Defying fashion can be as difficult and ambiguous as an attempt to defy art and sex. What is fashion? What can be defined as fashion? and what is the purpose of it. The definition of fashion has always fascinated many fashion writers and many have attempt to conceptualise it. In this essay, I will focus on the principles of fashion by looking into its history and trends to try and understand how it is defined and what purpose does it serve. In addition to this, I will look more closely into fashion and its relationship between sexuality and eroticism and how extreme fashion trends have affected us as consumers. Those who have investigated fashion will find themselves stuck in its irrationality. Some tried to explain their functional terms …show more content…
The first few trends was during the Roman Empire and it was to do more with hairstyles, wigs and cosmetics rather than garments. Between the fifth and the eleventh centuries AD, men and women dressed in loose robes as influenced by Christianity. Dresses are also used as a medium to distinguish classes. Working class wore wool with rough materials and less ornaments. The style of dress began to change in the twelfth century as women’s dresses are tighter to the shapes. It wasn’t until the revolutionary Christian Dior’s ‘New Look’ in 1947 that marked a new page in the fashion history. The timing also made it significant since it was 2 years after the World War 2 in which most fashion editors were already convinced that fashion was heading for a dead end. After the launch of the New Look, the public began to take more interest once again. “I was conscious of an electric tension that I had never before felt in the couture. (…) The first girl came out, stepping fast, switching with a provocative swinging movement, whirling in the close-packed room, knocking over ashtrays with the strong flare of her pleated skirt, and bringing everyone to the edge of their seats…After a few more costumes had passed, all at the same exciting tempo, the audience knew Dior had created a new look…We were witness to a revolution in fashion…” Bettina Ballard, American Vogue’s Paris respond to the New …show more content…
It’s a theory of the shifting erogenous zone which claims that “at any period one portion of the female body must be emphasised, but that this emphasis must continuously shift since otherwise men will become satiated.” This theory was used to explain particularly ‘irrational’ fashions such as the bare back dresses of the 1930s; he argued that the back was eroticised because men were no longer turned on by legs, which had been over-exposed in the 1920s, although in fact low backed dresses were also seen then. J.c. Flugel took the theory further as he attempted to explain the relationship of sex to dress as something psychoanalytic. He argued that, “Fashion is a self-renewing compromise between modesty and eroticism; overt sexuality has been necessarily largely repressed in ‘civilized’ society, and it must therefore express itself in furtive or oblique ways, always fighting the ‘reaction formation’ of modesty and
Fashion reflects the attitudes of a society more than any other art form. Like art, fashion is a material record of the ideals that swayed the nations at the time of their creation. Through examining the styles, and tastes of a particular era, we can realize where the interests and priorities of a time lie. As Frank Parsons wrote in his 1920 study, The Psychology of Dress, "There is surly no better field in which to trace the devious paths of human thought than in that of clothes, where man has ever given free play to self expression, in a way which, thought not always a credit to his intelligence, is yet quite true to his innermost self, whether he will acknowledge it or not." Through, tracing and analyzing, side by side, art and fashion, and the effects that one had on the other and society, we can understand the ideals, and interests of European culture, here, through the Renaissance.
To summarize, fashion is just another outlet through which we can view our ever changing world. It is just as important as literature, cinema, and other means of creative expression that document history. However, fashion plays an even bigger role than most other art forms because it can shape the identity of a generation. Similarly, the clothes you wear can tell a story about who you are and your part in shaping a culture. In history class we often view historical events and facts so objectively that we forget that the people we read about had their own colorful culture as we do. Observing fashion and fashion history, ultimately, breathe life into the past and help us to understand how we operate as a society.
Peacock, John. The Chronicle of Western Fashion: From Ancient times to the Present Day. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1991. Print.
Fashion in the 21th century is a big business, as its production employs millions of people and generates billions of dollars in revenue. Fashion has for the past century been, and is still today, used as an indicator of social change and progress, as it changes with the social norms of the society and the political changes of the world (Finkelstein 3).
The aim of these collections is the attempt to de-emphasize biological differences between genders. And with the absence of gender markings, clothes are devoid of sexuality. We could take David Robert Jones, known as David Bowie, who was an English singer and actor, as an example; looking back his androgynous appearance seemed very radical but today he is still an icon of how two genders can exist in one personality. Bowie expressed his personality and identity not only through the way of living, but also through the way of dressing. Jo B. Paoletti, professor of American Studies at the University of Maryland in College Park, where she teaches courses related to everyday life, including fashion, claims “Fashion, you see, is in the mind. You have to think differently before you can dress differently. By changing their clothes, people risk changing their whole lives and they are frightened. “(2015: 68) This quote one more time proves the idea which goes through ages- there is a great importance of fashion in expressing one’s status, beliefs and sexuality. A lot of famous designers around the world create unisex or hybrid clothes in 2016, for instance such company as Burberry, with a chief creative officer, Christopher Baily, has presented spring/summer collection of androgynous clothing. The fact that one of the most influential fashion developers creates such clothes shows the popularity of gender- neutral dressing at present. Another example of gender- neutral collection that I would like to give is Zara. Zara is a Spanish clothing and accessories retailer based in Arteixo, Galicia. The company was founded in 1975 by Amancio Ortega and Rosalía Mera. Its main aim from the day of establishment has been to reach out for so-called ‘common-people’, who cannot afford designers’ clothes, but wish to dress fashionably. So, in March of 2016 the brand has introduced a range of
In the late 18th century the Industrial Revolution occurred causing a huge shift in the ways in which clothing was produced and subsequently altering the ways in which clothing was perceived. For decades preceding industrialisation men and women of high so...
