Fashion Epitome: A Westernized Paradigm

Quick and Easy Illustrations by Mai Manaloto

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Fashion is defined as the prevailing style of dress. The Middle English term ‘fashion’ comes from the Old French term facon (in the sense ‘make, shape, appearance,’ also ‘a particular make or style’): from its Latin origin facere (‘do, make’) or factio.

It started when our primitive ancestors started wearing clothes which were typically made from plants, animal skin and bones. The bones were used as needles to sew fibers or hides together. However, given their primitive use of clothing, this style was a far cry from how fashion has come to be defined today. Hence this paradigm can be argued to not have been one where fashion existed.

That is if viewed from how fashion was defined during the renaissance period in Europe. During this period the term fashion became a widely used word, depicting the idea of clothing as a form of fashion. High fashion began to take off when royalties begun setting trends within their kingdom to establish social class to showcase their individuality. Cities such as Paris became the fashion hub of Westerners. During these times new ideas about fashion designs and methods of tailoring were spreading.

Under this definition, the appraisal of fashion and appearance was hierarchical with the tailored and sewn style of clothing from the West at its pinnacle. While on the other hand, the dress of primitive or indigenous people, those that are hand-loomed clothe draped on the body, or garments made from unprocessed fibers and grasses, was considered less valued as it did not fit this definition of fashion.

However, today’s marketing strategies have changed the concept of indigenous fashion. Indigenous fashion products such as woven textiles, Aztec prints, organic dyeing methods, and precious jewelry, are now considered as high-value products as a result of the Sustainable Fashion and Textile movements.

We can derive that the definition of fashion (tailored and sewn) encompasses only the Western, capitalist and socially mobile. This may mean that traditional and non-capitalist societies that still exist today (those that do not meet the definition standards, and therefore do not fit the word fashion) do not take part in its realm. But this does not mean they do not have fashion - in a sense of having a predominant style - within their community. A more appropriate term to use for this case would be ‘clothing’ rather than ‘fashion’. Clothing is a general term that includes fashion in its paradigm and it is not limited to the Westernized idea of a predominant style. Read more about Clothing at Misguided Fashion: The Misconception In Clothing

Source: The Fashion Reader by Linda Welters and Abby Lillethun (eds) (Berg, 2007)

Clothing Hedonism: Glamourizing Fashion In Conventional Discourses

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The ideology of consumption immersed from the perception of one’s self. Fashion goods and services has the capacity to alter one’s current lifestyle and physical appearance. When we casually talk about fashion, it reflects our personal goals, life history and specific interests. Others however, may argue that fashion fosters depthless and materialistic outlooks. 

When speaking of fashion, there are generally two perspectives. You can either glamourize it, or trivialize it.

Glamourizing fashion takes one to a type of realm wherein goods and services project our dreams and fantasies about living the ‘good life’ – an idealized consumer dream world (Thompson and Haytko, 1997).

This take on fashion has given rise to the world of haute couture (or high fashion), runways, magazine spreads and billboards. Cambell (1987) coined the term “imaginative hedonism” to encompass this phenomena. Glamourizing is a level of fashion consciousness wherein pleasure and satisfaction arise from attaining clothing and being able to take part in the world of fashion.

The other take on fashion is by trivializing the discourse. A salient view of fashion becomes a practical nature of everyday life with clothing. Fashion is viewed for its seriousness of purpose – to be worn for daily endeavor.

This take has produced a business approach towards fashion by producing Ready-to-Wear and Basic-Everyday-Wear clothing. It removes the superficialities associated with appearance and focuses on the practical purpose of wearing clothing such as modesty, protection, presentation, tradition and expression.

Hence, these two countervailing interpretations of fashion give us a better understanding when discussing fashion in a conventional manner. It also shows the type of influence fashion marketing has on its target market. In all these cases, fashion discourses can become a proactive means to discuss clothing and trends, with an underlying reflection of one’s ambitions, interests and background. 

Ethical Fashion Fix: The Altruistic Remedy To Shopping

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Fashion in general is considered a luxury commodity compared to other utilitarian goods. In this fashion discourse we discuss the relationship between fashion commodity and consumer ethics. I am guided by Rob Walker’s business book entitled Buying In: The Secret Dialogue Between What We Buy And Who We Are (2008).

Ethical selling has been a popular marketing platform for a lot of brands since the early 21st century. When you ask an individual if they support 'green buy' (a form of consumption with the intention of safeguarding the environment), most would claim they are supporters of this platform.

However, according to the Journal of Industrial Ecology, actual data on 'ethical' or 'green' consumption shows only a fraction of consumers really act on such concerns or go out of their way to ‘go green’ or ethical despite a majority of people claiming that they are environmentally or ethically conscious. Very few individuals would admit to being shallow hypocrites.  The reality of the marketplace is that a lot of people are concerned about ethical consumption but it is difficult to walk the talk especially in fashion.

