Why does Fashion Change Over Time?

Shubham Anil Jain
Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited
Bangalore, India
Email: [email protected]

1. Introduction
In today’s world, fashion means the styles of dress that are currently popular. It is not wrong to say that, today fashion has gone beyond just clothes, though. It can explore to varieties of shoes, jewelry, and even different hairstyles. Seeing the craze of fashion for many people it is a high priority. They always go for only the latest fashions and styles. The only thing which is same with fashion is this: It always changes! As simply the people changes, the fashion over the time also changes. It is universal truth that, over time, the new replaces the old. Nowadays, public is influenced by popular culture, including athletes, musicians, movie stars, social media, and royalty. They do keen observation on what people wear in popular films, television shows, online videos, books, music and want to copy them, which results in the change in the fashion.

2. Reasons for Change in Fashion Trends

a) The economy plays a vital role for change in the fashion trends. When people are in recession period they do not have money to buy or even make fancy and customized clothes, like during the Great Depression. People buy high end fashionable garments (that means expensive) when their economic conditions is good and cheaper clothes when the economy is bad.

b) Another reason why fashion trends might change is because of the talents of one’s. For example, a person performing gymnastics might wear leos or track suits, and a chef like cooking might wear an apron.

c) In 1980s, music stars and movie stars have changed a fashion trends a lot. For example -Madonna, Prince, and movie star Molly Ringwald, as people are highly influenced by them. Another reason for the change in fashion today is due to enhancement of technology, because of which the new ideas for fashion trends can be found easily through online or other technology sources.

d) Another reason for change in fashion trends is environment. For example, the sustainable and recyclable fashion trends are growing very rapidly as people are becoming more environment conscious and want to preserve it.

e) People are now become more fashion oriented and free. They don’t have any expectations on what to where or what not to wear, because nobody can control them. It’s totally depends on them what they want to wear. In past, women didn’t go to work, but now the situation has changed, they go to work start to wear work suits and other work clothes, which changed a fashion trends.

3. Fashion Trends Over Different Periods
Trends changes all the time, but one can find the latest styles by watching TV or seeing what different celebrities wear. Fashion trends change so fast that sometimes it’s difficult to notice it. Here’s how fashion has changed in the past century:

3.1 1920s
In the United States and around the world, the 1920s was an excited time. Due to end of World War, people had jobs and money. In US women got the right to vote in 1919. Overall, people were feeling good and in a good condition, which resulted that women dressed in the “flapper” style. They started to wear dresses with fringe, short haircuts, and bright makeup. Men initiated to wore suits, suspenders and bowler hats.

3.2 1950s
The fashion style in the 1950s reflected people’s happiness after a war ended. World War II was completed and resulted in changed fashion. During this time, women wore dresses to highlight their body figure more. Hairstyles changed from the short bob to a longer style with curls instead, in this period. Generally, for men, the 1950s introduced the “greaser” style. This resulted, men adopting jeans, a white T-shirt, and black leather jackets.

3.3 1970s
The 1970s are known particularly for its activism and the “hippie” movement. This period includes clothes which was colorful with tie-dye, bell-bottom pants, and miniskirts. After a long time it was seen that, both women and men had long hair. The 1970s was known for all about music and good times, so people’s clothes reflected that too.

3.4 1980s
In 1980s, music inspired a lot to fashion industry. During this time punk rock, rap, and heavy metal music became very famous. Women’s had very big hair, jewelry and their makeup was bright which includes lots of colors. People who were in the punk rock world wore a variety of black clothing with heavy eyeliner. Both men and women paid attention towards a lot of fitness clothes; which includes a lot of colorful tights.

3.5 1990s
The 1990s were more down-to-earth as compared to 70s or 80s. Although women’s had big hair, but makeup was more natural looking. Many people adopted jeans and plain colored shirts along with converse shoes, which became very popular at that period. People also started to get more piercings than in other decades, in this period.

3.6 Present
In today’s era, people dress based on many different influences, choices and priorities. Some of the fashion trends are even based on looks from past decades, mentioned above. Trends change all the time, but more influenced by many TV shows or seeing what many celebrities wear. Unless you like it the particular fashion, just wear whatever you feel like today!

4. Factors Affecting Change in Fashion
As per as fashion is concerned, it is a dynamic by nature which keeps changing in time and space. Since, human mind is always looking for change so; it seeks changes in terms of place of living, food, and of course cloth or fashion. People always want to have something new styles and new fashions. But along with it, the following are some of the major factors that influence fashion.

4.1 Psychological Factor
It is an important factor that try to influences a person to go after a trend or may influence the opposite. For example, everyone generally wears the jeans and shirt, but one person prefers to wear pajama kurta. So, it shows individuality and does not follow the trend of society or vice versa may also happen.

4.2 Economic Factor
Surprisingly, fashion is considered one of the indicators that show the financial condition of a person in his society and economic condition of country in the whole world. Fashion means use if various resources, such as raw materials, level of infrastructure, and technological advancement in a particular country. So, if a country is economically developed, fashion in that country will be luxurious and at another level. On the other hand, fashion in developing or underdeveloped countries, is at a very low level and will definitely reflect that.

4.3 Social Factor
One of the major factors that influence fashion frequently and expansively is social factor. Its basically includes many factors, such as place of living (whether urban area or rural area), educational and cultural background, status in society, gender, profession, etc. These factors influence separately or sometimes collectively on the fashion.

4.4 Environmental Factor
Environmental factor majorly includes various seasons, like the winter season, which have different styles of clothing, influences fashion; the summer season, in this season, people go for only light cotton shirts and pants, t-shirts, jeans, etc.; and in rainy season, people prefer to have types of clothing including raincoats and other waterproof cloth.

4.5 Political Factor
Either directly or indirectly, political factor also plays a vital role in changing the fashion. Time to time, government bodies changes the laws, rules and regulations, economic policies, and political policies, all these factors, majorly influences fashion. For example, in the early 1990s, liberalization, globalization, and privatization have taken place, which encouraged many foreign fashion companies to launch their products in India, which greatly changed the fashion.

5. Conclusion
Finally, the fashion industry will always be one of the fascinating, best, largest, and most innovative industries in the world. The fact that fashion is a necessity ensures that the industry will never be considered outdated and will always enhance with time. As a result, it will only continue to improve and eliminate old-fashioned looks in order to make it modern again.

6. References

1. Swami Vivekanand Subharti University, Concept of Fashion (URL https://www.subhartidde.com)
2. Factors Influencing Fashion, Fashion Studies, https://www.tutorix.com/fashion-studies/factors-influencing-fashion
3. How has fashion industry changed over time? https://textiledetails.com/how-has-the-fashion-industry-changed-over-time/
4. Idacavage, Sara (8 June 2016). “Fashion History Lesson: The Origins of Fast Fashion”.
5. Evolution: Fashion Over Time, Posted on Published: July 6, 2021, https://threadcurve.com/style-evolution-fashion-over-time/

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Founder & Editor of Textile Learner. He is a Textile Consultant, Blogger & Entrepreneur. He is working as a textile consultant in several local and international companies. He is also a contributor of Wikipedia.

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