fashion industry and society essay

The Impact of Fashion on Society - What? Why? When? Where?

What is the impact of fashion on society? Does society influence fashion or does fashion influence society?

Does society impact fashion or does fashion impact society? For centuries, our clothes have represented our values, our way of thinking, our lifestyle, and the perception that we have of others and about ourselves.

This is why there’s not a single answer to this question. Sometimes, society changes because a major revelation happened in fashion. But sometimes it’s the other way around. Today, we’ll talk about some key ways in which fashion trends emerge and move, and how this affects society.

The way fashion comes and goes has been a field to study for several decades now. After all, fashion is a billion-dollar industry and it´s worth knowing where fashion trends come from in order to be aware of the future trends.

Trickle-down

In economics, the trickle-down theory states that benefits for corporations and the wealthy population, trickle-down to everyone else. In fashion, the principle is the same. Instead of economic benefits, what trickles down is the trend. Many fashion garments and accessories become trendy because they are associated with wealth, power, or aristocracy. The idea of living a glamorous life and being part of an exclusive elite society has been around for a very long time, so fashion can be aspirational for many people who want to live this life but are mainly from the working class.

An example of trickle-down in fashion is the fur coat. Fur coats used to be made only of exotic animals, with cruelty and a painful and long taking process behind the making of this coat. There were different price ranges depending on the rareness of the animal. Beavers, foxes, and Hudson seals were the most expensive, and the cheaper ones included raccoons, chinchillas, wombats, and moles. At the beginning of the 20th century, this was so popular, that the fashion business created pieces that were affordable for people who couldn’t buy a full-length fur coat. Some of these brands created scarves, detachable pieces that you could overlap in the sleeves or around the neck, and fur stoles.

The pressure that media and advertisements had on women to buy fur coats was such, that the whole synthetic fur industry was developed and accelerated to fulfill the wish of the working class to wear a fur coat. Synthetic furs were often referred to as Syberian fur cloths. Fur coats used to be associated with wealth and elegance, they trickled down, and now synthetic fur coats are more popular than real fur coats, mainly because animal cruelty stop being accepted, but also because it was replicated so much at different price points that it is no longer a symbol of wealth.

In today’s massively quick fashion industry, knock-offs are a clear example of trickled-down fashion. High fashion brands develop statement pieces that celebrities, influencers and public figures wear. These items become desirable by consumers who admire these public figures, or the fashion in general. As the price of the original items tends to be high and not affordable to many people, fast fashion brands replicate the original designs with cheap materials and a simple construction process. If there’s an embroidered leather jacket that is very popular, fast fashion brands may replicate the design, but instead of having it embroidered, it would be printed in synthetic leather (plastic), or even polyester.

Under the first versions of the trickle-down theory, it was believed that the working class was not able to develop fashion trends on their own and they would only follow the styles that were popularized by the rich. It describes a linear effect in fashion that starts with emerging styles in the upper class that is replicated by the working class and ultimately become obsolete until the next style is created by the upper class to repeat the same trickled-down movement. As fashion changed and more studies about where fashion comes from, we realized that not all fashion trends move in a trickle-down manner from top to bottom.

The trickle up theory describes a fashion movement where trends start in the working class and they are later replicated by the wealthy upper class. It is also referred to as the Status Float phenomenon, and was first described by Paul Blumberg in 1970.

A great example of trickle-up fashion is the t-shirt. The t-shirt was originally an undergarment mainly for the U.S. Navy. They used to wear them below their jumpsuits and they used to take off the upper part of the jumpsuit when working under very hot weathers. The white t-shirt served the very specific purpose of covering the body in the lightest way possible.

Fashion evolved, weathers became more extreme, and consumers started to like the idea of wearing light clothes, particularly in streetwear.

So high fashion brands introduced white t-shirts in their catalog. Many of them are created with interesting materials that make this garment soft and light. You can find many blends of cotton and polyester, rayon, organic cotton, spandex, and many more.

A very common misconception is to think that a white t-shirt from a fast fashion brand is the same as one from a high fashion brand. Although the essence of the garment, and maybe even the design is the same, there are a few differences between these garments including the material of the fabric, the material of the thread, the quality of the stitches, the method used to dye or bleach the t-shirt, and last but definitely not least, the fit.

There are many examples besides fashion like jazz, and blue that trickled up and became relevant in the upper class as well.

There are many fashion designers that collaborate with indigenous communities to create work inspired by their craftsmanship and creativity.

Trickle across

What happens when it’s not very clear if a trend started in the upper class or in the working class?

With the high speed of fashion trends coming from different sources such as social media, it is very hard to keep track of the original source of an emerging trend. And it is very common that many of these don’t start specifically in the top or in the bottom, but somewhere in between.

French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent was the first designer to go out to the streets to look at what people were wearing and get inspiration.

This was a significant moment in fashion history, because before that, fashion designers didn’t really connect with their potential customers. They designed based on their previous experiences and assumptions about the client. Fashion trends trickled down or trickled up but it was unlikely they trickled across.

A very common example of trickled across fashion trends is fashion collaborations. Fashion brands work with artists of different disciplines to create work that represents two aesthetics united.

For the Pride Collection 2022, Target collaborated with LGBTQ+ talent to create designs that represent and celebrate this community. The designs represent their background and include many symbols of LGBTQ+ history. Pride collections didn’t start specifically with the upper class or with the working class, and in recent years, they have grown to be available in different price points, locations, shapes, and sizes.

Many festival trends like neon colors, and jewelry glued to the face are other examples of trickle across trends. These are trends that fashion influencers started or made popular and then their followers, and mass consumers in general started to follow.

So what’s the impact of fashion on society?

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Fashion can affect society positively or negatively. For many, it is a celebration of who they are and a spectacular way of expressing themselves. For others, it is a punishment.

Fashion is a visual illustration of people's mindsets around them. Many times you can tell how conservative a town is by looking at the deepness of their necklines, the simplicity of their clothes, and the lack of diversity when it comes to styles, colors, and silhouettes.

Fashion is not the reason why society changes, but it definitely helps to encourage change in a visible way.

In previous centuries, it was more common to see trickled-down trends, because the upper class was aspirational and mysterious. In today’s world, the upper class still has those characteristics, but it no longer establishes all the fashion rules. Social media has made everyone’s style visible to the whole world, so regardless of social class, everyone has now the tools to be their authentic self through fashion. Follow your own path, tell your own stories through your clothes, and let yourself have fun in the meantime.

Why Fashion Matters

Professor frances corner on the importance of fashion.

By Google Arts & Culture

Words by Frances Corner

Lambani Embroiderers in Sandur, Karnataka (2006) JD Centre of Art

Fashion matters. To the economy, to society and to each of us personally. Faster than anything else, what we wear tells the story of who we are – or who we want to be. But fashion is too often seen as a frivolous, vain and ephemeral industry. Many people fail to appreciate just how important and wide-reaching it really is. Globally, the industry is valued at $3 trillion. It's the second biggest worldwide economic activity for intensity of trade – employing over 57 million workers in developing countries, 80 per cent of whom are women.

Who said fashion doesn’t matter? Like most other global industries, fashion has its dark side. Exploitation of garment workers, lack of diversity, and environmental damage remain issues that the industry must do more to address and resolve. But this vast creative industry has the potential to initiate significant change. Despite its faults, one of the things fashion can do is spread an idea around very powerfully, coherently, and with the all-important 'cool' factor. One example of this is Professor Helen Storey MBE and chemistry Professor Tony Ryan's project Catalytic Clothing, which explored how textiles can be used as a catalytic surface to purify air. They designed and created the catalytic dress 'Herself', which is impregnated with a photocatalyst that uses light to break down air-borne pollution into harmless chemicals. 'Herself' toured the world raising the profile of the Catalytic Clothing project and introducing city dwellers worldwide to the notion that clothing and textiles can play a vital role in improving the urban environment, as well as the health of those who live in it.

MA Fashion Futures, 2016 (2016) by LCF London College of Fashion

This project is an illustration of how fashion is collaborating with science, engineering and technology to create a new future: one where it has a positive influence on the environment, society and our health. Clothes are vital to our most basic needs of warmth and protection, but we are beginning to see fashion's role in our health and wellbeing extend beyond this. We have already seen a bra developed with the ability to detect tumors before breast exams and mammograms, and smart socks that use temperature sensors to track diabetic health.

As electronic textiles are developed with the ability to collect and transmit data, and store and conduct energy, we can develop clothes that will help us manage the significant changes in our demographics. A baby born in the UK today is likely to live until they are 103, so we need to balance this with real quality of life. The integration of technology into the fabric of our lives will help us if clothes are easier to put on, if they can monitor our body temperature, help administer drugs or connect us more easily to our friends and family.

Cabinet Stories Silk Court Cabinet Stories Silk Court London College of Fashion

By taking the creativity and techniques of fashion and applying them to health or social issues, we are beginning to see fashion as less frivolous and more as a serious tool we can all use to make our lives better. Although the technological developments are undoubtedly exciting, there is also a human side to clothes, which is becoming increasingly relevant in a virtual age. Clothes contain memories and reflect our personality. As we all have and wear clothes, they can act as a vehicle to talk about our lives. London College of Fashion Curator Alison Moloney tapped into this potential of clothes in her exhibition ‘Cabinet Stories’, which toured a female prison, a mental health unit and a care home for the elderly. Here individuals were asked to select items of clothing that were particularly meaningful to them, and these stories and photos of the clothes became part of the exhibition.

PussyHat (2017) The Strong National Museum of Play

It's not only the wearing of clothes that can build relationships, but also the making. A great example of this is artist Whitney McVeigh’s project '1000 Coats', which will see 100 women from different backgrounds each sewing 10 coats. As part of the project there are workshops teaching women to sew, providing them with new skills whilst also encouraging them to work together as part of a community and form new partnerships. Fashion has the ability to change and shape lives through its personal connection to us all. We all have to wear clothes and every piece of clothing we buy represents a personal choice – it is this intrinsically human relationship between us and our fashion that makes it political. Whether you are wearing a knitted pink pussy hat on a march, wearing an item of dress that expresses your beliefs, or using your business to improve working conditions, fashion can play a significant role in articulating your beliefs.

What we choose to wear reflects how we view the world and how we want the world to view us. The Stone Age man with the latest shell beads , the post-war woman in Dior's New Look , the latest fashion blog recording street style as it happens – they are all tied to our very human need to express individuality. Fashion has been and always will be a constant part of our existence. Many people see fashion as ephemeral and frivolous but I see it as a creative, enterprising, multifaceted industry that is vital to our economic and personal well-being. Fashion really does matter.

