Fashion is a multifaceted business that involves the design, manufacturing, marketing, and distribution of clothing (men’s, women’s, and children’s). In addition to high-end designer apparel, the industry encompasses an entire range of related products including footwear, handbags, accessories, and cosmetics. The term can also refer to the cultural aesthetics of different ways people dress (styles and trends).
In modern society, fashion influences many aspects of our daily lives. We see it in the clothes we wear, in the styles of homes and automobiles, in the makeup we use, and in the news stories we read. It is everywhere, and it can be used for almost any purpose: to show wealth, power, or status; as a way to connect with friends; as a form of rebellion; or as a means of showing devotion to a religious figure.
The concept of fashion changes constantly. Historians can trace the start of continual and accelerating change in Western clothing styles to the late medieval period, when the calf-length garment called a robe became short enough to reveal the legs. Fashion is often closely tied to popular culture, with music, movies, and even books influencing the designs that are most popular. Celebrities and political figures may also influence fashion, with their clothes being spotted by the masses as soon as they step out of their cars or onto a stage.
Clothes can also create distance between groups, such as the goths, skaters, preps, and herbs in high school. They can also create stereotypes and prejudice against minorities, such as the nipple rings of some rap musicians or the green hair and multiple piercings of the boy with the “herb” name in hip-hop.