The ethical sell is too limiting. Therefore, creating a brand based solely on a company's ethical practices is not a good strategy for reaching the deluxe masses. It is a niche market at best. However, do not fret because there is a way to combat this apparent disconnect with ethical consumption.

Based on a study by Khan and Dhar (2006), “individuals are more likely to splurge on fancier or pricier commodity after giving to charity”. The researchers concluded: “The opportunity to appear altruistic by committing to a charitable act in a prior task serves as a license to subsequently make [the subjects] relatively more likely to choose a luxury item".

There are many ways to make a fashion consumer feel ethical when shopping. This has given rise to LOHAS [Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability] brands. LOHAS brands provide consumers who claim to buy ecological and ethical products a variety of options such as 'personal development offerings' which include alternative health care products such as herbal teas, glutathione and slimming pills. Other offerings include spiritual products and services such as yoga, feng shui and precious stones, and eco-friendly fashion offerings such as organic, recycled or upcycled raw materials and fair trade of materials and labor to highlight ethical production. And of course there are those alternative brands that donate to charity out of their profit margins.

This variety of product and service offering gives the consumer an option to buy something and convince themselves that they have done their part in contributing towards society. All these efforts give fashion consumers enough options for an ethical fix when shopping - doing a good deed, one cart at a time.

Luxury Fashion: The Deluxe Standards

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There has been a global misuse of the term ‘luxury’ especially in the fashion industry. What was once luxury is unfortunately no longer what it is. Luxury fashion such as haute couture are classic products of the highest value. In this discourse, I am guided by Dana Thomas’ New York Times bestseller Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster (2007).

Today, the prominent idea of luxury is to provide expensive clothing for the deluxe masses. We turn to photographs for guidance on what garments to purchase that will make us look good when taking selfies. The main motive is not to enjoy and live, but instead to be seen in photos enjoying and living.

Once, luxury fashion brands would produce extremely limited runs so that a buyer can have the pleasure of having a garment that he/she would never see elsewhere. The thrill came from the exclusivity and craftsmanship associated with attaining such luxurious products. The goal of luxury is, and has been, to deliver impeccably made products. Value for money has always been the agenda, providing excellent output and services.

Some luxury garments are made-to-order to custom fit the desires of a client. In clothing, the most important thing to consider is the fit and silhouette as this is where the practice of made-to-measure comes into play. The design which is composed of the fabrication, sundries, and ornamentations can come later on. It is like having a nice facial bone structure; once you have that the rest is make-up as stated from D. Thomas (2007). Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster (New York: Penguin Press). 326-31.

Maintaining luxury standards is a must in production. If you want to deliver the best dress for a particular client then you have to make use of the finest raw materials and the best artisans there are. As it is mentioned in Deluxe (Thomas, 2007), you can’t ask poor people in bad conditions to produce beautiful output. However, today a lot of fashion brands take advantage of cheap labor from developing nations to produce their so-called “luxury products” in warehouses, working under very bad conditions.

Authentic luxury should not be about consumerism, but instead it should be about educating the customer’s eye to see that special quality in clothing. It is about understanding and appreciating the beauty of the processes involved in crafting an impeccably made garment. Bonding and staying connected on a human level with clients is just as important as delivering results. Apart from this, the work space or retail outlet must be a precious space as it complements the overall image of the brand.

Building a luxury empire entails patience, skill, and knowledgeable interaction between creator and client. Letting it grow naturally, resisting the desire to rush and concentrating on too many markets are common challenges authentic luxury brands face on a regular basis. As Louboutin put it “don’t make a company to make money, make the things you like until it becomes a company”.

Fashion Express: Levels of Retailing

Quick & Easy Illustrations by Mai Manaloto

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Becoming a certified fashionista does not only entail knowing the latest trends or putting pieces together. It is also about understanding the commerce in fashion. In this discourse I am guided by Linda Welter’s best-selling textbook The Fashion Reader - her background includes an M.A. in textiles and clothing as well as a Ph.D. in design.

The industry has various business levels as fashion is sold to consumers through a variety of retail outlets. The first to be considered are department stores which are considered as the oldest retail category dating back to its development in the 19^th century.

Malls are also increasingly popular retail outlets, ever since their emergence after the Second World War. Shopping has become a form of entertainment with these large forms of concrete providing more than just opportunities to shop, but also to dine in nice restaurants and watch the latest movie flicks in theaters.

However designer labels established by top designers require something different such as a high profile retail space. The location in this case is crucial because it has to reflect the image of the designer. Usually, such stores can be found in areas of the city considered to be trendy. It is critical that the store itself becomes a destination to build great excitement for consumers, who are willing to travel and shop.

