Fashion is a broad aesthetic term at a given time and place and at a given context, particularly in clothing, shoes, cosmetics, hairstyle, body proportions, and style. The word “fashion” first appeared in English in the 18th century, so it has had some influence on the meaning of other terms such as “shoes,” “clothing,” “coffee houses,” “gifts,” “boutiques,” “sewing machines,” “leather goods,” and “tailor shops.” In popular use, the term now refers to any sort of clothes, jewelry, adornments, or fashion accessories that are fashionable for that time and place. It can also mean a particular style or taste. For example, one might speak of contemporary fashion in terms of hipsters, Gothic styles, or even Eastern themes. A word of caution, though: trends may shift in a flash, but they always return more stylishly than they were before.
Most fashion designers do not design clothing for the masses, but rather for a small segment of the market they have targeted through their work. High fashion designers make clothing for the wealthy. Top designers create collections for middle-class women. Designer labels specialize in fashion for men.
The term “high fashion,” therefore, refers to fashionable clothes worn by the rich or famous. Women, in general, tend to wear clothing of low cost and higher fashionability. When young girls dress up in expensive dresses and accessories to school, they are doing so to feel like the fashion-conscious girls they see in magazines. As children grow up and enter school, they learn to be more practical with their spending. Parents buy children clothing that is within their price range, but which still looks good and feels good.
High fashion trends come and go, as fashion itself does. But over the past few years, a new trend has emerged in clothing design. The designers of high fashion are now creating clothing and accessories that are much more affordable and of a lower quality, such as those made from organic materials. They are becoming aware of the damage that environmentally friendly products can cause, and they are trying to fix that problem by offering clothing and accessories that are more “green.”
The fashion industry in Paris has changed radically over the last decade. Prior to the economic crisis of the past few years, it was rare to find a high-end clothing store in Paris. The large designer labels that once dominated the fashion industry, controlling much of the market, have been forced to downsize due to the economic crisis. Many high-end shops have gone out of business in recent years, closing their doors on some of the most important days of the year in Europe, including Paris Fashion Week. Some have moved to other countries such as New York, London and Miami.
Because there has been so much focus on the economic climate in Europe recently, many fashion marketers have decided that they want to do something about it. Many fashion marketers have taken advantage of social media sites like Twitter and Facebook to get the word out about their latest spring/summer collection. By using social media, fashion marketers are able to interact with their target market directly. Consumers will often tweet about the latest styles, or review specific items they have purchased, making the items more easily accessible to the public. Fashion items that are reviewed and tweeted about have a much higher chance of going on sale, creating a new source of income for the designer. As social media becomes more prominent in fashion marketing efforts, we could soon see a major influx of new fashion designs coming from top fashion designers all around the world.