Fashion Merchandising

History

I began this assignment on a bit of a sour note, recalling the similar previous assignment from last week and the little results I uncovered. I decided to broaden my search and look for the history of general marketing instead of searching for fashion merchandising in particular. I discovered much more using this broader term. Marketing is a fairly new major, evolving around the time of the 1950’s to 1960’s, when most markets started becoming quite saturated. The concept was first developed during the industrial revolution back in the 18 to 19th century. This related to the concept we see today in the sense that companies saw the need to develop more sophisticated ways to manage the distribution of goods. It began as an inward looking organization, with much of the focus on what would be produced. In modern days, it is more of an outward looking organization, focusing more on the markets and what consumers want to buy. Marketing is slowly developing the ability to understand consumers and their wants and needs, although some markets still focus inwardly and are more concerned about what items are being produced. For a market to function effectively there must be an understanding between consumers and the markets they purchase from. As this understanding develops more over time, markets will continue to change, and grow. That being said, the history of marketing today may be drastically different in ten to twenty years, depending on what direction the development of the major takes.
The major of marketing at Georgia Southern first developed with the introduction of the College of Business when the university was still known as the state Teachers College. In 1968, the college received the approval to separate schools of science, art, education and business. Since that time, the Department of Marketing and Logistics has been growing and developing along with the university. Today it is a much sought out major, and Georgia Southern is widely praised for their excellent business program. I am proud to call this my major, and was much more pleased with the results I discovered with this online source search than last time. I will continue to dig in hopes of finding when the emphasis of fashion intertwined with my major, as that is my goal of studies.

Education

Fashion Merchandising is the root of our retail clothing market, bringing new trends to stores near you. It is best described as the connection between design, apparel, business, communication, and expenditure. Although fairly new, this major is now sweeping the nation, grabbing the attention of those with an eye for fashion and a mind for business.

Degree Plan

The degree plan for Fashion Merchandising at Georgia Southern University is just a click away. Check it out and see if this is the major for you!

Academic Advisors

A list of academic advisors in the discipline are available through the link above.

Fashion Merchandising at GSU

Fashion Merchandising is an emphasis of the Marketing major, which belongs to the Marketing and Logistics department in the Georgia Southern College of Business Administration.

Research and Writing in the Discipline

Writing in Marketing
Following a hearty search of my Internet’s database, I was unsuccessful in finding writing assignments relating to my major. I found many writing assignments for general core classes and composition. I also found a few websites with tips and tricks about how to write a successful paper in college. One website I discovered even had prompts for a writing class that related to real world situations. The majority of sources that I found related to either surveys of college writing or how to succeed in college writing. While I found this interesting, it was of no help to my assignment.
If I were to make a guess about what students in my major would be writing about in their upper level classes, I could probably ballpark quite close. Being somewhat knowledgeable about the basics of my major, it wouldn’t be too difficult to assume what they would be asked to write about. My guess would be that they would be writing papers about the current market, possibly the economy and its possible future ahead. Another assignment could be related to the rate of inflation, as that directly affects supply and demand in a market. There may even be a paper about the current trends in fashion, assuming that would be an important topic to know as well. Of course responses for these topics would continue to change over time, due to the economy and the market continuing to grow and develop. Marketing is a major in the college of business, and depending on the specific class, whether it is related to general marketing or an emphasis in fashion merchandising would determine what the topic would be related to. Obviously, if it were related more towards business it could be money related, inflation, and ethics of business and so on. If it were a topic presented in a marketing class, it would be geared towards the market, buyers and consumers, supply and demand, and the relationship between organizations and their customers. I will continue to search for more assignments in my major of interest, and I look forward to seeing how topics grow and develop as I work my way up to being in my major classes.

Non-Traditional Research and Writing

Blogs

Fashion Merchandising is a constantly growing and evolving degree and interest to many. A few of the blogs created by these fashionistas are listed below. They include information such as the relationship between business and fashion, the latest trends, and how to afford fine fashion for less.

