The fashion industry is fast paced, but can we keep up with the world of social media.  Firstly, what is social media? According to Merriam Webster (retrieved October 2013; http://www.merriam-webster.com) “Social Media forms of electronic communication (as Web sites for social networking and microblogging) through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content (as videos)”.  In other words, the term social media is used to describe Internet sites in which people interact, that’s why the social part, sharing ideas and information about multiple topics.  Interactions include sharing media such as videos, music, and photos.  In regard to fashion, people engage in dialog regarding clothing, styles, trends, etc.  Some communication is via text and other forms of communication including transmitting photos or videos via services such as Pinterest, Youtube, etc.

Do you know who started social media? It actually was NOT Mark Zuckerberg.  In fact, social media originates way before the Facebook era. It started, more or less, with CompuServe and Arpanet back in 1969.  CompuServe was one of the first major commercial Internet providers in the US. They used the technology known as dial-up to connect to the web.  A few years later, the first-ever email was sent.  The first e-mail was sent in 1971 and even though that form of communication maybe overrun by texting and video (tools such as Skype), it was the prevailing way to communicate remotely for many years.

In 1985, America Online (AOL) was founded and it became one of the most popular early providers of Internet connections.  A very popular social media medium is blogging which was started in 1997 and in the same year AOL Instant Message made its debut, allowing people to chat online.

Now, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and other sites are popular and give users that instant connection that characterizes the social media of our times.

Over the past few decades social media has evolved into an extremely powerful tool for the fashion industry, teachers, students, and everyone else in the universe.  You can see social media in action at the Fashion Industry Network where members of the apparel industry communicate and share knowledge about the industry on a daily basis.  You can also visit sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and Google to see many of the leading fashion companies sharing information via tweets, shares, and posts.

What will social media look like in 10, 20, 30 years from now?  Which of today’s social media tools will we look back on and laugh at?  Believe it or not, there was a time when we didn’t have email and you had to actually speak with people on the phone or in person.

Follow the Apparel Search Company if you want to stay in style and be a trendy, smart, and attractive person.

Fashion on Facebook

We suggest that you also visit the fashion communities section on the Apparel Search directory for additional ways to communicate with the clothing industry community.  It is a great way to meet fashionistas and other garment industry mavens.