BA (Hons) Bespoke Tailoring class 2016 (2016) by LCF London College of Fashion

Explore more on the impact of fashion: - The True Cost of Fast Fashion - The United Kingdom of Fashion - Sustainable Fashion Initiatives in India

Professor Frances Corner

Professor Frances Corner OBE is Head of London College of Fashion and Pro Vice-Chancellor of University of the Arts London. Frances has over 20 years’ experience within the higher education sector at a national and international level. She champions the use of fashion as an agent for innovation and change, particularly in the areas of sustainability, health and well-being. She has been named in the Business of Fashion 500 – a professional index of key people shaping the global fashion industry for two years running, and is the author of ‘Why Fashion Matters’ (Thames and Hudson).

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The strong national museum of play, textiles by women, jd centre of art, fashion makes style: lcf womenswear, london college of fashion, is that a jumeau a history of the finest french fashion dolls of the 19th century, fashion makes style: lcf menswear, the oregon trail, mecc, and the rise of computer learning, cosmetic science: powering the beauty industry, how we ride: a history of play on two wheels, warpaint: alexander mcqueen and make-up, the heart of the matter: a history of valentine cards, fashion photography next.

News from the Columbia Climate School

Why Fashion Needs to Be More Sustainable

The pandemic slowed fast fashion to a standstill. Now as the world opens up and we are socializing and going places, we want to dress up again. But after living a confined and simpler life during COVID, this is a good time to take stock of the implications of how we dress. Fashion, and especially fast fashion, has enormous environmental impacts on our planet, as well as social ones.

Since the 2000s, fashion production has doubled and it will likely triple by 2050, according to the American Chemical Society. The production of polyester, used for much cheap fast fashion, as well as athleisure wear, has increased nine-fold in the last 50 years. Because clothing has gotten so cheap, it is easily discarded after being worn only a few times. One survey found that 20 percent of clothing in the US is never worn; in the UK, it is 50 percent. Online shopping, available day and night, has made impulse buying and returning items easier.

According to McKinsey, average consumers buy 60 percent more than they did in 2000, and keep it half as long. And in 2017, it was estimated that 41 percent of young women felt the need to wear something different whenever they left the house. In response, there are companies that send consumers a box of new clothes every month.

Fashion’s environmental impacts

Fashion is responsible for 10 percent of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions and 20 percent of global wastewater, and uses more energy than the aviation and shipping sectors combined.

Impacts on water

Global fashion also consumes 93 billion metric tons of clean water each year, about half of what Americans drink annually.

Cotton is an especially thirsty crop. For example, one kilogram of cotton used to produce a pair of jeans can consume 7,500 to 10,000 liters of water—the amount a person would drink over 10 years. Cotton production also requires pesticides and insecticides, which pollute the soil; runoff from fertilized cotton fields carry the excess nutrients to water bodies, causing eutrophication and algal blooms.

The dyeing process for fabrics, which uses toxic chemicals, is responsible for 17 to 20 percent of global industrial water pollution.

Seventy-two toxic chemicals have been found in the water used in textile dyeing.

Contributions to climate change

To feed the fashion industry’s need for wood pulp to make fabrics like rayon, viscose and other fabrics, 70 million tons of trees are cut down each year. That number is expected to double by 2034, speeding deforestation in some of the world’s endangered forests.

The fashion industry produces 1.2 million metric tons of CO2 each year, according to a MacArthur Foundation study. In 2018, it resulted in more greenhouse gas emissions than the carbon produced by France, Germany and the UK all together. Polyester, which is actually plastic made from fossil fuels, is used for about 65 percent of all clothing, and consumes 70 million barrels of oil each year. In addition, the fashion industry uses large amounts of fossil fuel-based plastic for packaging and hangers.

Less than one percent of clothing is recycled to make new clothes. The fibers in clothing are polymers, long chains of chemically linked molecules. Washing and wearing clothing shorten and weaken these polymers, so by the time a garment is discarded, the polymers are too short to turn into a strong new fabric. In addition, most of today’s textile-to-textile recycling technologies cannot separate out dyes, contaminants, or even a combination of fabrics such as polyester and cotton.

As a result, 53 million metric tons of discarded clothing are incinerated or go to landfills each year. In 2017, Burberry burned $37 million worth of unsold bags, clothes and perfume. If sent to a landfill, clothes made from natural fabrics like cotton and linen may degrade in weeks to months, but synthetic fabrics can take up to 200 years to break down. And as they do, they produce methane, a powerful global warming greenhouse gas.

Microplastic pollution

Many people have lived solely in athleisure wear during the pandemic, but the problem with this is that the stretch and breathability in most athleisure comes from the use of synthetic plastic fibers like polyester, nylon, acrylic, spandex and others, which are made of plastic.

When clothes made from synthetics are washed, microplastics from their fibers are shed into the wastewater. Some of it is filtered out at wastewater treatment plants along with human waste and the resulting sludge is used as fertilizer for agriculture. Microplastics then enter the soil and become part of the food chain. The microplastics that elude the treatment plant end up in rivers and oceans, and in the atmosphere when seawater droplets carry them into the air. It’s estimated that 35 percent of the microplastics in the ocean come from the fashion industry. While some brands use “recycled polyester” from PET bottles, which emits 50 to 25 percent fewer emissions than virgin polyester, effective polyester recycling is limited, so after use, these garments still usually end up in the landfill where they can shed microfibers.

Microplastics harm marine life, as well as birds and turtles. They have already been found in our food, water and air—one study found that Americans eat 74,000 microplastic particles each year. And while there is growing concern about this, the risks to human health are still not well understood.

Fashion’s social impacts

Because it must be cheap, fast fashion is dependent on the exploited labor force in developing countries where regulations are lax. Workers are underpaid, overworked, and exposed to dangerous conditions or health hazards; many are underage.

Of the 75 million factory workers around the world, it’s estimated that only two percent earn a living wage. To keep brands from moving to another country or region with lower costs, factories limit wages and are disinclined to spend money to improve working conditions. Moreover, workers often live in areas with waterways polluted by the chemicals from textile dyeing.

How can fashion be more sustainable?

As opposed to our current linear model of fashion production with environmental impacts at every stage, where resources are consumed, turned into a product, then discarded, sustainable fashion minimizes its environmental impact, and even aims to benefit the environment. The goal is a circular fashion industry where waste and pollution are eliminated, and materials are used for as long as possible, then reused for new products to avoid the need to exploit virgin resources.

Many designers, brands, and scientists — including students in Columbia University’s Environmental Science and Policy program — are exploring ways to make fashion more sustainable and circular.

Since 80 to 90 percent of the sustainability of a clothing item is determined by decisions made during its design stage, new strategies can do away with waste from the get-go.

To eliminate the 15 percent of a fabric that usually ends up on the cutting room floor in the making of a garment, zero waste pattern cutting is used to arrange pattern pieces on fabric like a Tetris puzzle.

Designer YeohLee is known as a zero waste pioneer, employing geometric concepts in order to use every inch of fabric; she also creates garments with the leftovers of other pieces. Draping and knitting are also methods of designing without waste.

3D virtual sampling can eliminate the need for physical samples of material. A finished garment can sometimes require up to 20 samples. The Fabricant , a digital fashion house, replaces actual garments with digital samples in the design and development stage and claims this can reduce a brand’s carbon footprint by 30 percent.

Some clothing can be designed to be taken apart at the end of its life; designing for disassembly makes it easier for the parts to be recycled or upcycled into another garment. To be multifunctional, other garments are reversible, or designed so that parts can be subtracted or added. London-based brand Petit Pli makes children’s clothing from a single recycled fabric, making it easier to recycle; and the garments incorporate pleats that stretch so that kids can continue to wear them as they grow.

3D printing can be used to work out details digitally before production, minimizing trial and error; and because it can produce custom-fit garments on demand, it reduces waste. In addition, recycled materials such as plastic and metal can be 3D printed.

Sustainable designer Iris Ven Herpen is known for her fabulous 3D printed creations, some using upcycled marine debris; she is also currently working with scientists to develop sustainable textiles.

DyeCoo , a Dutch company, has developed a dyeing technique that uses waste CO2 in place of water and chemicals. The technology pressurizes CO2 so that it becomes supercritical and allows dye to readily dissolve, so it can enter easily into fabrics. Since the process uses no water, it produces no wastewater, and requires no drying time because the dyed fabric comes out dry. Ninety-five percent of the CO2 is recaptured and reused, so the process is a closed-loop system.

Heuritech , a French startup, is using artificial intelligence to analyze product images from Instagram and Weibo and predict trends. Adidas, Lee, Wrangler and other brands have used it to anticipate future demand and plan their production accordingly to reduce waste.

Mobile body scanning can help brands produce garments that fit a variety of body types instead of using standard sizes. 3D technology is also being used for virtual dressing, which will enable consumers to see how a garment looks on them before they purchase it. These innovations could lead to fewer returns of clothing.

Another way to reduce waste is to eliminate inventory. On-demand product fulfillment companies like Printful enable designers to sync their custom designs to the company’s clothing products. Garments are not created until an order comes in.

For Days, a closed-loop system, gives swap credits for every article of clothing you buy; customers can use swap credits to get new clothing items, all made from organic cotton or recycled materials. The swap credits encourage consumers to send in unwanted For Days clothes, keep them out of the landfill, and allow them to be made into new materials. Customers can also earn swap credits by filling one of the company’s Take Back bags with any old clothes, in any condition, and sending it in; these are then resold if salvageable or recycled as rags.

But perhaps the least wasteful strategy enables consumers not to buy any clothes at all. If they are mainly concerned about their image on social media, they can use digital clothing that is superimposed over their image. The Fabricant , which creates these digital garments, aims to make “self expression through digital clothing a sustainable way to explore personal identity.”

Better materials

Many brands are using textiles made from natural materials such as hemp, ramie or bamboo instead of cotton. Bamboo has been touted as a sustainable fabric because it is fast-growing and doesn’t require much water or pesticides; however, some old growth forests are being cut down to make way for bamboo plantations. Moreover, to make most bamboo fabrics soft, they are subjected to chemical processing whose toxins can harm the environment and human health.

Because of this processing, the Global Organic Textile Standard says that almost all bamboo fiber can “not be considered as natural or even organic fibre, even if the bamboo plant was certified organic on the field.”

Some designers are turning to organic cotton, which is grown without toxic chemicals. But because organic cotton yields are 30 percent less than conventional cotton, they need 30 percent more water and land to produce the same amount as conventional cotton. Other brands, such as North Face and Patagonia, are creating clothing made from regenerative cotton—cotton grown without pesticides, fertilizers, weed pulling or tilling, and with cover crops and diverse plants to enhance the soil.

Textiles are also being made with fibers from agriculture waste, such as leaves and rinds. Orange Fiber, an Italian company, is using nanotechnology to make a sustainable silky material by processing the cellulose of oranges. H&M is using cupro, a material made from cotton waste. Flocus makes fully biodegradable and recyclable yarns and fabrics from the fibers of kapok tree pods through a process that doesn’t harm the trees. Kapok trees can grow in poor soils without much need for water or pesticides.