Moving to mass merchandisers, these sellers are normally described as vendors of inexpensive clothing. Before, only basic garments were sold in these types of retail outlets. Today, it has begun incorporating designer fashion into its product mix. Affordable labels are tying up with top-name designers in building “limited edition” garments or “one-time” collections as a tactic to boost sales.

But in today’s increasingly technologically advanced world, internet retailing or e-tailing has rapidly grown since the birth of the digital age that created new opportunities in fashion selling.  Purveyor of high-end to off-price/discounter fashion makes use of the internet as social networking is used by brands in fueling excitement for their products.

It is also worth noting that some fashion retailers are vertically integrated specialty chain stores. Meaning the brand handles everything from designing and manufacturing the merchandise to selling them in their own outlets. This type of supply chain streamline creates a quick lead time of bringing goods to consumers, thus explaining why it is often described as 'quick response' or 'lean retailing'. It also promotes a reasonable price for the end product as it removes all the cost of having a 'middle person'.

Each business’s levels of fashion has its own corresponding challenges as the pressure to surpass the previous year’s performance is constantly felt. The new age brings fast and easy means of distributing fashion information globally and this has created a fashion forward consumer, those inclined with the newest trends and expecting instant fashion to be provided to them.

Sartorial Jargon: Fashion, Clothing, Apparel, Costume And Dress

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As we go further in this intellectual discourse on fashion, it is imperative for a certified fashionista to be able to comprehend terminologies used in the industry. In this blog post I will discuss a few, but highly essential, terms used in this ever growing and evolving trade.

How do terms such as fashion, clothing, apparel, costume and dress differ from one another? Each word is found to be very similar to the others but their difference is definite. Each term has a level of appropriation of use for various scenarios in the fashion industry. Some terms are simply more general whereas the others are more unambiguous.

There is a difference between clothing and fashion. Clothes are tangible material products while fashion is a symbolic product. Therefore, clothes are the output of fashion. Fashion involves branding, marketing, merchandising, lifestyle and storytelling while clothing is generally used for protection, modesty and aiding in identity formation.

The term apparel on the other hand is used in the industry to describe cutting-edge fashion and/or basic garments such as a shirt, uniform, active wear and so on. In a nutshell, apparel is any textile item for the body, unlike clothing which is a more general term in fashion. Clothing is anything attached or altered on the body which is thoroughly discussed in my previous blog post entitled Misguided Fashion: The Misconception in Clothing.

Costume pertains to the history of clothing and appearance during a particular period. For example, the finely woven linen and invention of purple dye during the ancient Egyptian civilization, the draped and gathered silhouettes of the ancient Greeks, the togas, strophium (bra) and subligar (panty) of the ancient Romans, the sartorial excess or the heavily ornamented clothing filled with geometric/Arabic patterns of the Byzantine empire during the middle ages, the ruff collar and elaborate layered dressing with slashes during the Renaissance period, the romantic frills and ruffles of the rococo period and the dark hues and bustle of the Victorian period.

Dress is more of an anthropologist term when referring to all forms of attire. From an anthropological perspective, dress is a function of complex set of motives that is interdependent in factors such as the physical environment/form, psychological state, and social conditions and norms. Whereas in fashion dress is a form of clothing where the upper bodice is attached or connected to the free flowing lower bodice creating a skirt hem.

As shown, all these terms have varying concepts but they have a common goal. That is to describe and lead to a better understanding of the past, present and future of the fashion industry.

Couture Trade: The Universal Benchmark Of Fashion

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Couture provided a standard for impeccable universal sartorial taste. It was marketed as the peak of advanced style or commonly defined as high fashion.

Couture designs are kept up to date by the infusion of new trends that are shown in extravagant fashion shows.

It exists to serve as a role model to all fashion designs explaining why a silhouette can be theatrical, attention-grabbing and extreme. It was meant to be vulgar and merely conspicuous.

Wearable choices of couture on the other hand were made for two audiences, the general public and private clients. But what is it that would make a woman spend a fairly large amount for a couture made dress?

A couture piece must first captivate a woman and make her feel flattered by its design. Then it must meet various requirements such as longevity, appropriateness and value in terms of price. Expensive clothing is expected to be well-made and stresses the importance of serviceability to a woman. Exclusivity and the design itself also plays a role in the decision making process of acquiring couture wear.

Couture does not only exist as a benchmark in fashion design but serves as something desired by women. A symbolic purchase of a well-earned triumph established overtime.  As Alexandra Palmer, who has a Ph.D. in design history and a fashion costume senior curator, put it "Couture wardrobes symbolized and highlighted the status of the social elite and implied that the wearers were knowledgeable, cultural and social professionals who practiced connoisseurship in many fields" (2001).