Tracing the social and cultural history of fashion to examine the fashion of modernity in the 21st century
The term “fashion” describes the current fashions in clothing and not just for how it appears, but for how you wear it. Fashion is constantly changing and the concept has changed at the dawn of the time (Bray 2009).
There are two types of styles:
High-end couture and ready-to-wear (McCallum). Haute couture is created by hand, with exquisite attention to detail in fabrics, while the ready-to-wear market sells mass-produced designs made by factories (McMullen 2011,). Both industries employ completely different techniques that both delve into the past of fashion. For instance, haute couture uses historical clothing to design new juice wrld merch 999 styles but still retains certain elements that are inherited from the original style. The term “ready-to-wear” refers to using technology to develop new styles that are quicker and produce massive amounts of clothing with a lower price (McMullen 2011).
The beginning of fashion began with the process of modernization which began in Europe in the 17th century following many years of war between religions. At the time, it was considered to be unsociably acceptable to wear expensive clothes since they were considered unnecessary and extravagant, as people believed that they were identical to God’s view. People also viewed as a downer those who wore extravagant clothes or had a higher standing than them since they showed arrogance towards other Christians who were in hardship (Bray 2009, 85). But, shortly afterward, the social classes started to fall in a new way, instead of being divided by the wealth of their respective households. This led to the emergence of fashion, as it was important to display one’s worthiness through their appearance.
The 18th century was when fashion became an increasingly important aspect of everyday life in the elite society. The public began to pay more attention to fashion trends and began to follow specific rules regarding what kinds of clothes were required to be worn in conjunction with certain things (McCallum). Some examples included that men were required to wear long pants and women needed skirts, not breeches, during this period. This proved that, even as fashion was evolving into its own business, it was still heavily reliant on social norms and old fashions. In the period after 1780, skirt lengths were increasing because the roles of women were shifting at that time. They were engaged in their work than being just a home wife and required clothes that allowed them to move more comfortably (Bray 2009).).
In the 19th century, fashion began to be a major industry after it moved to Paris where the wealthiest women at the time lived (Bray in 2009). It was a huge business due to the fact that a lot of people were keen on fashion trends, which led to diverse kinds of business, including jewelry and perfume makers who were looking to develop products specifically designed for the wealthy. But, even the designers created their own unique styles; it was still required to comply with certain guidelines. For instance, women always had hats on when they went out and these hats typically matched their clothes. If they didn’t, they were viewed as unsuitable.
The 20th century was when fashion became a method to express oneself because virtually everyone could afford clothing, which assisted in the growth of this industry (Bray 2009). But, there were certain guidelines regarding what types of clothes could be worn to different occasions. For instance, women wore skirts or dresses with heels for formal business gatherings or events as it signified respect for those who were also dressed in formal attire at the same event. The trend followed also came into play which made fashion a more prominent aspect of daily life since everyone wanted to show off their own style rather than being confined to the guidelines of society (McMullen 2011).
Present Day Fashion
Modernity is about the constantly changing social and cultural landscape of our time and the way we can adapt to the latest trends rather than abide by the rules laid out previously (Bray 2009). The fashion of today is so much more than clothes like tyler the creator shirt. It’s common to see people sporting different kinds of accessories like belts, scarves and accessories, and hats to complement the outfit they’re currently wearing or because they reflect their personal style. Today, working women still wear formal business attire to work, however they prefer to wear more casual outfits on their off days and are able to express themselves within the limitations that society has established for them (McMullen 2011,).
The modernization of our world has caused an abundance of stress for young adults who don’t need to conform to certain standards but May not want everyone else to understand their individual fashion sense through clothing also (McCallum (2008)). The best way for individuals to discover their personal modernity is to look for different fashion magazines that give them the freedom to showcase their individual fashion while discovering different trends that are trending in the present moment.
In the end fashion has been about conforming to the fashions of society, rather than having appreciation individuality. The idea of modernity lets us challenge these preconceived notions and embrace our individual styles that can be fun and thrilling (McMullen 2011,). While it might seem as if we are in a different world of fashion, we have to adhere to some basic rules like dress code for formal wear for specific occasions, but also allowing individuals to express themselves with individual styles, brands and accessories.
