Understanding Fashion

Fashion is a form of autonomy and self-expression in a certain time and venue and in a certain context, usually of attire, footwear, life style, cosmetics, hairstyles, and personal accessories. The word also means a designator’s look dictated by the fashion market as what is fashionable at that moment. As a consequence, the definition of fashionable changes almost as frequently as the fashion market itself.

In addition, the idea of fashion has also become connected with high levels of fashion crimes, as in cases of fraud. It has been recently found that high levels of dressage (a dance technique for horse riding, often equestrian and sometimes stage) performed by professional riders can be used to cover an array of financial crimes. Furthermore, fashion has become associated with high levels of conspicuous consumption. High end fashion accessories such as expensive watches or designer handbags have sometimes been used to conceal the true value of one’s assets. Such behavior, which some regard ethical, seems common even in contemporary fashions.

It is worth remembering that fashion is an ever-changing field, where new creations constantly challenge previously accepted understandings and make old conventions obsolete. New movements emerge, old ones evolve, and the cultural meaning of many clothes is constantly transformed. When a garment seems to flatter all forms of appearance and stance, it is likely to be seen as fashionable. Conversely, when it appears to minimize all perceived shortcomings, it may be seen as a backcloth to fashion’s march towards equality.