platform pumps from Marni
-black and white leather printed heels by Sergio Rossi
-a neoprene shoulder bag from Tod's
-a mirror like clutch from Valextra
The site wouldn't let me copy pictures so go check it out. I think this spring 09 trend report can definitely show us where fashion is headed right now. Also this is a really great site for looking at past trends as well as trends that are just around the corner. Something else I would encourage checking out is the fall 08 trend report which claims that belle curves, country life, the long view, minimalist tendency, superhero worship, and winter garden will all be popular styles and themes.

1986 Consumer Spending

Beaudry, Laura M. and Paul Miller. "APPAREL: Statistical Overview." 1. Mar. 2000. .



This report highlights the drastic increase of 47% in consumer spending between years 1972-1973 and 1986-1987, due in part to an increase of women in the workplace, which would require women to expand their wardrobes to include professional attire, as well as allow women more control over their finances, as they are increasingly earning their own money. This fundamental difference in lifestyle and culture would likely have strong effects on consumer spending habits and the items they are looking to purchase, given women's new social roles as working members of society and further independence from their traditional roles as housewives.


You can read the text of this article here.

2008 Fall/Winter Colors

According to the Color Marketing Group, these colors will be influenced in items for Fall/Winter of 2008:

Extreme matte and very shiny glossy finishes are also to be seen with the upcoming color trends.

Red based purples, reds mixed with oranges and blues, the original gray and some lighter shades of it. Green has been in use for the last couple of years with help from environmental awareness, so new greens that are mixed more with blue will be appearing. Dark navy blues and greens that are almost black will also be in. Soft light blues will also be seen.

For more details on the colors above for Fall/Winter 2008 Visit the Color Marketing Group.

2008 Moccasin Trend

Minnetonka sales representatives distributed these flyers at the World Shoe Association Show in August 2008 to further emphasize to buyers the current moccasin trend that is seen in the media. Celebrities are wearing moccasins, although I have noticed people wearing moccasins as a trend item for about a year now. It is interesting that young, fashion-forward individuals are taking an item typically worn by older adults for casual comfort and slippers at home and wearing them to achieve an entirely new and different aesthetic. This certainly highlights the innovation of a familiar and non-fashion item to a trend accessory.

Politics and Cultural influences in 1986

According to the CPI inflation calculator on the bureau of labor statistics shows that $50.00 in 1986 has the same buying power as $99.95 in 2008
A great website for economic, political, and social information for 1986 is http://www.answers.com/1986
This website has a list of categories on the right hand side with a variety of information from this time period

1986 was designated the international year of peace by the United Nations.
Some more websites for political information and articles are
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE1D81538F937A25754C0A961948260&scp=6&sq=politics%201986&st=cse

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A0DE1D71638F93AA2575BC0A960948260&scp=1&sq=politics%201986&st=cse

http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20030201&slug=webchallenger01

http://www.enotes.com/peoples-chronology/year-1986/political-events

A big influence throughout the late 1980s was princess Diana she supported many british designers from Arabella Pollen and Bruce Oldfield to Amanda Wakeley, then started supporting more international designers such as Chanel.
http://www.fashion-era.com/diana_80s_fashion_icon.htm

In the 1980s, fashion was influenced by the western economic boom. The dominant market was getting older and was also financially secure. Demographics changed the face of society. People were living longer and seemed to act younger at the same time. Old industries died, while new technologies developed and boomed.

Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy Reagan in the USA celebrated presidential success with a style that used fashionable conspicuous clothes and social events to display the affluence of American society to a world audience. 1980s Fashion history - Headshot of Margaret Thatcher in her trademark royal blue tailored suit and also a black suit with white collar.

The world was in flux; ever changing. The USSR relaxed rules and opened up to private enterprise. The Berlin wall came down and other eastern bloc countries craved western clothes and liberation.

In Britain Thatcherism promoted privatization and the idea that greed was good was given credence. Temples to modern living, shopping malls sprang up throughout Britain. Western society consumed and consumed.

Designer labels and branding gained impetus. Brand names became status symbols for sports gear and sportswear, perfumes, electrical equipment, cars and fashion designer goods such as clothing, bags, luggage, scarves and spectacles.