In 2016, Theanne Schiros, a principal investigator at Columbia University’s Materials Research Science and Engineering Center and assistant professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), mentored a group of FIT students who created a bio-design award-winning material from algae. Kelp, its main ingredient, is fast growing, absorbs CO2 and nitrogen from agricultural runoff, and helps increase biodiversity. With the help of Columbia University’s Helen Lu, a biomedical engineer, the team created a bio-yarn they called AlgiKnit . Having received over $2 million in initial seed funding, the start-up, based in Brooklyn, is scaling up for market entry.

Schiros and Lu also developed a microbial bioleather. The compostable material consists of a nanocellulose mesh made through a fermentation process using a culture of bacteria and yeast. Schiros explained that these bacteria produce cellulose nanofibers as part of their metabolism; the bacteria were used in the fermentation of kombucha as early as 220 BC in what was Manchuria and in vinegar fermentation as early as 5,000 BC in Egypt. Biofabrication of the material is 10,000 times less toxic to humans than chrome-tanned leather, with an 88 to 97 percent smaller carbon footprint than synthetic (polyurethane) leather or other plastic-based leather alternatives. The fabrication process also drew on ancient textile techniques for tanning and dyeing. Schiros worked with the designers of Public School NY on Slow Factory’s One x One Conscious Design Initiative challenge to create zero-waste, naturally dyed sneakers from the material.

Schiros is also co-founder and CEO of the startup Werewool , another collaboration with Lu, and with Allie Obermeyer of Columbia University Chemical Engineering. Werewool, which was recognized by the 2020 Global Change Award, creates biodegradable textiles with color and other attributes found in nature using synthetic biology . “Nature has evolved a genetic code to make proteins that do things like have bright color, stretch, moisture management, wicking, UV protection—all the things that you really want for performance textiles, but that currently come at a really high environmental cost,” said Schiros. “But nature accomplishes all this and that’s attributed to microscopic protein structures.”

Werewool engineers proteins inspired by those found in coral, jellyfish, oysters, and cow milk that result in color, moisture management or stretch. The DNA code for those proteins is inserted into bacteria, which ferment and mass-produce the protein that then becomes the basis for a fiber. The company will eventually provide its technology and fibers to other companies throughout the supply chain and will likely begin with limited edition designer brands.

Better working conditions

There are companies now intent on improving working conditions for textile workers. Dorsu in Cambodia creates clothing from fabric discarded by garment factories. Workers are paid a living wage, have contracts, are given breaks, and also get bonuses, overtime pay, insurance and paid leave for sickness and holidays.

Mayamiko is a 100 percent PETA-certified vegan brand that advocates for labor rights and created the Mayamiko Trust to train disadvantaged women.

Workers who make Ethcs ’ PETA-certified vegan garments are protected under the Fair Wear Foundation , which ensures a fair living wage, safe working conditions and legal labor contracts for workers. The Fair Wear Foundation website lists 128 brands it works with.

Beyond sustainability

Schiros maintains that making materials in collaboration with traditional artisans and Indigenous communities can produce results that address environmental, social and economic facets of sustainability. She led a series of natural dye workshops with women tie dyers in Kindia, Guinea, and artisans in Grand-Bassam, Côte d’Ivoire, and collaborated with New York designers to make a zero-waste collection from the fabrics created. The project connected FIT faculty and students to over 300 artisans in West Africa to create models for inclusive, sustainable development through textile arts, education, and entrepreneurship.

Partnering with frontline communities that are protecting, for example, the Amazon rainforest, does more than simply sustain—it protects biodiversity and areas that are sequestering carbon. “So with high value products that incorporate fair trade and clear partnerships into the supply chain, you not only have natural, biodegradable materials, but you have the added bonus of all that biodiversity that those communities are protecting,” she said. “Indigenous communities are five percent of the global population, and they’re protecting 80 percent of the biodiversity in the world…Integrating how we make our materials, our systems and the communities that are sequestering carbon while protecting biodiversity is critically important.”

The need for transparency

In order to ensure fashion’s sustainability and achieve a circular fashion industry, it must be possible to track all the elements of a product from the materials used, chemicals added, production practices, and product use, to the end of life, as well as the social and environmental conditions under which it was made.

Blockchain technology can do this by recording each phase of a garment’s life in a decentralized tamper-proof common ledger. Designer Martine Jarlgaard partnered with blockchain tech company Provenance to create QR codes that, when scanned, show the garment’s whole history. The software platform Eon has also developed a way to give each garment its own digital fingerprint called Circular ID. It uses a digital identifier embedded in the clothing that enables it to be traced for its whole lifecycle.

Transparency is also important because it enables consumers to identify greenwashing when they encounter it. Greenwashing is when companies intentionally deceive consumers or oversell their efforts to be sustainable.

Amendi , a sustainable fashion brand focusing on transparency and traceability, co-founded by Columbia University alumnus Corey Spencer, has begun a campaign to get the Federal Trade Commission to update its Green Guides, which outline the principles for the use of green claims. When the most recent versions of the Green Guides were released in 2012, they did not scrutinize the use of “sustainability” and “organic” in marketing. The use of these terms has exploded since then and unless regulated, could become meaningless or misleading.

What consumers can do

The key to making fashion sustainable is the consumer. If we want the fashion industry to adopt more sustainable practices, then as shoppers, we need to care about how clothing is made and where it comes from, and demonstrate these concerns through what we buy. The market will then respond.

We can also reduce waste through how we care for our clothing and how we discard it.

Here are some tips on how to be a responsible consumer:

Buy only what you need
Look for sustainable certification from the Fairtrade Foundation , Global Organic Textiles Standard , Soil Association , and Fair Wear Foundation
Check the Fashion Transparency Index to see how a company ranks in transparency.
Learn how to shop for quality and invest in higher-quality clothing
Choose natural fibers and single fiber garments
Wear clothing for longer
Take care of clothing: wash items less often, repair them so they last. Patagonia operates Worn Wear , a recycling and repair program.
Upcycle your unwanted clothes into something new
Buy secondhand or vintage; sell your old clothes at Thred Up, Poshmark, or the Real Real.
When discarding, pass clothing on to someone who will wear it, or to a thrift shop
Rent clothing from Rent the Runway , Armoire or Nuuly

“I think the best piece of clothing is the one that already exists. The best fabric is the fabric that already exists,” said Schiros. “Keeping things in the supply chain in as many loops and cycles as you can is really, really important.”

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I’ve been buying second hand and or making my own clothes my whole life and I’m 72. It makes sense, it’s cost effective and that way you can buy more clothes or fabric. Win win.

So r u saying it is more cheap this way?

yes it does im the youngest of 7 so i get hand me downs it way more ecofrindly to

This is an excellent article! I am writing a paper on sustainable fashion and find this article to be an informative and eloquent resource in my research! Thank you!

What has Fast Fashion done to the labor practices, working conditions and wages of workers in Asian countries and what can be done to promote more sustainable and fair practices in the industry?

Making your own garments from natural, and ideally organic, fabrics is one of the best ways to both love your wardrobe (because the color, fit and design is something that works for you, specifically) and you can incorporate Construction techniques that prolong the life of the seams and the garment overall. just make sure you shrink it first!

Fabric scraps can be saved and repurposed, as solid pieces or patch worked together. A scrunchie. A cloth bag. Menstrual pads. Potholders. Tiny cloth plant pots. Little travel bags to protect shoes, hairdryer, toiletries, to separate socks and underwear. There are high end men’s shirts that incorporate interesting prints inside the collar and cuffs, for example. Then there is the ministry of making quilts. Quilts can be sent to refugees who Use them for warmth at night and for walls by day. they don’t have to be elaborate or elegant, but using a little bit of love and creativity, you can create something attractive. Torn sheets and worn out clothes can be repurposed and using them as fabric to instruct young sewers And how to handle different types of fabric is another worthy use. Imperfect attempts could be useful if the learner turns out a dog bed cover, or little sweaters for those dogs that get cold all the time. Animal shelters are usually very happy to receive these kinds of things.

Sewers can meet together for fabric swaps in the same way that people sometimes get together to do wardrobe swaps. That might be that someone else is done with the exact fabric that would be awesome to mix with something that you have left over.

very interesting. please share with us

Best post. Good to see content like this.

your information is very helpfull.

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These are the economic, social and environmental impacts of fast fashion

Paraguayan workers assemble clothes for Brazilian retailer Riachuelo at the factory of Texcin in Limpio, Paraguay December 20, 2016. REUTERS/Jorge Adorno - RC1312C95B70

Factory workers assemble clothes in Paraguay. Image: REUTERS/Jorge Adorno

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Think about how many sweaters, scarves and other clothes were given as gifts this holiday season. How many times will people wear them before throwing them out?

Probably far fewer than you think. One garbage truck of clothes is burned or sent to landfills every second! The average consumer bought 60 percent more clothes in 2014 than in 2000, but kept each garment for half as long.

Gone are the days when people would buy a shirt and wear it for years. In a world of accelerating demand for apparel, consumers want—and can increasingly afford—new clothing after wearing garments only a few times. Entire business models are built on the premise of “fast fashion,” providing clothes cheaply and quickly to consumers through shorter fashion cycles. This linear fashion model of buying, wearing and quickly discarding clothes negatively impacts people and the planet’s resources. Here’s a look at the economic, social and environmental implications: The economics According to the Ellen McArthur Foundation, clothing production has approximately doubled in the last 15 years, driven by a growing middle-class population across the globe and increased per capita sales in developed economies. An expected 400 percent increase in world GDP by 2050 will mean even greater demand for clothing. This could be an opportunity to do better. One report found that addressing environmental and social problems created by the fashion industry would provide a $192 billion overall benefit to the global economy by 2030. The annual value of clothing discarded prematurely is more than $400 billion.

Have you read?

How impoverished artisans can be empowered through fashion, finland has a new eco-fashion line – clothes made from trees, how to fight fast fashion, by a filipino social entrepreneur.

The environmental impacts

Apparel production is also resource- and emissions-intensive. Consider that:

Making a pair of jeans produces as much greenhouse gases as driving a car more than 80 miles.
Discarded clothing made of non-biodegradable fabrics can sit in landfills for up to 200 years.
It takes 2,700 liters of water to make one cotton shirt, enough to meet the average person’s drinking needs for two-and-a-half years.

The societal impacts

Clothing production has helped spur growth in developing economies, but a closer look reveals a number of social challenges. For instance:

According to non-profit Remake, 75 million people are making our clothes today, and 80 percent of apparel is made by young women between the ages of 18 and 24.
Garment workers, primarily women, in Bangladesh make about $96 per month. The government’s wage board suggested that a garment worker needs 3.5 times that amount in order to live a “decent life with basic facilities.”
A 2018 U.S. Department of Labor report found evidence of forced and child labor in the fashion industry in Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Turkey, Vietnam and other countries.

