How do Economic Issues Shape Women’s Fashion Trends? Posted by Unknown on 6:37 AM No comments

Every one of us might have heard the saying “fashion reflects the temper of the times.” When a country is politically stable and economically affluent, frivolous fashion dominates over other trends.  During an unstable period decent-looking, practical and more sensible trends prevail.

Changes in economy bring about corresponding changes in apparel companies, cell phone companies, mainstream music, media and entertainment. Fashion, of late, has headed in new directions in order to make progress in youth market preferences in styles, cuts, silhouettes, colors, price posts, etc. Dress is not a mere object and material people put on their bodies. It is much more than that. It can be a symbol that stands for meanings which are not inherent in the material or object. In other words, the physical body when dressed reflects the “social body” or the surrounding social system. 

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When we look at the history, tensions and societal relationships that exist between different social groups reflected in the dress people wore. The poor rarely had access to new clothing. Before the 20^th century, poor men in Europe and America used to own only what is on their back and that too was handed to them by some more affluent people. Therefore, cloth became a form of currency soon and it was also used as payment for services. In the pre-industrial period clothing was synonymous with a person’s position in the social structure. After the industrial revolution and machine-made clothing, the effect of social and political stratification on fashion was transformed. The shift from agrarian to city life changed the perspective of how one’s social status was determined.

Economists and sociologists like Thorstein Veblen and Georg Simmel opined that in the industrialized world women’s status in society was directly linked to the display of their husbands’ wealth. They also mentioned that people tend to imitate those directly above them in order to move up the social ladder. It was clear that people wanted to appear wealthier than they really were. Expensive clothing was always inaccessible to the lower strata of the society. Hence, clothing was also a form of social control and it maintained a hierarchy among people. Inaccessibility to expensive clothing also reflected inaccessibility of political and socioeconomic status and freedom. Fashion was also a status symbol throughout the human history by which a visible gap between the “have’s” and “have not” was shown to the world. Those who could afford expensive clothing were showing the lower sections of the society that they had made it.

Fashion and luxury are so intricately related. If the giants in the clothing industry and the departmental stores go through an economic slow-down, its repercussions can be seen in their manufacturing or production units. If sufficient investment is not made for a large scale production of apparels, the clothing industry can only cut down the production and try to sell out all its products in order to avoid a further loss. The Fashion industry is always linked to the economic status of the home country. It is unable to escape from the fatal clutches of the economy irrespective of whether it is sinking or flourishing. With the pervasive effect of the internet on our lives, there are only a minute percentage of people who manually go to textile shops and buy clothing. 

It is predicted that the fashion industry will have to go through a set-back in the coming years. All sections of the fashion industry face continued pressure to adapt and evolve. Any field of activity which is static has no future. All industries and companies need to constantly update themselves in order to stay intact in the field. The idea of knowing how trends come and go helps an individual to become up to date and in tune with the changing times. Fashion is not limited to the clothes that people wear because the fashion is complete only when it includes accessories like bags, shoes, jewelry, scarf and hats. To be able to stay at pace with the changing trends, one has to be prepared with the most appropriate clothes and accessories right at the perfect time. It is obvious that seasonal changes, changes in color and influence of people make way for changes in the fashion industry.

Apart from the social and climatic conditions that have an impact on the fashion industry, slight changes in the economy bring about remarkable changes in the field. If the company undergoes a slow-down, or if the country goes through a rough patch, changes in the fashion industry are very much inevitable. There has to be a ratio which is directly proportional between the demand and supply of materials for any industry to thrive. Economic issues not only shape women’s fashion trends, but also are capable of either uplifting or totally collapsing the fashion industry. Production units need to be abreast with the current trends and the market situation. They should always be ready to bring about timely changes in the way they produce and distribute the goods.

Author bio: James Lopez

I’m James Lopez is concerned in moderations and the preservation of essay writing companies an online community that serves as a stage for college students to cooperate and clarify their doubts about their essay writing requirements.