Fashion is the prevailing style of clothes and accessories worn at any time by groups of people. It is a multibillion-dollar global industry with a wide range of products, from haute couture displayed on runways to the designer jeans and boots worn in malls and markets around the world. The term may also refer to the process of adopting a particular style or trend, or to a specific kind of clothing or adornment, such as a beret or a moustache.
Fashion reveals how we identify ourselves within groups, and how those identities are reflected back to us. For example, the way a boy with green hair and multiple piercings dresses can give him an outsider status in one group but in another he is seen as a rebel. Fashion can also create distance between groups, like when a girl with long nails and a tattooed face is dressed in a manner that suggests her rebellion or outsider status, but to someone else she might look just like a typical member of their high school’s goths, skaters, or preps.
Many believe that changes in fashion reflect societal change, or even social pressures for individuals to conform to a particular style. However, there are other ways for people to express their own tastes without necessarily following the latest fashion trends. For example, some people choose to wear a certain color because they think it looks good on them.
Throughout history, popular musicians, actors, and other public figures have been known to influence what is considered fashionable. They may be the first to wear a new style, and their outfits are reported in the media and used to inspire other people to imitate them. However, it is important to note that once a fashion becomes too popular, it quickly fades out of style and becomes unfashionable again.
