Fashion is perceived as frivolous and superficial compared to other forms of self-expression such as painting, dancing or music. The discourse of fashion is often confined to consumerism and fashion magazines, which it can be at times, but it can also be a lot more essence.
Fashion fosters independence and is an extension of one's self as it can be a visual manifestation of where an individual stands, colored by their history, emotions, politics and culture. The definition of freedom varies around the world due to religious beliefs, economic and political background as well as cultural nuances.
For instance, when we speak of women's appearances, Western fashion highly differs from that in the Middle East. The West has a tendency to be revealing to gain admiration from others whereas in the Middle East, admiration of appearance is done in the privacy of one's home and is often for the eyes of a spouse only. It is not for everyone to admire unlike in the West.
The concept of fashion in Western countries is based on freedom, particularly the freedom to express one's self. It tends to have more clothing varieties and options as there is more focus on the idea of individuality. Unlike in other cultures, where deviation from the norm of attire may be punishable by physical harm. In these cases, fashion choice is a form of protection rather than self-expression.
It should be no surprise then that individuals express themselves more diversely in terms of fashion in the West as compared to countries where freedom of expression is limited and the emphasis on individuality is not encourage.
Economic prosperity and religion also play a big factor in the development of fashion autonomy. For example, in the Middle East, some individuals can be fashionable in the privacy of their homes despite their rather oppressive religious government.
Fashion typically requires moderate wealth to be able to consume such luxury and since oppressive regimes seldom lead to economic prosperity, it may appear that only democratic societies know how to appreciate and make use of fashion to its full extent.
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