Fashion is the style of wearing clothes that are in vogue at a particular time or place. It includes clothing, footwear, accessories, makeup, hairstyles, and body posture.
Fashion varies greatly within societies, depending on age, social class, generation, occupation, and geography. For example, religious leaders wear robes, people in the military wear uniforms, and brides dress in long white dresses.
In some countries, fashion is a form of self-expression and a way to define one’s identity. It also is a way to promote social status, as in the case of uniforms.
It is a global industry that is growing rapidly. The industry produces more clothing in the world than any other, and employs millions of people worldwide.
Aesthetics and styles are influenced by gatekeepers who control what is fashionable at a certain time (Reilly, 2012). These include designers, marketers, buyers, and others in the fashion industry.
They may change because of societal changes or because they have financial interests in the market. Alternatively, they may be driven by internal taste mechanisms.
A fashion trend may begin when a person with high social status or popularity starts to wear new or different clothes. Then others who like or respect the person start to wear clothes of a similar style. Then, as the trend diffuses throughout communities and cultures, it becomes a classic or fad.