What is Fashion? I believe my take on this topic has evolved throughout the semester after taking into account the intersectionality of the subject. Fashion can be a representation of religion, ethnicity, age, gender, economic class, and more. While much of our dress habitus may be composed of comfortability of the weather and such, we subconsciously dress ourselves according to the subject positions we align ourselves with every day.
There is both a strong relationship and distinction between style, fashion, and dress. Together, the three shape how clothes affect our appearance, social standing, and comfortability. While my first definition of fashion comprised of its physical and economic components, I failed to make a strong distinction between fashion and dress. For a concept to become a part of fashion, its definition in terms of dress must be redefined through its stylization and its social classification.
One new concept of fashion that I was not as familiar with before was the effect of influencers on branding and promotion. I had heard of influencers on Instagram before, but Sarah Harris’s article, “What Is An Influencer?” gave me more insight to how the system works in terms of marketing. While people are often interested in accounts with unique styles and such, brands often choose influencers to represent them only if their aesthetic and interests align with the company’s. In addition to this, influencers “have complete freedom to choose the clothes” from the brand they represent. This way, the brand received feedback on what people like and dislike from both the influencers and their followers.
