Fashion is everywhere. It is on the streets and in stores. People are constantly talking or thinking about it. People have even built careers in the industry. Blogs on the topic have become extremely popular citing what's in. Even with all this fascination about fashion no one has been able to articulate why it is so important. It's just clothes, maybe some jewelry and other accessories but, that's all there is to it. How can something that sounds so simple and materialistic have such an impact on so many lives?
Fashion is so much more than that simple definition. The hard work and talent that goes into creating something that is fashionable is well thought out and meticulous, starting at the designers to the models and finally the runway. Fashion becomes not only what clothes are trendy or what looks chic walking down a runway but, a feeling I get. It is indescribable. It instills a certain confidence in me when I'm wearing the clothes. The attitude of someone that is fashionable is best described by the images of some of New York's most fashionable citizens.
Fashion has inspired so many different types of people because any ordinary person can have style. You don't have to have a special talent, be extraordinarily beautiful or the least bit famous to be fashionable. Ordinary girls with great taste inspire others as they walk down the streets.
Fashion is also a way for these ordinary people such as myself to gain recognition. It allows to be to be noticed similiar to this blogger. It is also a way for people to respect or admire a part of myself before they even get to know me. It is like getting a leg up on the way people view me.
Although fashion is not all about trying to impress others and what they think of my clothing. Fashion can be quite controversial. People can wear the most outrageous outfits and think they are being fashionable but yet they just look ridiculous. But thats an opinion and others may disagree with. Its interesting to see the way different people view different clothing, the same way people view other aspects of life differently.
The constant attraction to fashion is somewhat hard to put into words. I feel it is most easily explained when I put on a pair of Christian Louboutins or when I see the runway shows of someone like Alexander Wang. Its the burst of confidence I get when I have on just the right outfit, that portrays just the right look. Fashion is everywhere around us, it inspires, its a guilty pleasure, its a feeling of satisfaction and a form of art and expression. One thing is clear I have a passion for fashion.
I've realized through this search to define what fashion is and why it is so important that you can't completely articulate every aspect of why it is so compelling to me. But that does not make it any less important. People are going to see what they want and I've realized I shouldn't have to justify why I love something because it is a part of who I am. Chuck Klosterman once wrote, "It must be something insane, because I should not enjoy it as much as I do. I must be seeing something so personal and so universal that understanding this question would tell me something I need to know about who I am, and maybe I don't want that to happen." I argee with Chuck. I maybe have been searching for an exact, concrete answer of why fashion is so important but, I've learned you can't define something so personal and complex because it would ruin how special fashion is to me.
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I find it interesting how you say fashion is more than just something materialistic because of the hard work that is put into it. I'm still confused as to why that is though...what makes people want to put in that work? Is the reason people like fashion because of the confidence and empowerment it gives to people. You also talk about the "right" look and how fashion is viewed differently by everyone-- that makes me curious as to the tensions between trends and fashion and the individuality of fashion.
ReplyDelete-Alex
Dear Ansley,
ReplyDeleteYour clear introduction helped me get my bearings and settle down to read the rest of your blog. I enjoy how you addressed how the materialistic component of fashion can sometimes outweigh its artistic worth – at least to those who are not in love with the fashion industry. Your explanation that the near to adrenaline rush you get while wearing fashionable clothes interested me. Are there examples where you have been inspired by the fashion sense of an “ordinary girl” while walking on the streets? Do you perhaps wish to be that girl yourself? (you answered this question) Furthermore, why is it so important for you to be positively perceived by someone who has not yet formally met you to the extent that you strive to use fashion as your “leg up”? Is using fashion as a means to have this “leg up” simply a benefit of wearing fashionable clothes or do you wear fashionable clothes with the conscious hope to impress those you haven’t met? As you claim that peoples view on fashion is sometimes reflective of their views outside of fashion, is your fashion sense in any way a representation of your Southern culture? You say that discovering precisely why fashion is so important to you may ruin its appeal – what would be an “ugly truth” that would be so detrimental to your relationship with fashion?
- Alexis
Ansley,
ReplyDeleteI had personally never considered these ideas; thanks for introducing them. I did have a bit of trouble differentiating between what you considered to be the materialistic side of it and what you considered not to be. I'd be interested to read/hear what you have to say on that. On another note, I personally am not infatuated with fashion, so your piece really served as a window for me as to why people find it so facinating. I've often thought about that. How do you think appearance relates to how we view ourselves and how others view us?
Alicia
Ansley,
ReplyDeleteThe thing that struck me most about your piece is how you view fashion as accessible to everyone. When a lot of people hear the word "fashion" they think of the glamour- of designers, runways, etc. but you make it clear that you believe fashion is someone everyone can understand and enjoy. Fashion is a way that everyone can express themselves through if they feel a connection with it. You also seem to appreciate the work that goes into fashion, the "behind-the-scenes" aspects of it. You mention at the end that you shouldn't need to justify your love of something, and I would like to read more about that. It was an interesting line for me because I think your blog completely justified this love of fashion. I think that this piece was an interesting and thoughtful take on a seemingly shallow subject.
-Amelia
Ansley,
ReplyDeleteFashion might be one of the oldest forms of "pop culture". It is an outward expression of ourselves that we show to the world on a daily basis. Since in our culture clothes are pretty much required (until we all become nudists) they are a part of a daily routine and an enforced part of our identity. A few things I was thinking about when reading this is you say, "anyone can have style." But is this true? Do people without the monetary resources not have access to this elite world? Can you have style if your whole wardrobe is from target or wal-mart? I guess so as these big box chains have looked to famous designers such as Issac Mizrahi to be able to make fashion available to all. Can clothes from target or the local thrift store of a hand me down from your sister be considered fashionable or are we only taking about the $600 shoes or $300 jeans?
I think that the feeling you are talking about here is confidence. Fashion has the ability to make people confident, that they look good, feel good and can hit the world running because people are going to notice their beautiful jacket or shoes and envy them. That is what fashion comes down to for me: envy. The items that I want and have to have, the feeling that you get when someone says "I love your outfit". We dress for each other in order to get these reactions and we dutifully play into the game of offering these reactions as well.
You have got me thinking here Ansley...
Courtney