Fashion is an influential form of self-expression. It can have a positive effect on your social life, as people tend to treat you based on how you present yourself. Fashion can be an understated whisper, a high-energy scream or even a wink and a smile. It can also be a way of expressing your creativity and uniqueness.
For something to be considered a trend it must have broad acceptance and diffusion. This can occur in several ways, either top-down (“trickle-down”), bottom-up (“bubble up”), or transversally across cultures and through viral memes. It may also be cyclical, with styles that are “out of fashion” regaining popularity at a later date.
Fashion can be a statement about politics, culture, and social values. For example, Vivienne Westwood was one of the first designers to use clothing as a political statement. Her pieces, which include ripped T-shirts and plaid, were embraced by the punk movement as a symbol of rebellion against conformity and authority.
Many people believe that changes in Fashion are a result of societal change and/or the financial interests of designers and manufacturers. However, research shows that there are internal mechanisms that drive fashion trends. For instance, a person’s choice of a first name may not be influenced by marketers but could be driven by an internal desire to fit in with the other children in his or her class. The earliest evidence of continuous change in Western clothing style can be dated to the 14th century, with an explosion of new styles occurring in the late medieval period.