Rapid consumption of apparel and the need to deliver on short fashion cycles stresses production resources, often resulting in supply chains that put profits ahead of human welfare. So, what do we do? So, what does a more sustainable apparel industry look like, and how do we get there? We’re starting to see some early signs of an industry in transition. Business models based on longevity, such as Rent the Runway and Gwynnie Bee, are the beginnings of an industry that supports reuse instead of rapid and irresponsible consumption. Just as Netflix reimagined traditional film rental services and Lyft disrupted transportation, we are beginning to see options for consumers to lease clothes rather than buy and stash them in their closets. Ideally, an “end of ownership” in apparel will be implemented in a way that considers impacts on jobs, communities and the environment. This is only the beginning of the radical transformation required. Apparel companies will increasingly have to confront the elephant in the boardroom and decouple their business growth from resource use. To meet tomorrow’s demand for clothing in innovative ways, companies will need to do what they have never done before: design, test and invest in business models that reuse clothes and maximize their useful life. For apparel companies, it’s time to disrupt or be disrupted.

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Home — Essay Samples — Life — Fashion — The Evolution of Fashion Trends

The Evolution of Fashion Trends

Categories: Fashion

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Published: Feb 7, 2024

Words: 511 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

The ancient origins of fashion, the influence of royalty and aristocracy, revolutions and societal change, the industrial revolution and mass production, the twentieth century and beyond, the role of technology and media, conclusion and the ongoing cycle.

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286 Fashion Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

Looking for hot fashion essay topics? The fashion industry is really important, controversial, and exciting. It is definitely worth studying!

🏆 Top 10 Fashion Essay Topics

💃 fashion essay examples & topic ideas, 🥇 controversial fashion topics to write about, 🎓 hot fashion essay topics, ⭐ fashion argumentative essay topics, 💡 most interesting fashion topics to write about, ✅ simple & easy fashion essay titles, ❓ fashion essay questions.

Our article will inspire you whether you want to write an argumentative essay about fashion history or a persuasive paper about modern fashion. Here you’ll find a huge list of fashion topics to discuss and write about, outlining tips, and excellent fashion essay examples. Enjoy!

