Fashion is a global system of cultural aesthetics and self-expression. It consists of clothing, footwear, accessories, cosmetics and jewelry. It has the power to absorb social change and to channel it into aesthetic trends. A person’s choice of clothes is a reflection of their personality, lifestyle and values. Clothes can show status, class and age, as well as gender, religion and cultural beliefs. For example, only wealthy Roman senators could wear clothing dyed with Tyrian purple; nuns wore cassocks made of fine fabrics; and Hawaiians wore carved whale teeth and feather cloaks. Fashion is also about style, which includes hair and adornment like jewelery and earrings. In addition to revealing one’s social standing, fashion can be a way of establishing solidarity with a group. In high school, for example, groups have names such as “goths,” “skaters” and “herbs.” The way a person dresses shows their association with the group. If a person deviates from the style of their group, they are labelled as an outsider or a rebel.
Celebrities, musicians and political figures have always influenced fashion. They often set new trends by wearing different styles and colours. Even the French king Louis XIV said “fashion is like a mirror.” People can follow these trends, or develop their own. Fashion can also be an art form, and museums across the world host costume institutes.