Fashion is a way of expressing one’s self through one’s clothing. It is a constantly changing entity, influenced by the times and cultural trends. It is also an important business with many people involved in it, whether they are designers, retailers or consumers. Fashion is a part of pop culture, and it can be influenced by music, movies, television, art or even advertising hoardings.
It is widely believed that changes in fashion reflect societal change or the financial interests of designers and manufacturers. However, there is evidence that internal taste mechanisms also play a role. In the past, the availability of exotic, lesser-known fabrics might have been a driving force in fashion, for example, in Europe in the eighteenth or nineteenth centuries, where garments made in Turkey were popular at one time and Chinese ones at another. But today, globalization has reduced the options for such exotic novelty.
Moreover, there is considerable variation within societies for different age groups, social classes, and occupations. Those who follow the latest fashions are known as “fashionistas” or “fashion victims.” The opposite is true for those who deliberately ignore or reject current fashions.
Fashion is a form of expression and can be as subtle as a whisper or as blatant as a scream. It can even be a combination of both, such as in the case of a fashion statement that is simultaneously stylish and controversial. A fashion icon is someone who consciously or subconsciously sets the latest styles. For example, a celebrity may set the trend for short skirts and boots or baggy pants.