There are people all across the world that are passionate about what they wear and how they look.  Just observe the rush to pick up the latest releases of glossy magazines on a weekly and monthly basis and you will see what we mean.

What is the role of fashion in today’s world? What are the reasons why people dress in a certain way?

• To meet a certain requirements of conformity, whether that be for religious reasons or as a workplace uniform, for example
• To show an aspect of their personality, express themselves and further define their identity
• In defiance of expectations of others, as an act of rebellion

Of course, if you went outside onto the street now and asked 20 different people, you would likely receive a different answer from each of them.

The funny thing with fashion is that we see it as a central part of modern life, yet in an age where we are all conscious that we have become perhaps a little too superficial and materialistic, many of us are still obsessed with how we look and with having the best possible, or most expensive, clothes.

This brings us to a hotly debated point.

Should It Matter

Should the clothes we wear be a basis for making judgments about others and ourselves?

Whether we like it or not, they are. Many of our attitudes towards clothes are so ingrained now that we do not even realise we are behaving in a certain way a lot of the time.

Let us look at some of the ways in which judgment happens quickly.

• People judge job applicants the moment they arrive based on what they wear. Even if they give the best possible answers to all of the questions asked, the decision has already been made
• Less affluent people are judged on how they dress in all locations
• Some establishments have rules around what can and cannot be worn on a premises

Fashion is perhaps not at the stage where we can stand here and say that it is a glorified form of social engineering, but it is easy to see why some people would think that.

One of the biggest ironies of fashion is that we are always hearing about how tolerance and respect is so important in a globalized world where cultures are interacting like never before. Despite this, you still run the risk of ridicule or social exclusion if you wear ‘the wrong thing.’

What Should Change

Does anything need to change in the world of fashion?

The answer is probably no. It is not the fault of the fashion industry, after all, that people choose or are able to dress in different ways. How dull would the world be if we all had to wear identical boiler suits with nothing on them but an identity number?

The change needs to be made in the psyche of global society. Whether it is ‘goth,’ ‘chav,’ ‘tramp,’ or some other derogatory insult, the way to a better world for fashion is to get over insecurities and insults, and focus on the person rather than the clothes.

(you can thank the content writers at Aab Collection for the guest post!)

Aab Collection is an e-commerce retailer selling Islamic clothing, such as kaftan dresses, predominantly aimed at Muslim women with multiple roles to play in today’s society. A kaftan dress is a tasteful and elegant option for a woman to wear to a job interview.