Fashion as a form of self-expression
History of Western fashion
National differences in fashion
The role of technologies in fashion industry
Fashion industry and its key sectors
Fashion trends: causes and effects
Fashion as a social phenomenon
Market research in fashion: the main methods
Politics and fashion
Fashion blogs as a marketing channel
Clothes and Personality In addition to this, it is not difficult to notice that Field had a good idea about fashion and personality based on the outfits and make up for her characters.
Fashion Clothing Company’s Financial Statements The opening statement of financial position helps to identify capital intensity, the availability of cash to run the business, assets, and the tools available for the firm to continue smoothly.
Fast Fashion’s Negative Impact on the Environment And this is the constant increase in production capacity, the low quality of the product, and the use of the labor of the population of developing countries.
The Effects of the Fast Fashion Industry on the World This led to the creation of shops that made garments to meet the needs of such a category of people in the community.
Zara Fashion Retailer’s Organizational Change Although this report has mentioned many areas within Zara’s operational and human resource strategies that need redirection as a direct consequence of the ever-shifting business environment, it lays its focus on how the fashion retailer […]
Fashion and Identity Werner continues to argue that the contemporary generation is deceived to think that personal identity is determined by the physical attributes in a person.
Fashion in the Period of Modernism The main content of the Modern was the desire of artists to contrast their creativity with the historicism and eclecticism of art of the second half of the XIX century.
The 18th Century Children’s Clothing in England With that background in mind, this paper shall discus the characteristics of girls’ and boys’ dresses in the eighteenth century as well as the similarities between the dresses of both sexes.
1990s Fashion: A Challenge of the Decade From a more consuming and conspicuous style of the 1980s, a more defined and individualized style of dressing and composing oneself emerged in the succeeding decade.
Sandro Fashion Brand The company began in the Marais district of Paris and focused primarily on women’s fashion. In 2009, the company acquired fashion brand Claudie Pierlot in preparation for the creation of the SMCP group in 2010.
Fashion Clothing Designs: The Golden Mean Ratio The concept of the golden ratio has achieved uniqueness and becomes a fascinating exercise in mathematics because the ratio appears in several elements and creations, such as the human body and face.
Zara Fashion Retailer: Brand Awareness and Loyalty Discussion: This chapter of this study will organise considering the research question, such as it will describe Zara’s marketing strategies to develop brand awareness and customer loyalty; Conclusions: Finally, the chapter six will scrutinise all […]
Supply Chain Management in the Fashion Industry This paper is also aimed at mapping out Louis Vuitton’s supply chain, at identifying and making recommendations for addressing the most significant problems in the management of Louis Vuitton supply chain, and calculating the losses […]
Eco-Friendly and Sustainable Fashion In this paper, the aim is to discuss the eco-friendly and sustainable practices in the fashion industry and forces that may affect the efforts of the stakeholders in this industry as they try to embrace […]
Fast Fashion and Sustainability This paper includes a brief analysis of the ways to address consumers’ fashion-related needs and reduce the negative environmental impact of the fast industry.
Blogging about Fashion The blogs, as Huang, Chou, and Lin note, allows for individuals with common interest to come together to share information and ideas, as well as to gain knowledge from other members of the virtual community, […]
The Fashion Channel Marketing Plan The firm needs to effect radical marketing strategies to help it increase the value of its service in the market. This approach will help TFC increase the ratings of its products to make it more […]
Harry Winston Fashion Brand and Its Evolution Harry Winston Diamond Corporation was founded in the year 1932 and is headquartered in New York. Harry Winston has remained a powerful brand in the global jewelry industry.
Fashion and Reasons to Love It The second reason for me to love bags is that my bag is a very important part of my image. The second reason why I love hats is that it adds a touch of elegance […]
Fashion Advertising and Its Influences on People A study on the fashion advertising processes and their influences on people will help to understand some of the impacts created by increased advertising.
Fashion and individual identity This fact makes the clothes a reflection of the person, which is why the choice of fashion is taken to represent personal identity.
The American Dandies and Fops History: Men With a Great Passion for Fashion, Style, and Art This paper delves into the 19th-century use of dandies and fops in the American fashion industry, how dandies and fops came to America, and their effects on American men and Masculinity.
Gucci Luxury Fashion Brand Bizzarri describes the reinvention of the brand as the renovation of its image in the effort to recapture “the spirit of innovation” and redefine the notion of luxury.
Fast Fashion and Ethical Consumption A narrative literature review is selected to analyse and synthesise available information on the impact of fast fashion on society. The integration of articles is expected to reveal the gaps, tendencies, and limitations that exist […]
Valentino Clemente Ludovico Garavani: Fashion Philosophy The shift that occurred in the fashion industry toward Italy and designing dresses for movie stars and celebrities linked his name with luxury style and opulence.
Men’s Fashion and Shopping Habits Associating a brand with a powerful personality is however a strategy that has been adopted by many marketers in the past and that is why some of the major world brands like Sean John and […]
Western Pop Culture and Street Fashion of Japanese Youth The research of the topic needs to be preceded by the explanation of the key subjects and notions used in the current paper.
ASOS Fashion Company’s Market Entry Into Dubai The purpose of the report is to highlight the appropriate market entry strategy for ASOS in Dubai. The report considers the business, industry, and consumer factors affecting the suitability of the business location.
Teen Fashion Advertisement From magazines, to the television, to the internet, to the billboards; there is almost no limit to the ways in which teenagers are exposed to fashion advertisements.
Bahrain Fashion: Culture and Antiquities The main purpose of the paper is to provide the information regarding the cultural and historical peculiarities of the country with the relation to the Bahrain fashion.
Motivation in Fashion Industry As a student set to join the industry in the future, my dream is to be the best designer and prioritize the needs of my customers.
“Fashion Cycle” of Louis Vuitton Most of the products sold by Louis Vuitton go through the five stages of the fashion cycle, and the company has to use different strategies.
Fashion Capitals of the World The fashion industry is a dynamic industry, which is a product of history and ‘an objective term that depends on context to give it its emotional qualities.’ For a long period of time, Paris and […]
Fashion Design and Famous Designers His character narrative is about the blend of the past and the present as he tries to make his collections more relevant.
The Impact of Fashion Marketing on Culture The primary aim of this study is to investigate the impact of fashion marketing, specifically in the clothing sector, on culture.
UK Fashion Industry: ASOS Marketing Campaign The success of the re-launch of the modified products will greatly depend on a proper understanding of the internal and external factors that would impact the marketing campaign of ASOS.
Fashion and Gender: Globalization, Nation and Ethnicity Today, fashion is changing drastically to compose fashion trends, which is very relevant in the contemporary society as it’s reflected in the new colorful and stylish designs.
Just in Time: Management Operations in the Fast Fashion Industry Sourcing is implemented using the famous lean or Just in Time (JIT) models. This means that required materials are acquired and delivered whenever they are needed.
Fashion History – Women’s Clothing of the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s And yet, due to the war, limiting legislation was in effect, which caused firms to reduce the use of cloth and led to the use of more practical garments.
Successful Advertising in Fashion This essay looks at advertising in fashion and some of the ways used to make advertising in fashion successful. It suffices to mention that scholars have created a link between advertising in fashion and the […]
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Fashion Advertising Impact on Social Identity The concept of social identity in modern society is increasingly becoming important in a global society as people try to identify with specific cultures and practices.
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Faux Fur and Real Fur: Fashion Industry and Market The school of thought which proposes the immorality of wearing fur as a fashion apparel will also be discussed in the context of a combination of faux fur and real fur by the fashion industry.
Generic Toolkit for Implementing a Web-Based Product Innovation Strategy for Zara Fashion Retailer Internally, the need to improve the quality of Zara’s fashion products to beat competition is fueling the impetus for change, making Zara’s management to single out product innovation as one of the top-most strategic objectives […]
Fashion and Cinema: “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” According to Veblen, the aforementioned perspective as displayed in the fashion aspects of the movie indicates that the leisurely class uses dressing to express their way of life and social phenomenon.
Women’s Fashion in the Chinese Culture Since 1978 Despite the adopted westernized culture of the in China, especially on women fashion, the author emphasizes that the Chinese still maintain their culture in the long run.
French Fashion in the Eighteenth Century The eighteenth century is a distinct period in the history of the French fashion because during that time, France became the main arbiter of style in Europe.
Fashion History’s Understanding Fashion distinct classes of people in the society where complex and sophisticated fashion is related with the rich and modernity. Tailors, dressmakers, and designers have contributed to the increased trend in change of fashion.
Voids in the Fashion Industry Performing a PEST Analysis of the fashion industry provided an opportunity to find specific voids in this market and think of the ways to fill them.
Child Labor in the Fast Fashion Industry To free girls from this choice and reduce the presence of kids in factories, it is necessary to combat poverty in rural areas actively.
Cultural Borrowing: Ethnic Fashion Obscures Cultural Identity I write this article from the larger perspective of what kind of cultural items can be borrowed and the benefits of the same and at the same time the tendency to obviate the subtext.
The Impact of Fashion on Interior Design It is important that fashion in many cases is a habitual tendency of the manner in which the members of a community dress.
Fashion in Clothing, Music, and Moods Often, the word “fashion” is used in relation to clothing, but this encompasses only one part of fashion. It is a combination of melancholy and fear that makes them appealing to the cyberpunk fashion.
Generational Trends in Fashion Although the development of the present-day generation of young people should be discussed as the complex phenomenon, it is possible to focus on analyzing fashion, technology, and parenting skills as the most remarkable elements which […]
Casual Fashion Trends Now vs. 60 Years Ago While this is a natural part of life, any kind of alteration can be rather frightening, as it usually means that every decade or era will inevitably become a part of the past, as opposed […]
Vintage Fashion Styles Overview While there were many different trends in fashion during that time, this loose clothing is a major feature of the ’90s.
Counterculture Fashion: Patched Denim The presentation focuses on patches and their role in the counterculture fashion. Over the century, the significance and meaning of patches in fashion have evolved.
Versace Fall Winter 2021 Fashion Show Review Flipping the script for the fall 2021 season, the brand introduces its fanbase to a new discussion inside the Versace-verse, monogramming.
Fashion and Architecture: Relationship The paper goes ahead and gives view of the positive aspects and negative aspects of the relationship of the field in view of the current, past and possible future trends. Areas of similarities between architecture […]
Fashion Industry’s Challenges & Negative Effects In this regard, average women are used to illustrating the beauty of the fashion products being displayed. This has significantly reduced the negative effects of the fashion industry on women.
70’s Fashion as a Freedom of Choice However, with the end of the Vietnam War, the public and the media lost interest in the hippie style in the middle of the decade, and began to lean toward the mod subculture. The 70’s […]
Fur Coat as a Controversial Fashion Garment Proponents state that fur is fashionable and therefore it is the way to go in terms of new fashion designs. The proposed use of refurbished fur and synthetic materials.
Coco Chanel: Life, Fashion, Designs, Perfume & Facts The places and people that came into Chanel’s life and helped her take the turn of life that brought her the success she achieved include; the magazine “Time 100: The most important people of the […]
Brand Extension in High End Fashion Industry Brand licensing as a popular up-to-date strategy of improving the position of a particular brand on the world market reflects the importance of the study.
Zara apparel fashion Store Zara used in-house designers to supply new products to the market twice a week to customers in response to the sales and fashion trends.
The Characteristics of the Fashion Industry and How They Influence Supply Chain The fashion industry thrives on the efforts of retailers who mostly take up the role of supply, sales and merchandising of products to the consumers.
Fashion as an Integral Aspect of Modern Culture: Identity Importance In this paper, we will aim to substantiate the full validity of an earlier articulated thesis, while exposing the concept of fashion as such that derives out of the notion of progress, which in its […]
Fashion Impact on International Students in London The proposal looks at the personal experiences of a small group of international students living and studying in London, utilizing first-hand accounts of how they make sense of their university experiences abroad and integrate them […]
Fashion Industry and Vera Wang The fashion industry is one of the most rapidly growing industries in the world. The lack of fashion and good designs in the bridal wears forced her to bring new designs to the bridal industry.
Fads Impact on the Fashion Industry Fashion fads are the short-lived trends in the fashion industry that attracts the attention of a wide public and invade the fashion stores.
Women’s Fashion: A Little Black Dress However, I prefer to believe that is color is a classic one, it suits everyone and makes people look elegant and sophisticated. This message is the one that appeals to me, and also I wear […]
Paris Fashion Design: Christian Dior Brand It was the brand that made women return to the concept of femininity in the middle of the twentieth century. In the 1970, the brand evolved to adjust to the changes in the society.
Fashion as the Avatar of an Avant-garde In the discussion that follows, the links between fashion and art will be explored, the potential for fashion to represent the Avant-Garde will be addressed, and the specific case of Viktor and Rolf will be […]
Fashion Sociology In the view of evolution of fashions and clothing, the modern society is shaping its identity by allowing unique members in the society to have freedom of exercising their values and beliefs in relation to […]
The Fashion Scholarship Fund Website Rhetoric Analysis There are also shared personal stories of alumni and other people who have benefitted from using the website before that, making one visit the website to feel a connection on the importance of the website.
Avant-Garde Fashion: The History of Modernism and How It Changed the World One of the main reasons why this particular movement resists the main fashion trends is that the garments are abundant with black color, the combination of leather and cotton, and multiple layers.
How AI and Machine Learning Influence Marketing in the Fashion Industry As governments shut down factories, stores, and events to stop the transmission of the virus, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a tremendous impact on the worldwide fashion industry.
Zero Waste Fashion and Its Perception The ingenious sales strategy of the fashion industry has a devastating impact on the environment. Mannarino explains that unlike other industries such as manufacturing and transport that have attracted the attention of the governments and […]
Fashion Consumerism and Its Negative Effects The fashion industry is one of the fields that is consumerism saturated the most. It is clear that the COVID-19 pandemic caused another wave of consumerism in fashion because people felt alone and bored.
How 40 to 50-Year-Old Irish Women Choose Fast Fashion and Why The replication of styles and the use of synthetic materials is meant to ensure that the product is made as affordable as possible while at the same time meeting the expectations of the market.
Native American Fashion Discussion Native American fashion collections aim to show respect and immortality of the indigenous culture; however, implementing the items in modern life is false memorization.
Analysis of Simone Rocha Fashion Designs The designs are inclusive and relate to women’s outer beauty as they bring out a sense of femininity in terms of skin tones, freckles, and skin lines.
Generational Attitudes Toward Fashion Sustainability To explore generation Z and millennials’ attitudes and product expectations towards sustainability in the fashion market. To explore the overlap in fast fashion and sustainable fashion markets.
In America: A Lexicon of Fashion Exhibition The different installations operated back and forth in interesting ways throughout the show, and it was a highlight of the curators’ strategy.
Waste Management Sustainability in the UK Fashion Industry In spite of the presence of the overarching goal, the exact nature and direction of sustainable policies may vary across different contexts and regions of the globe.
3D Printing Development for Fashion Industry The fashion industry was not moved or altered by 3D printing during the earlier days because most of the inventions covered the need to modify and improve the printing capability.
Purchase of Fast Fashion Clothing and Ethical & Personal Values On the other hand, the emergence of the practice threatened the aesthetic value and ethical approach based on the utilization of the available facilities.
Discussion of Sustainability in Fashion In conclusion, the widespread problem of the usage of unsafe chemicals by the textile industry may well be avoided by including a precisely controlled and preventive strategy.
Sustainability in Fashion: Clothing Rental Services Having rented an outfit, you do not have to think about what to do with ten different dresses worn for girlfriends weddings or family dinners, because, as a rule, it is a pity to throw […]
Analysis of Major Fashion Trends and Their Perspective For this reason, this paper will look at such trends as the use of AI, sustainable fabrics and China’s e-commerce in fashion to predict their future development and impact on the fashion industry.
Socio-Economic Future of Fashion Industry Hence, in order to minimize the negative impact of this problem on the world, fashion experts encourage people to export used clothes to others with the help of second-hand markets.
Is Fashion Destroying the Planet? Before starting a review of the documentary, I feel it is necessary to give a definition of sustainable fashion and establish a connection between the fashion industry and the environment.
The Fashion Industry: Discrimination Case To conclude, although the fashion industry seeks to contribute to cultural and ethnic sustainability, there are some issues that require discussion.
The PEST Analysis of the Fashion Industry The brands focusing exclusively on such products in demand during the summer or the winter as, for example, swimwear or parkas, have to account for the potential losses during an off-season.
Luxury Fashion and Digital Experience In addition, such a sequence of events causes the loss of exclusivity, which also prevents clients from sticking to this brand.
Fashion Forecasting and Trends There are a lot of spring tendencies that are widely awaited; however, the designers are most thrilled about the new bottom silhouette.
Changing the World Through Fashion: Eva Kruse at TEDxCopenhagen The speaker says that the solution to the problem of clothing sustainability lies in understanding the changing behavior of consumers and studying the essence of the fashion industry and brands.
Fashion Industry: The Role of Insiders In the fashion industry, the insiders imply that one should work hard to present to the world the best products. Sometimes one does not know how people will react to the content; the vital part […]
Fashion: Studying Complexity of Industry However, most of them have a limited understanding of how the industry functions, its unique peculiarities, and laws that affect the cooperation between designers, models, photographers, and multiple roles people perform to create the basis […]
Red Color in Branding of McDonald’s and Christian Louboutin Fashion House The above examples of the use of color in brands are typical marketers’ techniques to draw attention to the brand and increase sales.
Brands’ Analysis in the Fashion Industry For the fashion industry, the ability to support the interest in a product or idea is one of the success factors.
Winter 2020 – 2021 Fashion Trends The following are the most recent winter and holiday fashion trends of 2021. The fashion world is rapidly shifting to the new era of jeans, forgetting skinny models and returning to the silhouettes of the […]
Pricing With Fashion Retailers The key to success in price setting and approaching customers more effectively is focusing on the transformation of non-transactional data into some analyzable form.
Examining Vintage Luxury Fashion The recent evidence demonstrates that the re-sale of high-quality clothing becomes especially demanded, and the market seems to increasingly offer the desired products.
Analysis of Developing Fashion Trend Some of the ideas that shape fashion in the contemporary world are: This is an inspired theme that has emphasis on the significance of local values as one takes note and appreciates the moment.
Journal Entries: Advertising in Fashion The main argument is that advertising practitioners use an advertising imagery labelled the grotesque to generate narrative transportation for fashion consumers and also to assist in overcoming consumer resistance through fostering a more powerful experience […]
Legal Context of Fashion and Design: Trade Dress This is one of the strategies that can often be adopted by designers to defend their rights in court. This is one of the points that can be made.
Google Jumps Into Fashion E-Commerce In addition, the organizational strategy of the company is to find new ways of serving customers. It is important for managers to embrace information systems in order to achieve the corporate goal of a business […]
California Fashion Brand Juicy Couture Applications of this technique is appropriate, because the use of cheerful colors and an adorable design is a mode of igniting emotional and physical responses from its targeted audience hence, arousing in them the curiosity […]
Fashion Retail Trends In the modern age, traditional advertising is becoming obsolete, and distributors are forced to find new ways to connect with their audience.
20th Century Dress and Culture – Punk Fashion This firm has a large share market in the current fashion industry providing trendy products in clothes and shoes. Culture in fashion is essential in enhancing the social grievances of a discriminated group of population.
Evolution of Clothes and Fashion in Twentieth Century The first half of the century was notable for the development of artistic movements, which contributed to the emergence of new elements in clothes.
“Management Fashion” by Abrahamson To be able to contribute effectively in the fashion setting process, scholars should internalize the knowledge that fashionable management approaches must appear both rational and progressive, management fashion should not be adopted due to sociopsychological […]
The History of the Fashion Industry: The Economy and Market Because of the significant numbers of the middle class, people are able to mold and shape the business and industry of fashion.
The History of Corsets in the Context of Fashion History Corsets may be a perfect illustration of the expression ‘beauty has its price’, and ladies from the past centuries were willing to sacrifice the health in order to look beautiful and win attention.
Female Image in Alexander Wang Fashion Advertisement In the “Alexander Wang” fashion advertisement analyzed in this essay, the female image is exploited to create a provocative symbol which lacks the sexual self-empowerment of feminist ideology. The woman’s shirt is white, with the […]
The Fashion Show: Famous Designers Feathers were very much in at the latest shows and they certainly add to the movement. There were many very lovely creations and the idea of creating the animal look was more successful than fur.
Social Media and Fashion Trends The influence of fashion on social media runs the gamut today. Prabhakar, Hitha.’How the Fashion Industry is Embracing Social Media’.Web.
The Influence of Jacobs and Cornish on Fashion Born in 1963 in New York, Marc went to the prestigious school of arts, The New York High School and later went on to join The University of Art and Design, Parsons, to further his […]
Art Deco: Fashion Merchandising The model on this picture is wearing a fur trim jacket from Bisou Bisou that has been clearly influenced by the fashion of 20’s.
The Indigo: International Fashion Exhibition The fashion exhibition offered designs, embroideries and appliques, knits, fabrics and a lot of other aspects that deal with the fashion industry.
Haute Couture: A Fashion Design Only for the Privileged Haute couture and high fashion is a flight of fancy of the best designers around the world. One of the most prestigious events in the world of fashion is the week of high fashion in […]
Fashion Behavior and History: The Impact of Fashion Behavior on the Mechanisms in Society As a result of social influences, the fashion process performs in many areas of group life, particularly in the area of clothing and adornment.
Miuccia Prada: Luxury-Fashion Pioneer The restlessness of her essence makes her perfect in modern-day fashion circles as she absorbs the dynamism of her world. Miuccia Prada is a symbol of the union between fashion and art.
Fashion in Society: School Uniforms and Self-Expression The use of school uniforms can actually enhance a child’s personal character development as “such requirements of standardized dress also include a symbolic rhetoric of legitimate authority, a reservoir of institutional and organizational values of […]
Cultural Identity vs. Ethnic Fashion A part of the modern lifestyle that looks hip and very happening without actually understanding the real meaning of the cultural item as it pertains to the ethnicity of the person.
Off Season Fashion Sales: Procurement in Retail Karakul’s 2008 article “Joint Pricing and Procurement of Fashion Products in the Existence of a Clearance Market published in the International Journal of Production Economics, cites that in the apparel industry, the dilemma of always […]
Eco-Friendly Design in Contemporary Fashion In this case, fibers are plants that need to be treated during processing; designing and they too require the usage of herbicides, fertilizers, and other chemicals that are hazardous to the environment at large.
Fashion: Why Does It Change in the US? Many people spend a lot of income in the fashions in US this is because with the changes in the technology and culture changes in America, people are becoming more civilized and are ready to […]
Gay Culture’s Influence on Hip Hop Fashion Gay men have the influence of female fashion design due to the fact that most of the designers of female clothes are men and most of them are homosexual.
Fashion as a Mirror for Social Change The restrictive clothing of the previous years, counting up to the ‘Flapper’ era, had been a mark of the suppression of women and was shrouded in societal myth and sexual restraint but became a lesser […]
Fashion Marketing and Trends for Women With every woman wishing to be a niche above her counterparts when it comes to dressing, she is bound to pay a mind boggling amount of money for a piece of cloth that bears the […]
Agile Supply Chain in the Fashion Industry The importance of this theme lies in the fact that today, the quality and speed of interaction with suppliers are the keys to business success, and the sphere associated with style and fashion is no […]
T-Shirt as a Fashion Statement with Emotional Expression Painted in the National Day colors and being extraordinary comfortable, the T-shirts by Lowman Fashion Enterprises are bound to become an important part of celebrating the holiday and reminding people about the importance of unity.
Sustainable Fashion: Approach Evaluation According to Niinimaki, in the fashion industry, there is a special algorithm that determines the nature of interaction with the target audience to maintain stable sales and satisfy customer interest.
Fashion and Cultural Studies by Kaiser Chapter 7 is related to fashion and cultural issues for two reasons, and both of them are about linking the way people dress to their sexuality, but the term “sexuality” can be understood differently.
Turkey as a Business Environment for Fashion Retailing The vision of the company is to be the preferred brand among Muslim women in the Middle East, Asia, and Europe.
Fast Fashion Business Model Pros & Cons Specific Purpose: The presentation is meant to inform listeners about the advantages and disadvantages of fast fashion as the business model and discuss possible strategies retailers can use to increase customer attraction.
Fast Fashion Brand Advantages and Risks in Chinese Market The paper also looked at the risks that the fast fashion brand has to face in the Chinese market and ways in which these risks can be managed to help the organisations consolidate its advantages.
Textile and Fashion Technology Academic Journals This journal is both print and electronic and can be accessed using the following URL http://trj.sagepub.com/ The Journal of Industrial Textiles refers to the only journal dedicated entirely to technology, production, style, modeling, and uses […]
Medieval Fashion Styles: Typical Examples In comparison, the modern-day version of the medieval gown seems to be an overly exaggerated version of the original. Considering the overly conservative nature of members of the upper class during the Middle Ages, such […]
Developmental Theory in the Fashion Industry Flaunted by actors and actresses, the wealthy and the entitled these products have come to be associated with being part of the fortuitous upper class of society and with it the accompanying glares and stares […]
Careers in the Fashion Industry The duty of a manufacturer’s representative in the sphere of fashion is to market and sell the lines of clothes. In conclusion, all of the careers selected for this paper include a lot of responsibilities […]
Social Media Marketing of Luxury Fashion Brands The objectives of the study: To examine the impact of companies’ messages on consumer behaviour; To explore the influence of people’s messages on consumer behaviour; To compare the influence of Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Vintage Fashion: Second-Hand Luxury in Global Market Such a drive can be explained through the prism of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs in the aspect of belonging. Thus, there is a steady positive consumer attitude towards vintage clothes in the secondary market, yet […]
The Fashion Channel Company’s Marketing Research The company’s current goal is to create a strategy that could sustain its market leadership position through increased advertisements, improved ratings, and proactive cable affiliation to effectively respond to the current competition. This is an […]
Oliver Cabell’s Fashion Startup Blending Ethics with Profit For instance, in the case of the Bangladesh factory, meeting the human cost would require the management to ensure proper and decent working conditions.
Celebrity Advertisement for Fashion Development The main purpose of this research paper will be to find out how the developmental theory applies in the fashion industry. The relationship between a celebrity and a fan is normally said to Para-social.
Fashion Changes in Sociology and Philosophy As a result of many investigations and analyses, specialists conclude that fashion has the power to impact people’s social tastes and attitudes. Moreover, fashion frequently has a political context and is an outcome of people’s […]
The Sourcing Shifts in Fashion Industry The paper at hand is aimed at analyzing the impact that the innovations in the artificial intelligence field are likely to have on the fashion industry in general, and supply chain management, in particular.
Fashion Changes in Society and Culture In particular, the pluralism of views was reflected in the character of fashion, which gradually started to synthesize in itself a variety of trends and tendencies.
Pregnant Women Fashion Forecast for the US Hence, the tendencies in maternity fashion are the topic of this research. The choice of the maternity wardrobe greatly depends on the season and the area of living.
Apparel’s Role in History: Fashion Exhibition and Impact of Historical Events on Design The proposed exhibit will be concentrated on the counterculture fashion and the role of patches in the counterculture. While in the 1960s denim jeans were of simpler fashion and had embroidery and patches as the […]
Burberry Group Plc’s Fashion and Retailing In a larger sense, SWOT analysis will assist in the comprehension of the fashion market and the place of Burberry Company within it.
Carmina Campus Project and Fashion Sustainability According to Christen and Schmidt, there are three main causes of the ambiguity of SD discourse: the vagueness of the definitions, the narrowness of definitions, and the variety of them.
Nike and Lululemon Athletica Stores: Shopping Experience The overall trends in the stores are quite similar, with a prevalence of tight-fitting clothes made from innovative materials that are breathable and lightweight.
How Can Fashion Be Used to Identify Gender? The purpose of this paper is to consider the way fashion as a symbolic value can be used to identify gender.
Men’s Responses to Fashion Advertising Analysis of information found in current marketing, sales, and branding resources and juxtaposing it with the marketing campaign recommendations provided in the article of central interest of this research has suggested a conclusion that customer […]
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Essay: Why Fashion is Important

