Fashion refers to the styles of dress that are currently
popular. Fashion goes beyond just clothes, though. It can extend to shoes, jewelry, and even how you style your hair.
The one thing that stays the same with fashion is this: It always changes!
In the 1960s and 1970s,
hippies made
bell-bottomed blue jeans popular. In the 1980s, Michael Jackson made
parachute pants all the rage. Now try to find these items in today’s clothing stores. It may be pretty difficult!
Why do fashions change? The answer is probably as simple as the fact that people change. Over time, the new replaces the old. People are
influenced by
popular culture, including athletes, musicians, movie stars, social media, and
royalty. They also pay attention to what people wear in
popular films, television shows, online videos, books, and music. We also are
influenced by the fashion industry’s advertising.
The stars of
popular culture don’t remain stars by doing the same things over and over again. Instead, they’re always searching for a new
angle to
maintain their popularity. Often these new angles come in the form of new clothing or hairstyles.
When people see these new styles, they often want to
imitate their favorite stars. To do so, they seek out the latest fashions—clothes, shoes, jewelry, etc.—to make themselves look like the people they want to be like. In this way, fashions constantly change over time.
This has been happening for hundreds of years! Ever since clothes were invented, they’ve been used as forms of expression. As far back as the 1700s, people in France were known to spend hours looking through fashion magazines to learn about the latest styles. This trend quickly spread across Europe.
For years, clothes have been used to separate people into groups. Even today, expensive brand-name clothing is sometimes used by people to
distinguish themselves from others. Unfortunately, this can often have the effect of
ostracizing certain groups.
Don’t forget that it’s always okay to develop your own sense of style. You can be unique and separate from others in the fashion world. Stay true to yourself and let your personality—not your clothes—speak for who you are!
