Fashion is a multibillion-dollar global industry that encompasses designers, manufacturers, retailers, and marketers. Fashion is a type of clothing or a way of dressing that is popular at any given time and among groups of people, and it can include both clothing and accessories such as jewelry, shoes, and purses. Fashion reflects cultural and social changes, a phenomenon known as cyclicality.
For something to be considered fashionable, it must be widely adopted by consumers. This is why trends are often referred to as fads. For fashion to be sustainable, it must be based on original design and quality. It must also be environmentally friendly and support local economies through ethical production.
The concept of fashion is a complex one that can be hard to define. It includes a wide range of styles, from the high-fashion garments shown on the runway to the designer jeans and boots sold in malls around the world. Fashion reflects culture and social dynamics, and its changes can be used to identify eras or communicate political messages.
Some scholars have defined fashion as a style or manner of dress that a certain group of people adopts and demonstrates. Others use a more narrow definition, referring to the clothing styles worn by members of a particular culture or social class. In the latter case, individuals who are seen as influential by others may set the trend for the group, a phenomenon known as peer pressure. The origins of fashion are disputed, but historians can trace the beginnings of continual change in clothing styles back to the medieval period.