The Fashionisto

Published October 18, 2017

Updated May 4, 2024

Louis Vuitton 2016 Spring Summer Backstage

Fashion is one of the most critical industries in our world today. Style has become one of the primary ways in which people express their personality and distinguish themselves from those around them. With every New Year which comes and goes, new fashions arrive on the scene, and they all endeavor to be more colorful and fashionable than those which saw last year. There’s inspiration everywhere, from online retailers like Roden Gray to printed magazines. The desire to express one was present throughout human history.

People of all ages are addicted to new trends in fashion. There is a tremendous amount of competition within the industry and also among consumers. The style is also different among different cultures and nationalities, which is why it’s so exciting when one travels to various parts of the planet to observe firsthand how people dress in those countries. Our clothes have become more than merely a way to cover our nakedness. Instead, it has also become one of the primary ways in which people express themselves.

Garments which may fit one person may not necessarily be equally suitable for someone else. And even if those clothes are fantastic designer efforts, it does not mean everyone would be equally comfortable wearing them. Different people will need different styles and designs, which will be an expression of their uniqueness and personality before they will not be comfortable wearing that specific fashion design. Human beings are complicated creatures; everyone has different desires, dreams, and objectives that they deem essential to success in their life. Fashion trends are a critical aspect of that success.

There is a lot of discrimination among human beings and also a lot of criticism. People will do everything possible to avoid such criticism. Peer pressure continues to affect people throughout their lives, and it is a powerful motivator when it comes to crucial fashion decisions. It is also true that fashion design has reached a very sophisticated level, and therefore some of the most popular models can be very costly.

It has the result that such fashion may only be accessible to affluent people. It can make it very difficult for people of average income to compete in fashion designs. Fortunately, there has been a lot of progress by fashion designers to cater to middle-income consumers. It is why there are a lot of fashion designs available, which can make it possible for less fortunate people to own still fashion designs that will be of very high quality and attractive.

There are fashion items for every season and every occasion, making it possible for people to express themselves differently depending on the specific season or time of the year. Looking at all the consumer needs that have emerged in modern times, it becomes easy to see why fashion design has become such a specialized industry.

Another aspect that deserves contemplation is the fact that there is a measure of similarity in those fashion trends which aim at the low-income person. It is going a long way in avoiding discrimination or unnecessary competition because there is a lot of similarity in the designs which aim at this consumer market. Therefore, less affluent people can avoid unwarranted discrimination and criticism because, they are dressed very similarly in many ways to their friends, colleagues, or family members.

