Fashion has evolved on its own with era. Just to name a few, we have Victorian era, The Romans, Renaissance era and so on. The society during those times dressed accordingly to the trend at that time. Their respective trend makes it easy for us to distinguish what era they belong to. For example, The Victorian women would wear corsets during those days to give them a slight S-curve silhouette. Therefore, we can say that fashion is a way of one conveying their true identity and could represent the society as a whole-a statement. It can tell whether the society is civilised or not, their background or a person’s mood because dressing up requires us to play with colours which has influence on one’s personality! So, it’s true that fashion does speak for themselves.
What can be observed today is that some teenagers dressed up as Goth, prep, punk or even skaters to signal to the society of which peers do they belong to and to create attention. Teenagers could also show their rebellion by wearing shirts which has witty statement on them. In our country, the different races have their own traditional costumes, which are likely to be worn during festivals and Independence Day. The “Baju kurung” for example, could be worn by other races apart from the Malays and this shows that the races exist in Malaysia can put aside their differences, irrespective of their religion.
However, fashion is not related to teenagers only. It is also for all walks of life. People who are involved in the business sector are always associated with formal clothing whereby some people have to wear uniform to work such as policemen. Toddlers are also being dressed up to date by their parents even though they are unaware of the latest issue in fashion. What is worn by the toddlers reflects the responsibility of the parents on their child. It is not a surprise too if pets are also being dressed up!
Yes, back then the society used to relate fashion with women. In this 21st century, the word metro sexual exists giving men an opportunity to style themselves up. Before this, men are known to have simple taste on clothes and are not suitable to pamper themselves. The same situation when it comes to work and study. Women are becoming more competitive these days that they could be equal with the men.
Fashion also has the ability to accentuate one’s figure, minimising flaws, and give us the image of either professionalism or slovenliness. FYI, We live in a world where how we dress says so much about us and our aptitudes. You might be damn smart, but if you dress like a slob, you won’t land a job that goes with knowledge. Remember that! : P
Fashion victims are also more likely to dress up, following the trends so that they could be accepted in the society. Racism is not only about gender or race. You can count in fashion and looks as well. You’ll dress well, you’ll be treated well. The pricey the piece of clothing that you wear, the more valuable you are in the society.
Fashions come and go. How a trend appears and disappears is something which cannot be explained. I believe, there must be a trendsetter which is responsible for each wave of fashion. For example, during the 1950’s teenagers worldwide would dress like Elvis Presley and the same phenomenon happened when Michael Jackson appeared in the music industry. The boys especially, would go gaga over the jacket and pants that Michael Jackson wore in his Thriller video. Thus, we can say that celebrities are the major cause of this pandemic widespread. Secondly, magazines, advertisement, television, movies and fashion blogs also contribute to this factor. Ever heard of America Next Top Model, Project Runway, Sex and the city, Gossip girl or even Ugly Betty? I bet you do J
All in all, Fashion is a statement. It sends the message that you care for yourself, that you are updated, most importantly, is that you are presentable.
p/s:just ignore any of my grammar mistakes... :P
