Fashion is a style or a popular trend in clothing, hair, decoration or behavior. Fashion is influenced by a variety of social, cultural and political factors. Fashion is a worldwide phenomenon and influences people of all ages, cultures, races and social classes. People adopt and follow fashion trends to create new looks and to differentiate themselves from others. This way they can be recognized in the crowd and get positive attention. On the other hand, some people are not interested in following the trends and they have their own style and preferences.
It Develops Confidence: When people follow the prevailing fashion trends, they become confident and bold in their behaviour and personality. This helps them in becoming a step ahead in the field of socialization. Fashionable people can easily interact with other people in a society as they know how to communicate their ideas in a better manner.
Fashion Gives Inner Delight: Fashion keeps one fresh and energetic as it is a mesmerizing world where you can explore new things and get inspired by what’s happening around you. The confidence that is developed due to the adoption of the latest trends can also bring you a sense of inner delight. The inner delight that is experienced can make you active and fit.
The societal structure of fashion
Fashion has always been a social phenomenon and it can be defined by the level of acceptance of a particular style. For a thing to be considered fashionable, it has to be accepted by the majority of people in a society. This type of acceptance can be achieved through various means like magazines, TV, movies, advertisements etc.
There have been times in history when a particular trend has become so popular that it becomes the norm and is followed by everyone. These types of trends are usually influenced by music and other cultures. In the past, it was common for musicians and other cultural icons to inspire the public with their style of dressing. Musicians wore leather jackets, for instance. They also tended to wear the latest styles of pants, skirts and hats. Even political figures and royalty influenced the trends of their time. Newspapers would frequently report on what Hillary Clinton or Louis XIV was wearing.
As such, a certain sense of eliteness and exclusion exists with the notion of what is considered fashionable. This exclusive look is sometimes created through a process of ‘trickle down’ or ‘bubble up’ effects wherein a few people in a social group or class adopt the same fashion trends. Nevertheless, fashion can also be created in other ways such as through viral memes or through the tactics of big conglomerates who decide on what should be on trend. These types of decisions can often have negative consequences for some people as they may be forced to follow a specific fashion that is not their preference. This can lead to body shaming and degradation of self-esteem for those who fail to achieve what is on the trend.