Fashion plays an important role in the lives of billions all over the world; people, as part of a status craving society, turn to “fashion capitals” of the world for ways in which to dress and carry themselves. New York, Milan, and Paris are leaders among this fierce industry that the world lusts after. Fashion can speak volumes about ones personality, or also about the condition the world is in at the time. In France, fashion changed rapidly and feverously as the times changed.
In the 19th century play, FASHION, Anna Mowatt develops the character plot as a contrast and comparison between being “natural” and “artificial in a world becoming preoccupied with fashion, and being fashionable. In the head notes, it was stated that Daniel Havens said FASHION is “the ugly image of the American Dream gone sour.” (Watt and Richardson) Fashion has a complex definition. The word ‘fashion’ can mean anything from the type of clothes you wear, how you communicate with others, the place you live, how you present yourself, or who you associate yourself with. In FASHION, Mowatt took a comical yet sober look at the definitions of “fashion,” applied it to real life in 1845, and through her characters, provides a mirror with which an audience/reader can evaluate themselves. I do not believe updating this play would be difficult because America has continued down the fast and destructive path in an effort to keep up with the “fashions” of the day.
Fashion denotes the changing styles within social hierarchy. Simmel theorized on the underpinnings of fashion with his distinct theory on fashion as a form of segregation. This theory gives rise to a cycle of ever changing styles in an effort to distinguish social classes, exposing aspects within society that effect decisions made by individuals on their choice of dress. Simmel believed that fashion arose in the form of styles which define an elite group. This belief best defines fashion throughout the early to mid-20th century as throughout this period fashion was seen as a form of segregation. When a style becomes a common look it is no longer fashionable in the eyes of the trend setters. Fashions are driven by the consumers desire to emulate current trends and by their need to display their social capital.
Fashion takes on many different facets and concerns many subsets— a model sashaying down the runway in a gown encrusted in real gems, Lady Gaga’s infamous dress made of cuts of raw beef, a teenage girl obsessing over the season’s latest styles— it is all an expression of our minds and who we are or want to be, made tangible. It is a medium just like any other, for while artists wield brushes and paints, designers use thread and cloth to illustrate their vision. The artistry is none more so apparent than in the exclusive world of haute couture, a world of extravagance that caters to aesthetics, producing one-of-a-kind wearable masterpieces that are made to be admired rather than worn. It is without doubt, high fashion and its design is an art.
Fashion, psychology and the sociological perspective have long been perceived as mutually exclusive concepts. However, is there a possibility that a trinity exists in the former? To illustrate, it is evident that throughout history fashion has influenced society as a whole and has mirrored its aspects i.e. economical and sociological. Furthermore, this influence has developed to be perceived psychologically where individuals identify with fashion in the sense of translating visual information showing their personal views and attitudes. To that effect, what is fashion? Traditionally and in the literary sense, fashion is defined as ‘a popular trend, especially in styles of dress and ornament or manners of behavior’ . However,
Fashion changes began to spread rapidly from the higher class to middle and working lower class. As communication improved fashion and style changes have influenced what people wear. Human beings have been using clothes throughout the history. Have we have seen, the garments worn in the past is totally different from present. Every change in the society, including differences between cultures and living styles is reflected in the way people dress and the types of accessories worn. It is believed that fashion changes as a response to the marketing strategy also influencing marketing the way in which fashion evolved in time.
Clothing is something that defines a person, and allows society to have an outlook on an individual’s lifestyle and beliefs. Unlike criticizing other material things like a car, a home or even something as simple as a television set, criticism of clothing is very personal. This suggests that there is a high correlation between clothing and personal identity and values. (Breward, pg.1) Clothing in a sense has the ability to communicate thought. However, similarly to art interpretations, this does not mean that any two people will perceive these visual aesthetics similarly.
Fashion is a controversial issue in society nowadays. We live in a consumerism advanced era in which whether following fashion trends or not has become a debatable point. Many people believe that it is important to follow fashion trends. For example, Lord Chesterfield once said, “If you are not in fashion, you are nobody.” The question is why fashion should be an essential matter of concern to all of us. As far as I am concerned, each person should be able to decide if one wants to follow a trend or not.
To begin with, I shall look at what fashion is; it is a currently popular style or practice involving clothing, footwear or accessories. It mostly refers to the current trends in looks and dressing style of a person (Cumming 234). In most cases, fashion is confusedly related to costumes; when a person talks of fashion they are seen to mean fashion in terms of textile. Fashion is seen to originate from the Western world and it is copied by other places. In this paper, we shall look at how fashion affects lifestyles and the group of people who are affected most. The paper further investigates how media is used to transmit fashion from one region to the other. Although it has been seen to affect people’s lives many people have different perspectives on fashion and dressing.