What Fresh Fad Can This Be? An integral part of human behavior is the mimicking and awareness of the actions of those around us. In no better way is this demonstrated than the existence of trends and fashions. While “modeling” behavior lends an advantage to early and present mankind by catalyzing learning with progression unhindered by relearning mistakes made by predecessors (Bandura 5), fashions and novel trends do not offer such distinct benefits. Despite this appearance of irrelevance, fashions have swept in and out of societies in waves ranging from hairstyles and games to medicine and leadership for thousands of years. As humankind progressed, the desire for communication fueled the technology for interconnection and with it the influence of fashion. In the19th and 20th century innovations such as telegraph infrastructures, the radio, and broadcast television groomed society for larger fashions to take hold. Blumer finds the occupation of “prestigious figures,” openness towards repeated introductions to propositions of social behavior, and receptivity of these propositions from outside individuals and events to be vital for fashions to exist in an area (286). New means of communication efficiently filled these criteria, greatly increasing the area an individual fashion could exist in. Propositions could quickly …show more content…
Meyersohn and Katz believe that fads in areas such as games, music, and clothing offer a “functional alternative for its predecessor”(595). Businesses too seem to be aware of this attribute, as Hirsch notes that “one of its[the corporations involved in the production of cultural items] goals is to create and satisfy consumer demand for new fads and fashions”(642). This can easily be observed in the yearly cycle of the previous must-have toy for Christmas being forgotten about in lieu of a new product, or the constant stream of pop mega-hits trampling over their
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 begin, it is important to connect the fashion of the 1920s to events that were occurring in the late 19th Century to fu...
...societies go more clothing that allow them to move easily and are more aware of physical fitness and always looking for the freedom in everything and mainly movement. However, it stands to reason that while the existence of such weighty components has reduced greatly, their concepts have set an indisputable model that remains related and lasts to influence today’s fashion.
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).
Every envisioned change that transpires in our life has a purpose and an impending conclusion. Some may last forever whereas others barely last a year. The 1920s, known as the “roaring twenties”, was a decisive moment to an entire novel way of life for many people. Entertainment, fashion, jobs, laws, and technology transpired unexpectedly during this period. Almost every one of those progressions are being continued till today, yet in a more modernized custom. These aspects determine who one is and illustrate the society as a whole. The turning point of fashion has made one of the largest impacts on society today. Although the change was focused more on female fashion, men’s style of clothing also went through a bit of modification. Before the 1920s, dressing as conservative as conceivable was every girl’s first priority in order to preserve a respectable reputation. Considering that as a dearth of freedom, a few girls began to rebel. As clothes loosened, shortened, and became more revealing, women portrayed themselves differently. They no longer had stern restrictions on what they wore and freedom was slowly ascending. Men’s casual clothing in the 1920s was similar to what would be considered formal wear today. Loose silk dresses, fancy suits, feathers, sequence, strappy sandals, strap on bowties, and long pearly jewelry make up the contemporary fashion that primarily reflects on the style during the roaring twenties era.
Ever since their invention many centuries ago, clothes have been used as a way of communicating. The message communicated relies on a number of factors including the social background of both the communicator and the receiver, and the context in which the message is communicated. Although at times the exact message or symbolism one is trying to portray may not be clear, it is evident that clothing has long been embraced as one of the best ways to project one’s desired personal image to those around them.
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.
Georg Simmel explores the impact societal differentiation played on the 20th century, in the article Fashion, published in 1957 in The American Journal of Sociology, Volume LXII, Number 6. In this text he defines his theory stating “The elite initiate a fashion and, when the mass imitates it in an effort to obliterate the external distinction of class, abandons it for a newer mode- a process that quickens with the increase of wealth” (Fashion, p.541). Fashion connects those of a higher social class and segregates them from others. Simmel believes that fashion evolves from class differentiation, as members of the elite class seek to set themselves apart from other classes, and in turn a revolving cycle begins (Blumer, p.277). Members from other lower classes copy the elite’s fashion and with this the elite must change...
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.
...earing the most ruffled, neon colored skirts in town. Your surroundings, financial background, religion, and daily habits make up not only your culture, but also your style. Factors such as music and the club scenes also influence a person’s fashion choices. With the amount of diversity, history and cultural references in the world, the possibilities in fashion are very complex. We can only look at reoccurring trends, and trends that have failed in order to understand what styles will survive in the future.
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.
In conclusion, fashion will speak out a person’s social signal, people dress on designs that blend with their social class. Just as population, social activities and fashion are changing with time. Fashion has made clothing to be convinient, everything needs to be done with the least effort and spend the least time.