What is fashion? Some may say that it’s superficial and effeminate. Maybe that is your point of view as well. How about we change the way of how we think about fashion? Let’s put it in a bigger perspective and dig into what it’s really all about.
To think of fashion as a superficial phenomenon is not unusual in our society. Some might feel that it’s a trivial subject which shouldn’t be taken too seriously. Fashion affects us all the time, on a daily basis, whether we want it to or not. Fashion can be everything from the best selling tech device, the seasonal food, the music that gets played by the most people… to unhealthy ideals, political opinions and the fear of being different.
If you make a conscious choice not to let yourself get affected by fashion, it doesn’t mean that you can avoid it. The very existence of fashion forces us to take a stand, in one way or another. Usually you don’t notice when it affects you, but we’re all part of a world where fashion has been given a greater part in our society. Or perhaps we have started to realise the significance of fashion, both today as well as in the past.
There are no rights or wrongs when it comes to fashion, however it’s good to be aware of how it affects us and sometimes you might need to reflect upon matters related to it.
Humans have been known to adorn themselves and being consciously aware of their looks, even before they knew how to make their own clothes. The term “fashion” did not come into use until 1300-1400 CE in the western world, but before that, people adorned themselves with body prints and body adornments. Man is a social creature and the act of adorning or dressing in a certain way, creates a feeling of belonging to a certain group.
If you think that you don’t get affected by fashion, take a look at your closest friends and compare their habits with your own. Is it possible that you all dress in a similar way, speak an identical language and use the same social codes?
Fashion doesn’t need to be a hobby, or even an interest. It’s part of our culture, of our society. You can’t run from it, so you might as well keep an open mind and accept that we are all surrounded by it.