Online Fashion Marketing This is a blog started in 2008 in response to the demand for current fashion trends. This blog keeps followers up to date on the latest information delivered by a skilled team of communication specialists.
Style Bubble Susanna Lau, also known as Susie Bubble, a writer and editor from London, created this blog in 2006. The blog consists of her ideas, perception and observations of the fashion world around her along with the hottest fashion trends.
Kingdom of Style A blog developed by two women with a passion for fashion, Michelle and Marie. It consists of the latest finds and popular trends while incorporating a love for art, design, and music.
What Katie Wore A blog written by a man, about the fashionable outfits worn by a woman. Joe write the words, Katie wears the clothes. It all started with a challenge for Katie to wear a different outfit every day for a year. The challenge was completed and the blog was a hit from then on.
The FIDM Blog The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising created a blog to keep student and other followers up to date on the hottest trend and the latest excitement. The blog ranges from celebrity fashions to the greatest local fashion finds. A great source of information for any upcoming fashionista.
The Coveted A blog ran by a former fashion buyer, Jennine Jacob, started in 2007. It includes her personal taste in fashion, her outfit of the day, and beauty tips and tricks.

Listservs

Another popular way to learn about the hottest trends, business tactics, and the scoop on whats going on in the fashion marketing industry is to sign up for a listserv. Below is a list of fashion and business listservs available for subscription.

Faculty in Fashion A listserv that sends out the latest trends to any teachers interested in some new spunk for their style.
Design Studies Forum Ran by students in Retail Design and Merchandising, Indiana University-Bloomington to send out job opportinities to others in the design field.
Focus on Fashion A listserv wtih the latest trends and tips for any interested fashion lover. Includes subjects from wedding dress planning to celebrity outfit scoops from popular shows.
Cornell's Core Fashionable Four Ran by four students at Cornell University to email users information from the latest blog posts. They enjoy talking about the hottest trends in fashion and secrets to making it in the fashion industry.

Publication Manual(s) and Style Guide(s)

Fashion Merchhandising publication requires APA format for all documents created.
According to the Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, some requirements for submissions are:
File Types: Word (except Word 2007), RTF, or PDF.
Font: 12 point, Times New Roman
Text: Double-spaced, left-justified
Page Layout: 1-inch margins on all sides with page numbers in the upper right corner and no header/footer.

Jobs & Careers

With a Fashion Merchandising degree, nearly any job in the fashion or business field can be easily obtained. There are many possibilities of jobs available including:
Fashion Buyer: Purchasing items for a retail or department store from companies and designers.
Average Salary: $85,000
Fashion Sales Representative: Marketing a company's fashion products to sell to stores for purchase.
Average Salary: $57,000
Retail Store Manager: Monitoring inventory, training salespeople, and overseeing visual displays in-store.
Average Salary: $54,822
Visual Merchandiser: In charge of preparing and putting together displays in stores to appeal to the consumer.
Average Salary: $45,032
Recently, the demand for these jobs has been quite high in relation to the years prior. The trend is at a peak in this time, and is an industry that can quickly turn in the other direction with one fashion statement or another.

Job Opportunities

Jobs To Careers
Simply Hired
Glass Door Job Opportunities
Indeed Jobs

Graduate Schools/ Programs

Fashion Merchandising is a major that enables the student to obtain all of the requirements necessary to gain a job in the industry using only the specified degree plan. If a student decides, they may further their education at a school that offers programs that would be of value to their career.

Georgia southern offers many graduate programs for students following their completion of courses required for their major. In the business field, the offered programs include,M.Acc. Accounting, M.Acc. WebMAcc (ONLINE), M.B.A. Business Administration, M.B.A. Georgia WebMBA (ONLINE), M.S. Applied Economics (ONLINE), Ph.D. Logistics/Supply Chain Management, Graduate Certificate in Applied Economics, and Graduate Enterprise Resources Planning (ERP) Certificate (ONLINE).

According to Fashionista.com and the community, the top ten schools for fashion merchandising are listed as follows in no particular order.

•FASHION INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (FIT)
•NEW YORK UNIVERSITY (NYU)
•PARSONS THE NEW SCHOOL FOR DESIGN
•FASHION INSTITUTE OF DESIGN & MERCHANDISING (FIDM)
•SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY
•PENN STATE
•FORDHAM UNIVERSITY
•UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
•RUTGERS
•BOSTON UNIVERSITY

The link to the page on Fashionista.com's page with additional information about these schools can be found here: Top Ten Schools

References

New Georgia Encyclopedia: GSU History
Education Portal: About GSU
Wikipedia: GSU
"A Survey Of College Writing"
“COLLEGE WRITING CLASS ASSIGNMENTS WITH REAL WORLD APPLICATIONS"
History of Marketing
About Marketing at Universities
Graduate Programs at Georgia Southern
Journal of Public Policy & Marketing Submission Guidelines
Average Salary of Fashion Buyer
Average Salary of Fashion Sales Representative
Average Salary of Retail Store Manager
Average Salary of Visual Merchandiser

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Kayla Tricarico

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