The Impact of Fashion on Society

Fashion is a general term for the prevailing styles of clothing, footwear and accessories. Styles may vary within a culture according to age, social class, generation, occupation, and geography. A person’s choice of clothes can reveal their personality and interests. They can also be used to express solidarity with a group or era.

A fashion trend often begins when people who have high cultural status start wearing new or different styles of clothing. Other people who like or respect these people are then influenced to begin wearing clothes of a similar style. Fashions can also be influenced by political or social events. For example, the miniskirt became popular during the 1960s as a symbol of women’s emancipation and freedom to show their bodies. Other examples include the sombrero and the cassocks worn by nuns.

The popularity of a fashion style can quickly spread worldwide through mass media, including magazines, films and television shows. The fashion industry is highly globalized and clothing is often designed in one country, manufactured in another and then shipped to retailers around the world.

In the past, it could take 10 to 15 years for a fashion look to spread from the city to rural areas. Today, with improved rail travel and faster methods of communication, a fashion trend can be created and spread in as little as a year. The fashion industry has a major impact on society. It affects everyone from the designers, manufacturers and retailers to the consumers who choose what they want to wear.