Care should be taken to avoid fashion designs of poor quality, especially in cases where failed fashion experiments are nevertheless mass-produced and then dumped on the low-income consumer. On the other hand, some poor people cannot afford anything better, leaving her with no choice but to purchase low-quality products.

Nevertheless, an eye for detail can be a blessing because this can help a person who may only have access to low-quality fashion items to mix and match those things very efficiently so that the overall result is nonetheless beautiful. There is some truth to the statement that it’s not what you wear but how you wear it, which is the most critical issue.

Unfortunately, many people never seem to learn how to combine different fashion items correctly and adequately. Knowing which colors go together is a rare gift that some people never master. Therefore, even affluent people with access to very costly fashion items often fail to do those things justice because of a lack of understanding regarding color matching.

Many people seem to think tight clothing is more attractive than a loose-fitting dress, and then they make fools of themselves by wearing unnecessarily close-fitting clothes. It is why it is essential to have at least a basic understanding of choosing your fashion items and mixing and matching those things for the best results. Access to the most expensive fashion trends on the market is undoubtedly a benefit. Still, it’s even more important to have a basic sense of how to maximize how the wearer will display those clothes and other articles.

Clothes are also known to impact people’s moods substantially; likewise, some colors are more effective than others in putting people in a better place as far as their mindset and emotions are concerned. Every person should do at least an introductory modeling course to understand how to make the best of their free clothes and accessories. Like we said earlier, it is not so much what you are wearing but rather how you are wearing it, which will ultimately provide proof of your competence as far as fashion and personal appearance is concerned.

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The Fashion Industry’s Environmental Impact: Everything You Need To Know

by Sarah Tancredi | Nov 18, 2023 | Sustainability

The fashion industry’s environmental impact, a critical concern, reaches across the globe, impacting climate change , resource depletion, and pollution. This article delves into the far-reaching consequences of the fashion industry’s environmental footprint, encompassing carbon emissions, water usage, and chemical pollution. It also explores the challenges of fast fashion and unethical labour practices while showcasing sustainable solutions and the circular fashion economy concept. With an ever-growing environmental consciousness, consumers, brands, and governments are fostering a transformation towards a more sustainable, eco-friendly fashion landscape.

What is the Fashion Industry’s Environmental Impact?

The fashion industry’s environmental impact is profound, encompassing carbon emissions, resource depletion, and water pollution . Its practices contribute to climate change and waste generation, making sustainability a critical concern.

1. Carbon Emissions

The carbon emissions result from the energy-intensive processes across the fashion industry’s supply chain. Carbon emissions are substantial from the cultivation of raw materials, like cotton, to manufacturing and global transportation. Sustainable fashion initiatives aim to address this by prioritizing energy-efficient production techniques, renewable energy sources, and conscientious logistics, which include minimizing emissions and streamlining transportation routes.

2. Water Usage

The fashion industry’s high water consumption impacts resource availability and water quality. Cotton cultivation, in particular, is notorious for its water requirements. Additionally, dyeing processes often involve releasing harmful chemicals into water bodies, leading to pollution. Sustainable fashion solutions include adopting water-saving technologies in production, promoting organic cotton, and responsible water management practices to minimize environmental impact.

3. Resource Depletion

The fashion industry relies on finite resources like petroleum for synthetic fibres and minerals for dyes and accessories. Sustainable fashion aims to reduce resource depletion by shifting toward more efficient, sustainable production processes and using recycled materials. This approach reduces the environmental strain caused by resource extraction.

4. Chemical Pollution

Harmful chemicals used in textile dyeing and finishing processes can result in water pollution and pose health risks to workers in the industry and nearby communities. Sustainable fashion initiatives emphasize green chemistry, advocating for replacing toxic chemicals with eco-friendly alternatives and responsible chemical management throughout the production cycle.

5. Fast Fashion

Fast fashion’s disposable culture promotes rapid clothing turnover, leading to an alarming increase in textile waste. Sustainable fashion principles encourage waste reduction by creating durable, high-quality items meant to last longer and discourage the rapid cycle of buying and discarding clothing. This shift aims to address the environmental impact of this throwaway culture.

6. Textile Waste

The fashion industry generates an enormous volume of textile waste due to pre-consumer waste in manufacturing and post-consumer waste when consumers discard clothing. The complexity of fabric blends and finishes makes textile recycling challenging. Sustainable fashion embraces the circular economy, promoting recycling, upcycling, and prolonging the life of garments. This approach seeks to minimize waste and create a more sustainable fashion ecosystem.

7. Labor Practices

In certain regions, unethical labour practices prevail, with workers enduring low wages and poor treatment. Sustainable fashion advocates for ethical labour standards, ensuring fair wages, safe working conditions, and the humane treatment of workers. This shift addresses the social and environmental dimensions of the fashion industry’s impact.

8. Sustainable Alternatives

Sustainable fashion relies on eco-friendly materials like organic cotton and hemp and cleaner production methods that reduce environmental footprints. Transparency in the supply chain enables consumers to make informed choices, empowering them to support brands that align with their values and reduce the negative impact of their clothing choices.

9. Consumer Awareness

Informed consumers play a vital role in promoting sustainable fashion. Consumers can actively reduce the fashion industry’s environmental impact by supporting eco-friendly and ethical brands, making mindful purchasing decisions, and maintaining clothing through care and repair.

10. Policy and Regulation

Governments and international organizations increasingly regulate the fashion industry to enforce eco-friendly practices. It includes emissions reduction targets, restrictions on harmful chemicals, and labour standards. These regulations are essential for pushing the industry towards more sustainable and environmentally responsible practices while addressing the fashion industry’s environmental impact.

Sustainable practices, responsible consumer choices, and government regulations are pivotal to addressing the fashion industry’s environmental impact. A shift toward eco-friendly materials, ethical labour practices, and circular fashion economies is essential for a more environmentally responsible future in the fashion industry.

How Do You Address The Fashion Industry’s Environmental Impact?

Mitigating the fashion industry’s environmental impact is a global imperative. Addressing this challenge requires a multi-pronged approach encompassing sustainable materials, ethical production, and circular fashion practices.

Sustainable Materials : Opt for clothing made from sustainable materials like organic cotton, which reduces harmful chemicals and excessive water use. Recycled materials also help lessen the demand for new resources, mitigating the environmental impact.
Ethical Production: Support brands prioritizing ethical labour practices, ensuring fair wages and safe working conditions. This choice promotes a more equitable and socially responsible fashion industry, addressing labour exploitation concerns.
Circular Fashion : Embrace a circular economy by reusing and repairing clothing and recycling old garments. Extending the lifespan of your clothing reduces the amount of textile waste, conserves resources, and minimizes the industry’s environmental footprint.
Consumer Awareness: Make conscious buying decisions, favouring high-quality, durable clothing over disposable fashion. It reduces the demand for fast fashion and contributes to a more sustainable, environmentally friendly fashion industry.
Advocate for Regulation: Support and promote government and international regulations that enforce eco-friendly fashion practices, including emissions reduction targets, chemical restrictions, and labour standards. These regulations create a framework for a more environmentally responsible fashion industry, addressing the fashion industry’s environmental impact on a broader scale.
Upcycling : Embrace upcycling by giving old clothing new life through creative alterations and design. Transforming existing garments reduces the need for further production and minimizes waste, contributing to a more sustainable and unique fashion approach.
Reduced Consumption: Practice mindful consumption by buying fewer items and maximizing what you have. Easing unnecessary purchases curbs demand for fast fashion and lessens the industry’s environmental burden while encouraging a more sustainable and minimalist wardrobe.

We can collectively reduce the fashion industry’s environmental footprint by championing sustainable choices, ethical standards, and circular fashion principles. This path leads to a more eco-conscious and responsible future for the fashion industry.

The Future of Sustainable Fashion

The future of sustainable fashion is a dynamic landscape marked by a shift towards eco-conscious practices, ethical standards, and innovative technologies. This evolving industry aims to minimize its environmental footprint, embrace circularity, and prioritize social responsibility, guided by consumers’ growing awareness and preferences and the imperative to protect the planet.

The future of sustainable fashion is a transition toward a more responsible, eco-friendly, and ethical industry driven by consumer demand, innovation, and global awareness of environmental and social issues.

The fashion industry’s environmental impact is pressing, but the winds of change are blowing stronger. An increasingly eco-conscious audience drives the shift towards sustainable practices, ethical labour standards, and mindful consumption. Fashion brands respond by adopting eco-friendly materials, promoting recycling, and implementing cleaner production processes. The fashion industry is evolving towards a circular economy emphasizing reuse and waste reduction. Governments and global organizations are regulating to enforce greener practices. By making informed choices, supporting eco-friendly brands, and advocating responsible manufacturing, we collectively steer the fashion industry toward a more environmentally responsible future, addressing the fashion industry’s environmental impact.

Also Read: What Is The Future Of Sustainable Fashion In The US?

Sarah Tancredi is an experienced journalist and news reporter specializing in environmental and climate crisis issues. With a deep passion for the planet and a commitment to raising awareness about pressing environmental challenges, Sarah has dedicated her career to informing the public and promoting sustainable solutions. She strives to inspire individuals, communities, and policymakers to take action to safeguard our planet for future generations.

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Essay on Fashion

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Fashion, a term that resonates with vibrancy, creativity, and change, is an integral part of human culture and society. It is not merely about clothing or accessories; it is a form of self-expression, a reflection of social and economic status, and a mirror to the cultural norms and values of a time. This essay delves into the multifaceted world of fashion, exploring its significance, evolution, impact on society, and the role it plays in individual identity and sustainability.

Fashion is a dynamic and ever-evolving industry that encompasses the design, manufacturing, distribution, marketing, and retailing of clothing, footwear, accessories, and even lifestyle products. It is a form of art and communication, allowing individuals to express their personalities, preferences, and cultural backgrounds without uttering a single word.

Historical Evolution of Fashion

The history of fashion is as old as humanity itself. From the simplistic animal skins and leaves of the prehistoric times to the elaborate and ornate garments of the Renaissance, fashion has evolved significantly. Each era’s fashion trends reflect the socio-political and economic conditions of the time. For instance, the 1920s flapper dresses symbolized women’s liberation movements, while the 1960s and 1970s hippie fashion voiced the youth’s rebellion against societal norms and the demand for peace.

The Significance of Fashion

Fashion plays a pivotal role in shaping identities and cultures. It serves as a means of self-expression and empowerment, allowing individuals to showcase their uniqueness and creativity. Moreover, fashion acts as a social barometer, reflecting societal changes and trends. It also significantly impacts the economy, with the global fashion industry being one of the most lucrative and employment-generating sectors.

Fashion and Society

Fashion is deeply intertwined with society, influencing and being influenced by cultural, economic, and social dynamics.

