Fashion is a broad term that describes the ways in which we dress and accessorize ourselves. It can also refer to the industry that produces clothing, shoes and accessories as well as to the cultural aesthetics that inform those creations. Throughout history, styles and trends have come and gone, but fashion is always evolving.
In the modern sense of the word, fashion is driven by both societal change and economic forces such as consumer demand, manufacturing automation and retail globalization. The rise of social media and the democratization of live runway shows have also changed the way in which consumers follow trends.
The most obvious form of fashion is clothing, from long dresses and veiled headgear to ripped jeans and mini-dresses. Some clothes are designed for specific individuals, such as haute couture and bespoke tailoring, but most clothing is mass-produced and sold in standard sizes. Keeping up with fashion is often a way for people to show that they are members of a particular style tribe. Similarly, fashion can signal status in the workplace.
Historically, the nobility set the tone for fashion in Western Europe, and the lower classes copied their styles (known as the “trickle down” theory). Today, music stars and celebrities have huge influence over what everyone is wearing, and keeping up with trends has become almost an obsession. As a result, the time from runway to store has been reduced to months rather than years and many stores are experimenting with the idea of “see now, buy now” shopping.