Crystal Cruz Grant English 1102 10 April 2014 Fashions Effects on Society Fashion is not a new topic of discussion

nor is it something that people are completely unaware of. In fact, fashion has been a great area of interest for many years now. The fashion industry greatly influences our nation as it supports the economy as well as those who are passionate about fashion. Whether it is for entertainment purposes, or because it is someones career, fashion is impacting that person greatly, and many others. Some believe that fashion is irrelevant and does not contribute to society and this is a view I personally want to change. Fashion is everywhere as everyone wears clothes. Osama bin Laden wore clothes and a first born baby wears clothes. How long does it take before we dress the young? I don't think a baby even lasts 10 days before he gets his first hat! In every culture we have clothing, there's not one culture that overtly walks around in the nude. Even in the most primitive cultures of Africa, they manage to cloth themselves. Not one culture I know of, even historically, was there no clothing. There is a nudist movement, but it's here and there- they participate for a few hours here and there- but at night, they probably put clothes on. (Charney). Fashion is a leading factor in helping define our culture and image, especially to other countries. This eventually leads to influences of fashion to different regions and cultures all around the world making it a very relevant and effective industry. Charneys opinion that every culture wears clothes and has some sort of fashion further supports the idea that fashion is not simply

created for entertainment purposes, but for necessity. Although there may not be one specific answer to why or how fashion has such a large impact, it is evident that it does and will forever. The fashion industry has many people working in designing, trend forecasting, styling and more. These people work hard for essentially the same goal: to create a trend or make a trend popular. This is almost completely dependent on the reaction of the consumer. Even though a designer creates a style, it will not be popularized if it receives bad reception from its targeted public. A styles success is very evident in ready-to-wear clothing. This type of clothing is meant for the public to wear everyday and not a special occasion or entertainment like haute couture. While the retailers may have the major influence in seeding what is fashionable or not, if they get it wrong then you, the consumer will not buy into it. Ultimately, you are the arbiter of whether a trend looks great or not, claims fashion trend forecaster Linda DeFranco (Zimmerman). Fashion trends rely heavily on the positive reaction of public or else it would not be a successful trend. If many buy a clothing item, and even more people are seen wearing it, it is being marketed more and more and becoming popular. An example of this is occurring with an old trend is the skinny jean. Previously a style popular in the 80s, the style made a comeback in 2006 and has been popular ever since (Zimmerman). Consumers commercialized skinny jeans without even knowing it by wearing it. Eventually almost all women owned a pair again. A style like this and others effects society because it becomes a cultural phenomenon. By the time a style is supported enough, many people will want it and feel the need to have it. After a short time, the trend is seen all over the country and becomes apart of the nations image and culture. A popular style can be viewed as a national movement that lasts for a very short time yet involves almost everyone in the country, until the next trend is out.

In the U.S. alone, fashion ranges from coast to coast. Different styles can be seen amongst different people and culture. A beach townie is California is sure to dress different than someone living in New York City. Anya Strzemien travels all around the U.S. in search of the different styles that show different personalities, culture, and more. Fashion reflects not only who we are, but where we are (Strzemien). This journey showed many different styles that are sure to be seen in specific parts of the country. From mud stomping boots in the mid-west, to classy preppy style in Nantucket, these styles are cultural representations that show off the area where it comes from. They can create a label for the region. Clothing worn in these places can show aspects of the region such as weather and climate, or traditions of styles that have been passed down for many years. The U.S. is a country of many different races, customs and history that is shared in many forms including fashion and styles. Whatever the style may be in any part of the U.S., it shows the countrys variation of culture and background, which unifies Americans as the style is shared all over. From an economical standpoint, the U.S. needs the fashion industry. Fashion is shared all around the world and is also a global asset. The global fashion industry is conservatively estimated to be worth over U.S. $1.3 Trillion (around 2% of the value of the world economy). (Shah). Just to put this into perspective, the global pharmaceutical industry is only half of this amount (Thought Economics). These high numbers show a great deal of success and importance of fashion both globally and for the U.S. economy. An industry that contributes this much globally is sure to stimulate an economy nationally. This includes clothing sold in stores and to companies. Events like New York Fashion Week and other fashion events are held throughout the year that have major economical benefits as people from all over the world come to see these event. Many industries benefit economically from shows like these, not just fashion. NYFW has

