Fashion, More than just style

So, first I want to say thank you for taking the time to read my article. I realize that you could be doing a number of things other than consuming my content. I also want to thank you, because by participating, you are helping me fulfill my dream to share my message with others.

            I am big fan of fashion and always have been. I have gone through so many styles and clothes that I shudder to think about how much money I spent over the years trying to make different fashion statements. But why is fashion so popular? Is it the way that you feel when you wear it? If so, how long does that feeling last? Will it last after the first time you wear it? Will the feeling still be there after everyone has the same outfit? Will the feeling still be there after the style has changed? At some point the feeling fades, and then we start the cycle all over again. So what else is fashion?

            Fashion is a social class identifier. It’s ironic that we all want to wear things that we may or may not like, but in either case, we can’t afford it. But we buy them anyway. We may tell ourselves that we buy these things, because we like nice things, or that we deserve it. I think that ultimately, we buy things because we want to be seen as someone that is a part of a higher social class. Then we get to a point that we can afford the fashion that was we once struggled to own and are actually part of a of a higher social class. But then what? We are no longer satisfied with the clothes and shoes that we had to stretch our self to own. So what else is fashion?

            Fashion is an ever-changing. The reason that wealthy people are usually the only people who are able to keep up with all of the trends that are hot now and those upcoming is that they have the resources. But resources equate to more than just money. Those that are really wealthy have the time need to stay up-to-date with trends. They also have time and money to travel to different fashion shows that are held all over the world. They have the connections to be “in the know” about the upcoming trends, shows, and events. Those that are constantly keeping up with fashion are also have the money to purchase all of the new trends. In addition to keeping up with all of these factors and making sure they have resources required to keep up, the fashion cycle time is continuously getting shorter. So, what does that mean to me as a consumer? It means that event if I have been into fashion for years, I now have to plan my shopping in a completely different way. People were once able to be in style for 3 months straight, as fashion changed by the season. This means that you could buy less clothes that came at a higher price point. Now, fashion is changing weekly, that mean that buyers that want to stay in fashion are buying twelve time as many clothes. This change led to the prices for clothing dropping. This change also led to the quality dropping as well. But if you are only going to wear an outfit once or twice, does it need to be made well? NO. So, what else is fashion?

            Fashion is confidence. I think that there is a direct correlation between fashion, and the confidence of the person who is wearing the fashion items. I always found it amusing that outfits that are unique are received in two ways. One way is when the outfit is worn by someone who is confident, and the other is when the same outfit is worn by someone who is not. The person who is not confident seems to susceptible to being told that they should conform to the norm, and in many cases they might. In comparison, a person who is confident does not seem to be bother in least bit by what people think of think, as a result, people don’t question their style choices. In fact, people may change their norm to be like that of the confident person. It’s the idea that “if they are this confident, they must be right.” So, what is fashion