By the mid-eighties tills rang not with cash, but the increasing use of credit cards. It was all such a relief to the consumer to be able to spend and actively be encouraged to consume after years of recession. Clothing purchases soared. Interiors were decorated. Showing wealth was superficially powerful.
http://www.fashion-era.com/1980s_lifestyle_and_fashion.htm

some fashion history of not just 1986 but all of the 1980s
http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/80sclothes.html

1986-Economics/Social

Economy-
In 1986, Ronald Reagan, a Republican, was in his second term as President of the United States. Coming into office, he inherited high inflation and a high unemployment rate. In 1986 the country was beginning to recover from this. The Cold War had just ended the year before, however the Berlin Wall was still intact until 1989. As far as the economy is concerned, Reagan is still well known for his economic policies, also known as "Reaganomics". This conservative economic policy style has four key fundamentals: 1) Reduce government spending. 2) Reduce marginal tax rates on income. 3) Reduce government regulation of the economy. 4) Control money supply to reduce inflation.

http://ntserver1.wsulibs.wsu.edu:2054/ehost/detail?vid=5&hid=108&sid=18edd2da-4a8c-4fc5-b948-52d6fc82ceec%40sessionmgr107&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=a9h&AN=

Social-
In 1986, Reagan signed legislation budgeting 1.7 billion dollars to fight the War on Drugs. It was assumed that by cutting of the supply of drugs to this country, the demand would in turn decrease. The government fought to catch cocaine trafficking coming in from South America on boats, planes etc. Cocaine, and eventually crack became wildly popular in the country trickling down from the elite eventually to those in poverty.

"By the mid-1980s, as crack leeched out from New York, Miami and Los Angeles into the American interior, the devastations inflicted by the drug were becoming more vivid and frightening. The Reagan White House seemed to capture the current of the moment: Nancy Reagan's plaintive urging to "just say no," and her husband's decision to hand police and prosecutors even greater powers to lock up street dealers, and to devote more resources to stop cocaine's production at the source, in the Andes. In 1986, trying to cope with crack's corrosive effects, Congress adopted mandatory-minimum laws, which hit inner-city crack users with penalties as severe as those levied on Wall Street brokers possessing 100 times more powder cocaine. Over the next two decades, hundreds of thousands of Americans would be locked up for drug offenses."

-http://ntserver1.wsulibs.wsu.edu:2054/ehost/detail?vid=6&hid=101&sid=8ca094a9-daeb-48c9-9487-04fab3f9ce69%40sessionmgr107&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=a9h&AN=27736161

Popular styles of 1986:
Legwarmers and miniskirts were part of the "Valley Girl" look. Shoulder pads were extremely popular to show power at the work place by being equal to men. Bright pumps and jelly shoes were popular footwear choices. The "Madonna Look" i.e. large crucifixes, gloves fingerless or not, fishnets and layered beaded necklaces. Converse shoes became popular in the early 80's and throughout the decade, they remain popular today. Acid washed jeans and denim jackets.
http://www.80srewind.net/80s/80sfashion.htm

The Chenobyl accident of 1986 in the Soviet Union brought along a lot of nuclear power opposition. On April 26, 1986 in the Ukraine SSR, reactor number four exploded causing the greatest nuclear accident in history. A plume 400 times the size of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima covered Eastern and Northern Europe. There were 56 immediate deaths, and hundreds more in the coming years due to radiation.
Medvedev, Grigori (1989). The Truth About Chernobyl. VAAP. First American edition published by Basic Books in 1991

Other Important events in 1986:
The number one song in 1986 was "Papa Don't Preach" by Madonna
The Oprah Winfrey show makes it's debut.
The original Nintendo console is released.
The Average Household Income in Seattle is $36,338 and in Los Angeles it is $34,965
-http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/income/histinc/msa/msa1.html

2008 Economy

Dominus, Susan. "Well-Heeled Shoppers Defy Wall St. Malaise For a Sale at Hermes." New York Times: 26. Sept. 2008, A24.