Cultural Identity and Fashion

Fashion is a powerful tool for expressing cultural identity. Traditional attires, such as the Indian saree, Japanese kimono, or Scottish kilt, are not just clothing items but symbols of cultural heritage and pride. They convey stories, traditions, and values, preserving the rich history and diversity of cultures around the world.

Fashion and Social Change

Fashion has been at the forefront of social change, challenging norms and advocating for equality. The androgynous fashion of the 20th century, for instance, blurred gender lines, promoting gender equality and freedom of expression. Similarly, the body positivity movement in recent years has influenced fashion brands to embrace diversity in body shapes and sizes, fostering inclusivity and self-acceptance.

The Fashion Industry: A Double-Edged Sword

While fashion enriches cultural expressions and empowers individuals, it also faces criticism, particularly regarding sustainability and ethical practices.

The Environmental Impact of Fashion

The fashion industry is one of the major contributors to environmental degradation. Fast fashion, characterized by cheap, rapidly produced, and disposable clothing, exacerbates waste, water pollution, and carbon emissions. The urge for constant consumption driven by ever-changing trends has led to overproduction, contributing significantly to the global waste crisis.

Ethical Considerations in Fashion

The ethical concerns surrounding the fashion industry include labor exploitation, unsafe working conditions, and unfair wages, especially in developing countries. The quest for cheaper production costs often results in human rights violations, raising questions about the morality of consumer choices and corporate responsibilities.

Fashion and Individual Identity

Fashion is a medium through which individuals communicate their personalities, beliefs, and social status. It is a form of non-verbal communication that provides insights into an individual’s character, mood, and even aspirations.

Personal Expression Through Fashion

Choosing what to wear is a personal decision influenced by factors such as mood, occasion, and individual taste. Fashion offers a canvas for creativity and self-expression, enabling individuals to differentiate themselves and make statements about who they are or wish to be perceived as.

Fashion and Body Image

Fashion has a profound impact on body image and self-esteem. The industry’s portrayal of beauty standards can influence perceptions of self-worth, leading to both positive and negative outcomes. While fashion can empower individuals to feel confident and proud of their appearance, it can also perpetuate unrealistic beauty ideals, causing anxiety and dissatisfaction.

The Future of Fashion: Towards Sustainability and Inclusivity

The future of fashion lies in embracing sustainability and inclusivity. Consumers are increasingly aware of the environmental and ethical implications of their fashion choices, prompting a shift towards slow fashion, ethical production, and sustainable materials.

Embracing Sustainable Fashion

Sustainable fashion focuses on reducing environmental impact through the use of eco-friendly materials, ethical manufacturing processes, and promoting longevity over disposability. It encourages recycling, upcycling, and a more mindful consumption pattern, aiming to create a balance between fashion and the environment.

Promoting Inclusivity in Fashion

Inclusivity in fashion means designing and marketing clothing that caters to a diverse range of body types, ages, ethnicities, and disabilities. It challenges traditional beauty standards, advocating for a fashion industry that celebrates diversity and encourages individuals to embrace their unique identities.

In conclusion, Fashion is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon that transcends clothing and accessories. It is a form of art, a means of communication, and a reflection of societal values and changes. While the fashion industry faces challenges related to sustainability and ethics, there is a growing movement towards more responsible and inclusive practices. By embracing these values, fashion can continue to be a source of creativity, empowerment, and cultural expression, enriching the tapestry of human experience.

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Fast Fashion and Its Environmental Impact

Clothing retailers like Zara, Forever 21, and H&M make cheap and fashionable clothing to satisfy the needs of young consumers. Yet, fast fashion has a significant environmental impact. According to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) , the industry is the second-biggest consumer of water and is responsible for about 10% of global carbon emissions – more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined. Unfortunately, fast fashion problems are often overlooked by consumers.

What Is Fast Fashion?

The term ‘ fast fashion ’ has become more prominent in conversations surrounding fashion, sustainability, and environmental consciousness. The term refers to ‘cheaply produced and priced garments that copy the latest catwalk styles and get pumped quickly through stores in order to maximise on current trends’.

The fast fashion model is so-called because it involves the rapid design, production, distribution, and marketing of clothing, which means that retailers are able to pull large quantities of greater product variety and allow consumers to get more fashion and product differentiation at a low price.

The term was first used at the beginning of the 1990s, when when Zara landed in New York. “Fast fashion” was coined by the New York Times to describe Zara’s mission to take only 15 days for a garment to go from the design stage to being sold in stores. The biggest players in the fast fashion world include Zara, UNIQLO, Forever 21 and H&M.

H&M fast fashion store during sales. Wikimedia Commons

The Dark Side of Fast Fashion

According to an analysis by Business Insider , fashion production comprises 10% of total global carbon emissions, as much as the European Union. It dries up water sources and pollutes rivers and streams, while 85% of all textiles go to dumps each year. Even washing clothes releases 500,000 tons of microfibres into the ocean each year, the equivalent of 50 billion plastic bottles.

The Quantis International 2018 report found that the three main drivers of the industry’s global pollution impacts are dyeing and finishing (36%), yarn preparation (28%) and fibre production (15%). The report also established that fibre production has the largest impact on freshwater withdrawal (water diverted or withdrawn from a surface water or groundwater source) and ecosystem quality due to cotton cultivation, while the dyeing and finishing, yarn preparation and fibre production stages have the highest impacts on resource depletion, due to the energy-intensive processes based on fossil fuel energy.

According to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change , emissions from textile manufacturing alone are projected to skyrocket by 60% by 2030.

The time it takes for a product to go through the supply chain, from design to purchase, is called a ‘ lead time ’. In 2012, Zara was able to design, produce and deliver a new garment in two weeks; Forever 21 in six weeks and H&M in eight weeks. This results in the fashion industry producing obscene amounts of waste.

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You Might Also Like: The 9 Essential Fast Fashion Statistics

The environmental impact of fast fashion comprises the depletion of non-renewable sources, emission of greenhouse gases and the use of massive amounts of water and energy. The fashion industry is the second largest consumer industry of water, requiring about 700 gallons to produce one cotton shirt and 2 000 gallons of water to produce a pair of jeans. Business Insider also cautions that textile dyeing is the world’s second-largest polluter of water, since the water leftover from the dyeing process is often dumped into ditches, streams or rivers.

2. Microplastics

Furthermore, brands use synthetic fibres like polyester, nylon and acrylic which take hundreds of years to biodegrade. A 2017 report from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) estimated that 35% of all microplastics – tiny pieces of non-biodegradable plastic – in the ocean come from the laundering of synthetic textiles like polyester.

According to the documentary released in 2015, The True Cost , the world consumes around 80 billion new pieces of clothing every year, 400% more than the consumption twenty years ago. The average American now generates 82 pounds of textile waste each year. The production of leather requires large amounts of feed, land, water and fossil fuels to raise livestock, while the tanning process is among the most toxic in all of the fashion supply chain because the chemicals used to tan leather- including mineral salts, formaldehyde, coal-tar derivatives and various oils and dyes- is not biodegradable and contaminates water sources.

The production of making plastic fibres into textiles is an energy-intensive process that requires large amounts of petroleum and releases volatile particulate matter and acids like hydrogen chloride. Additionally, cotton, which is in a large amount of fast fashion products, is also not environmentally friendly to manufacture. Pesticides deemed necessary for the growth of cotton presents health risks to farmers.

To counter this waste caused by fast fashion, more sustainable fabrics that can be used in clothing include wild silk, organic cotton, linen, hemp and lyocell.

You might Also Like: How to Recognise Fast Fashion Brands and Which Ones to Avoid

The Social Impacts of Fast Fashion

Fast fashion does not only have a huge environmental impact. In fact, the industry also poses societal problems, especially in developing economies. According to non-profit Remake , 80% of apparel is made by young women between the ages of 18 and 24. A 2018 US Department of Labor report found evidence of forced and child labour in the fashion industry in Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Turkey, Vietnam and others. Rapid production means that sales and profits supersede human welfare.

In 2013, an eight-floor factory building that housed several garment factories collapsed in Dhaka, Bangladesh, killing 1,134 workers and injuring more than 2,500 . In her project An Analysis of the Fast Fashion Industry , Annie Radner Linden suggests that ‘the garment industry has always been a low-capital and labour intensive industry’.

In her book No Logo , Naomi Klein argues that developing nations are viable for garment industries due to ‘cheap labour, vast tax breaks, and lenient laws and regulations’. According to The True Cost, one in six people work in some part of the global fashion industry, making it the most labour-dependent industry . These developing nations also rarely follow environmental regulations; China , for example, is a major producer of fast fashion but is notorious for land degradation and air and water pollution.

You might also like: The Danger of Sweatshops

Is Slow Fashion the Solution?

Slow fashion is the widespread reaction to fast fashion and its environmental impact, the argument for hitting the brakes on excessive production, overcomplicated supply chains, and mindless consumption. It advocates for manufacturing that respects people, the environment and animals.

The World Resources Institute suggests that companies need to design, test and invest in business models that reuse clothes and maximise their useful life. The UN has launched the Alliance for Sustainable Fashion to address the damages caused by fast fashion. It is seeking to ‘halt the environmentally and socially destructive practices of fashion’.

You might also like: What Is Slow Fashion and How Can You Join the Movement?

One way that shoppers are reducing their consumption of fast fashion is by buying from secondhand sellers like ThredUp Inc. and Poshmark , both based in California, USA; shoppers send their unwanted clothes to these websites and people buy those clothes at a lower price than the original. Another solution is renting clothes, like the US-based Rent the Runway and Gwynnie Bee , the UK based Girl Meets Dress , and the Dutch firm Mud Jeans that leases organic jeans which can be kept, swapped or returned.

Other retailers like Adidas are experimenting with personalised gear to cut down on returns, increase customer satisfaction and reduce inventory. Ralph Lauren has announced that it will use 100% sustainably-sourced key materials by 2025.

Governments need to be more actively involved in the fashion industry’s damaging effects. UK ministers rejected a report by members of parliament to address the environmental effects of fast fashion. On the other hand, French president, Emmanuel Macron has made a pact with 150 brands to make the fashion industry more sustainable .

The best advice on reducing the environmental impact of fast fashion comes from Patsy Perry, senior lecturer in fashion marketing at the University of Manchester, who says, “Less is always more.”

Featured image by EO Photographer Chin Leong Teo

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Fashion - Free Essay Examples And Topic Ideas

Fashion is a popular style or practice, especially in clothing, footwear, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body. Essays could delve into the history of fashion, its impact on society, the fashion industry, and the role of fashion in cultural and individual expression. A substantial compilation of free essay instances related to Fashion you can find at PapersOwl Website. You can use our samples for inspiration to write your own essay, research paper, or just to explore a new topic for yourself.

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How Music Influences Fashion and Self-Expression

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Why we should have School Uniforms

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Negative Consequences of the Anorexia Fashion Research Argument Project

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Does our World Need Standards of Beauty or not

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The Apparel Industry in the U.S.

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