Fashion is a cultural phenomenon that affects people from all walks of life. It influences everything from the clothes we wear to the way we think and feel. Fashion is so pervasive that it is reflected in the ever changing trends in art, music, and literature. It is also a major source of inspiration for designers, who create new styles and trends that dictate what is in style at any given moment.
The most obvious expression of fashion is clothing. The type of clothes we wear can tell a lot about our personality, our mood, and even our level of self-esteem. In this article, we will explore the many facets of fashion and its role in modern culture.
In the past, most clothing was handmade and tailored to fit each individual wearer. However, by the beginning of the 20th century, as a result of advances in technology like the sewing machine and global trade, along with other factors like population growth, the fashion industry had become increasingly mass produced. Clothing could now be designed and made in standard sizes and sold to the public at relatively low prices.
As a result, fashion began to be defined by the prevailing socioeconomic conditions and social attitudes. In the early 1900s, a woman’s dress was often a reflection of her husband’s financial status, while in later decades the vogue for revealing and form-fitting fashions signaled a shift in gender roles. In addition, the popularity of certain types of clothing can reflect specific events or milestones in a person’s life, such as weddings or job interviews.
The word ‘fashion’ derives from the French phrase meaning “a mode of taste, especially in dressing or behaviour.” In modern usage it can also refer to a particular style or trend that is popular at a given time, for example the ‘flare’ pants of the 1990s or the ‘baggy’ look of the 2000s. Fashion is so ephemeral that it can change in the blink of an eye, and even a classic item like a little black dress can seem old-fashioned when worn at the wrong time.
Ultimately, the fashion of a particular time is determined by what the majority of the population finds attractive and desirable. This is why whole magazines are dedicated to the subject, and TV shows spend hours of transmission time discussing it. Whether it is the bare mid-riffs of 90210 or the baggy jeans of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, fashion is the one thing that unifies all people, at least in the moment.
There are some who rely solely on the media to determine what is fashionable, but the direction of fashion is often difficult to predict. Considering how fast fashion changes, it is hard to imagine how the short skirts of the 1960s ever made their way into haute couture in Paris or how bell-bottom jeans evolved into designer jeans with boots and into the baggy look of the 1990s. However, as long as people are able to see what is attractive to them, fashion will continue to play its role in society.