huge economic benefits to New Yorks economy, generating about $850 million every year. (Harress). The annual events bring in millions of dollars to the city of New York as attendees flood into the citys restaurants, hotels, and retail stores. In comparison to other New Yorks events such as The New York City Marathon, NYFW almost doubles its profits and is very successful each year in its earnings. The fashion industry has very many different levels of expensive or cheap clothing; all equally contribute to supporting the economy. It has the potential to benefit many other industries as well when hosting large events or partnering up with a company from another industry. It is a very important business for the world not only economically, but also for people all over. When the country is in a recession or depression, many are affected and any major economical support is helpful. Fashion plays a role in helping keep the economy stay stable, which benefits the people who could be hurt by a poor economical standing. Fashion is a very influential trend that can define a person, place, or culture. Just in the U.S. alone, fashion styles are shared all throughout the country and can be seen almost everywhere. Even though the U.S. doesnt necessarily create all its styles and designers get ideas from all over the world, U.S. fashion and style has a great influence on places all over the world and to human culture. I have personally noticed this in a very small country just south of the U.S., El Salvador. Each time I have visited I have always noticed the differences of dress and style of clothing but as I have gotten older, the similarities in American styles are much more evident. Through watching a few interviews on Salvadoran fashion, I was able to see American influences amongst the younger generations especially in the urban areas of El Salvador. After watching Cachada Fashion, a segment focused on popular clothing in El Salvador, trends like baggy jeans, sneakers, and hats were popular for the younger generation. Although I rarely see

this style in the U.S. anymore, I vividly remember seeing people dress like this in the late 90s and early 2000s. These styles are defined as urban/street wear which was actually what the interviewers in Cachada Fashion called it. It is interesting to see that an outdated trend in the U.S. is the new hot trend in another country. This is a style that I think the U.S. completely influenced. This style could have been seen in rap videos from about ten years ago. Long after rap music came out, a very similar style of music called reggaeton came out in many Latin American countries. This new music and cultural movement included a change in the fashion of the artists and eventually the countrys population. In many ways, these style changes in El Salvador and probably many other countries can be traced back to American fashion and trends. This just shows that not only does fashion in the U.S. effect different regions in the country, but places and societies all over the world. It is undeniable that many countries respect and look up to the U.S. so its influences in topics such as fashion and dress are inevitably going to be spotted globally. Fashion trends and styles have the potential to spread very rapidly. Especially with social media and advertising, new styles are almost unavoidable. When asked how the internet effects fashion, Claudia Schiffer (a renowned model) claims that It has opened up fashion to so many more people creating greater demand, ever increasing awareness, widening of the luxury market and offering exposure to a greater mix of cultural influences. (Thought Economics). If a trend is popular and many consumers are buying it, it is then affecting society by unifying people through clothing and interest. If a product or clothing item is sold in mass amounts, it is contributing to the economy and allowing it to grow. It is very evident that fashion not only effects society and the U.S. nationally, but that it is a positive industry that supports many peoples passions lives. Fashion can be viewed as an entertainment industry, but it should be

recognized as more than that as well. The fashion industry does so much for the world. Its businesses contribute to the world economy as well as helping other resources. Many fashion labels and designers have charities and support great causes other than making money off of clothing. The fashion industry supports other industries and helps those succeed as well. The positive benefits of fashion outweigh the few negatives. Its influences on society bring people together through common interests and allow the different cultures in the U.S. to show their styles.

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David. "Fashion Trends: Who Decides Whats Hot and Whats

Not?" Top 5 Beauty Fashion Trends Who Decides Whats Hot and Whats Not

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Christopher Harress. New York Fashion Week: The Numbers And Economic Benefits

Behind The World's Biggest Fashion Show 6 Sept. 2013. Web. 20 Apr. 2014

Eilene Zimmerman. Roaming the World, Detecting Fashion 11 May 2008. Web. 20 Apr. 2014.

Vikas Shah. The Role of Fashion in Human Culture Sept. 2012. Web. 21 Apr. 2014