Fashion is a prevailing custom or style, especially in clothing or manners of socializing. It is a subject of interest to people from all walks of life, and it changes constantly. Some people like the fast-paced changes in fashion, while others find it tiresome and annoying. Fashion is also a multibillion-dollar global industry that includes the design, production, and sale of clothing and accessories. The clothing industry consists of four levels: raw material suppliers; designers (of both haute couture and ready-to-wear fashion); manufacturers; and retailers.
Although many people think that only rich people wear fashionable clothes, it is not true. Designers sell high-fashion clothes that can be expensive, but they also design cheaper fashion lines to appeal to a wide audience. Many manufacturers also produce knock-off fashions that are sold to consumers at a fraction of the cost of designer fashions.
Clothing is more than just a way to cover one’s body; it is also a status symbol. The clothes that a person wears communicate the status of his or her family, job, and social group. In the past, certain garments were worn only by the elite, such as the robes of Roman senators or the yellow dresses of the Chinese emperor. Today, a miniskirt can symbolize freedom and emancipation for women or the robes of nuns or cassocks can indicate a renunciation of vanity.
The fashion industry is influenced by significant historical events, social changes, and the availability of materials. In the early 1900s, a new type of fabric allowed designers to create more complicated shapes and prints for women’s clothes. This era also saw the rise of mass-production, which lowered prices and made it possible for more people to buy fashionable clothes. The popularity of magazines such as Vogue, which featured articles about the latest trends, increased during this time.