Despite increasingly negative news concerning the American economy and Wall Street finances, women lined 18th Avenue in New York City this week to get their hands on a few deals at Hermes sample sale. "Oddly, that particular rationale -- shop to keep America strong -- did not come up in the Hermes line on Tuesday afternoon, although almost every other one did" (Dominus A24). Their reasons for buying luxury items in such a devastating economy primarily focused on the benefit of feeling good about getting something new and at a sale price. These women want to feel good about themselves and through their purchase, can feel better about their status through these luxury items, even though they are now feeling the pinch of the economy and need to budget more tightly.

Context: 1986

I found this great site that talks about what was going on in 1986 which I really think will help with researching the year. We can look at what movies were popular, who was in office, and other dominating ideas of the time, etc.
US President: Ronald Reagan
Events: -The Challenger Space Shuttle explodes after launch killing all seven on board
-Supreme Court reafirms abortion rights
Economics: -US GDP (1998 dollars): $4,422.20 billion
-Federal spending: $990.34 billion
-Federal debt: $2120.6 billion
-Median Household Income(current dollars): $24,897
-Consumer Price Index: 109.6
-Unemployment: 7.0%

Strategic Plan

Horizontal Paths of Dichotomy

Strategic Plan

Questions:

• What are the underlying currents fueling the spirit of the times?
• How does the context of the times affect what consumers spend their money on?

We will begin by gathering date concerning the context of the macro environment in both 1986 and 2008. This includes the major social, cultural, political and economic issues of both years. Information will be collected through various mediums and publications including: WSU libraries; The Lifestyle Market Analyst (LMA); the United States Census Bureau, American Factfinder; Academic Search Complete; current newspapers; current and archival fashion and lifestyle magazines; and internet news websites including CNN.com and FoxNews.com. Taking photos of our surroundings to include inspiring people, accessories, nature, colors, shapes, textures and architecture will aid in our search for the underlying currents fueling the spirit of the times, and also in understanding the context of our society here in Pullman, which is a cross-section of primarily students and faculty from around Washington State and from across the world, spanning several generations.

Macro Environment Research:

• Political

Is the political atmosphere including the extreme political division among conservatives and liberals affecting shopping habits?

• For example: Do the underlying principles and values reflected by a political party determine decisions such as what to wear, how much to spend on an item, where to purchase it and why it was purchased? If a someone is classified as a liberal and cares about the environment, will it change their spending habits and the items they purchase?
• Economic
• What is the consumer reaction to the current U.S. financial crisis? Is it affecting spending habits including: stores people shop at, how much they spend on an item, what they are purchasing and why they are purchasing it?
• Social
• Why is a consumer driven to buy and what are they buying? Is it a reaction of the pressures of society and status?
• What product sales are driven by the lifestyle a consumer chooses to live?

• Cultural
• Why are consumers purchasing a specific product? What meaning does the product embody for the end user?

Products in the Marketplace

We will analyze the current market to determine the major designers and their price points, then collecting information about the styles and designs offered, as well as the fabric used to create the desired aesthetic, the finishing processes, colorways and the manner in which they are marketed utilizing accessories and styling.

End Users

• Geographic
• Does the location of a consumer determine their buying patterns or habits? Why?

• Psychographic

How does a person’s value system and personality affect their spending habits and specific product needs

• Behavioral
• Where do consumers shop and why?
• Why are they satisfied with a particular shopping experience and continue to shop in a specific store, city or medium (online, in store)?

Demographics

• What are the classifications of various demographic groups determined by age, gender, education level, occupation and income?

Responsibilities:

In an effort to collect the most possible data and eliminate blind spots, we will be conducting the research as follows:

• Alex Kerouac and Ashley Musselman will gather data concerning the context of the macro environment. This includes information concerning political, economic, social and cultural issues within 1986 and 2008.
• Kristine Skelton, Melissa Stowe and Anni Woo will gather data concerning the product and the correlating end users in the macro environment. This will focus on information for 1986 and 2008 including: color; fabric, fiber and finish; raw materials; design and styles; major designers and competition; price points; merchandising; marketing; geographic trends; psychographics; consumer behaviors; and demographics.

Deadline: Through the blogging tool we will discuss and analyze the data everyone has collected. Group members must begin gathering research and upload it to the group blog as it is collected, or by Monday, 29. September 2008 at the latest.

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