Fashion is a cultural and social phenomenon that changes continuously. Both people and businesses can be affected by this change. Fashion trends influence the way people dress, and it affects fabric choices, color palates and accessories. It can also reveal a person’s cultural base and identity. It can also create societal pressure to conform to specific appearance standards. This pressure can lead to feelings of frustration and depression, and can also cause a loss of individuality and self-expression.
The fashion industry is a multibillion dollar global enterprise devoted to the design, manufacture and sale of clothing and other textile goods. This includes high-fashion, which is designed to be sold in expensive designer stores and worn by celebrities, and mass-market fashion, which is produced in quantity and sold at affordable prices in retail outlets, online and elsewhere. The distinction between high fashion and ordinary clothes is blurred, with designer clothing often classed as “high fashion” and mass-market clothes classified as “low fashion.”
In modern Western society, the origins of continual and accelerating change in clothing styles can be fairly reliably dated to late medieval times. Before that time, most clothes were handmade for each person, either by home production or by tailors and dressmakers, and the appearance of clothes changed very slowly.
As the industrial revolution began, however, more and more people were employed in the cloth-making industry. This led to a rise in the standardization of clothing sizes, which allowed individuals to purchase ready-made garments. The invention of the sewing machine further accelerated this process. By the beginning of the 20th century, most clothing was being manufactured in factories for both the high-fashion and mass-market industries.
Some clothing is still made to order for specific individuals, such as haute couture and bespoke tailoring. These garments are often expensive, but they can be unique and expressive of a person’s personality and beliefs. Most people, however, wear clothing that is designed for a wide range of consumers and is sold at relatively inexpensive prices.
The fashion industry is constantly changing and evolving, with new materials, techniques and designs being introduced all the time. Many designers and companies are seeking to be more eco-friendly by using sustainable fabrics and being more conscious of their carbon footprint. Social media has also dramatically impacted the fashion world by making it easier for trends to be spread quickly and for anyone to become a style icon.
In addition to influencing what we wear, fashion can also impact how we feel about ourselves and how we interact with others. People who are fashionable tend to be outgoing and confident and can easily make friends. They are usually well-dressed and can afford to buy designer clothes, so they may feel like they have more status in the community. On the other hand, people who do not follow fashion tend to be less outgoing and may appear more shabby or careless. They may feel like they do not fit in with the other people they meet.