Fashion is the way a person dresses or styles their hair, usually to show that they belong to a certain group. The term may also refer to a particular style of dress that is in vogue at a given time. It can also refer to a style or trend that influences the culture at large, such as the fashion of the 1920s.
The word “fashion” reflects the changing times and the shifting cultural attitudes that occur in a society. For example, during the covid pandemic, there have been shifts in fashion that have reflected people’s concerns about health and environmental issues.
People have used clothing as a sign of social status and class for thousands of years. This is why judges wear robes, soldiers wear uniforms and brides wear white dresses. Fashion can also be used as a political weapon; for example, in nineteenth century England, laws were passed to prohibit people from wearing clothes made in France, and in twentieth century communist revolutions, uniforms were worn to abolish class distinctions.
In order for something to be considered a fashion, it must be both popular and widespread. This is why many fashion trends have a resemblance to fads; they come and go, much like a certain music genre or haircut. Fashion can also be created and spread by gatekeepers, such as fashion designers, and can be influenced by media, such as movies, television and advertisements. To be considered a fashion, it must also be repeated by multiple people.
