UNOBTRUSIVE RESEARCH

The fashion industry follows trends based on what others are wearing. According to Social Research Methods, unobtrusive research methods are measures that don't require the researcher to intrude in the research context. Designers use unobtrusive research when designing collections. They observe what people are wearing on the streets, and what inspires them. By observing others on the streets, designers and consumers are able to participate in indirect measure of unobtrusive research.
Consumers also participate in this type of research in the same way designers may. If a consumer is interested in buying a particular dress from a store but does not know if it is popular, they could ask the store how many they sell. however, the store may distort the results as an approach at selling the dress. The consumer can sit outside the door and see through the bag if the customer bought the item. Another way a person can observe a trend is to people watch. If someone wanted to know how many people wear rain boots in the rain at Quinnipiac, they could sit outside a building and observe about 50 people walking in and out.
An important factor of unobtrusive research is that those observed are seen in their natural element. People tend to exaggerate in surveys, and their answers can not always be trusted. However, if you see them in their environment there is no denying their actions. In my opinion, people watching helps observe trends that are occurring, and designers are therefore able to replicate these trends or create new ones with the collected data.