What are the Main Seasons in Fashion?

Today’s fashion year can be divided into four seasons: Spring/Summer (SS), Fall/Winter (FW), Resort, and Pre-Fall. 

In the beginning, the fashion calendar only revolved around two annual events, to present the Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter collections, which still remains the main releases today. For this reason, SS and FW collections are the only ones presented during their fashion week, differently from the Resort and Pre-Fall ones.

The season presentation is organized as follows: 

• Pre-Fall: January-February
• Fall/Winter: February-March
• Resort: April-May
• Spring/Summer: September-October

Pre-Fall

Like the Resort collection, the Pre-Fall one is also considered less important compared to the two main releases of Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter. On this occasion, no runway shows are organized and the collection is just pushed by social media, magazines, and showcases.

This middle collection allows filling a void in the retail market between the two major collections. It’s presented in February and can be found in the stores in the early summer.

Pre-Fall can be aesthetically similar to the FW collection but not necessarily. Since this line is sell-oriented and advertised only digitally, it is normally characterized by being very captivating from a commercial and editorial point of view.

Fall-Winter (FW)

Fall-Winter collections are presented to the press and buyers during its dedicated fashion week, in February-March. The collection will then be present in the shops by late August and early September of the same year. 

Ready to Wear and Haute Couture FW collections are presented in two distinct Fashion Weeks. Also, while the RTW collections parade in all cities, the Haute Couture one is held just in Paris.

Of course, trends change every year, but there are some common characteristics that identify this collection.  

• Warm Fibers 
• High-Density Fabrics 
• Heavy Knits
• Dark colors, normally paired with fewer lighter ones. 
• Winter garments: outdoor in general (coats, jackets, down jackets, etc) blazers, long-sleeved top parts, trousers and skirts, hats and scarfs, etc
• Lined Garments 

Resort

Resort collections can also be found under the names Cruise, Pre-Spring, Holiday. Either way, all terms refer to the same collection, which we will always call Resort from now on, to avoid misunderstandings. 

The Resort is an inter-collection that is presented after the FW collection and before the SS release. As the term resort may suggest, this collection comprehends a summer-clothes assortment. The line was specially conceived for the wealthy people who, in that period of the year, we’re used to taking some time off and leaving for a luxury trip, somewhere hot and far away from home. – There is always an explanation for everything, isn’t it?

The Resort season is not as important as the FW and SS ones, and for this reason,  no Fashion Week is organized for its release. This collection, as the Pre-Fall one, is mainly advertised by digital campaigns, magazines, photoshoots and publications, and other secondary marketing routes. This strategy is not applicable to the big brands though, which prefer to organize catwalks and private events to sponsor their Resort collections.

Unexpectedly, the resort collection, initially born for the high-end brands, has been embraced and included in the lower-end brands, even though the common customer of these brands is not accustomed to taking a vacation during the late winter, early spring. The reason why this collection was also put on schedule by fast-fashion brands was to enlarge the range of products offered, and consequently increase their sales.

Spring-Summer (SS)

Last but not least, the Spring-Summer collections are presented to the press and buyers during its dedicated fashion week, in the month of September-October. The collection will arrive at the retail/wholesale shops by March-April of the following year. 

Even though trends are ever-changing, there are some common characteristics that identify SS collections year after year:

• Breathable and Light Fibers 
• Low-Density Fabrics 
• Light Knits
• All ranges of colors, but preferably the lighter ones.
• Summer garments: dresses, shorts and skirts, blouses and tank tops, and more.