Fashion is a term for the style of clothes and accessories. It describes a distinctive and often rapidly changing way of dressing. Fashion is influenced by social and cultural events as well as by individual taste and attitude. It may also refer to a particular fashion designer or a designer’s clothing line.
In modern societies, fashion is largely determined by culture and socioeconomic status. People who are wealthy or have a high status in their society tend to wear special garments that display their wealth and taste. Other factors that influence the fashion include age, gender, occupation and geography. Different cultures favor differing styles of dresses.
The fashion industry covers the design, manufacture, distribution, marketing and retailing of men’s and women’s clothing. It is a global business, with clothes being designed in one country and manufactured in another, and then sold to customers in the form of apparel and accessories.
Clothes reveal the personality of the wearer and create stereotypes and distance between groups. For example, a boy with green hair wearing multiple piercings and a plaid skirt may be regarded by many as an outsider or rebellious. However, within a group of peers who share the same interests, his style can be seen as part of a fashionable trend. Fashions are also cyclical, with styles that were once considered in fashion falling out of favor and returning later. These trends are typically influenced by new discoveries in other parts of the world.