For more and more people, wearing fashionable clothes has become very important. Is this attitude to wearing fashionable clothes a positive or a negative development?
For many decades, keeping up-to-date with the latest fashion trends was something predominantly done by celebrities or those working in the world of fashion. This has now extended to people from all walks of life and the majority of us are becoming dedicated followers of fashion. There are both benefits and drawbacks of this; however, I personally feel that it borders on being more harmful than beneficial.
For many decades, keeping up-to-date with the latest fashion trends was something predominantly done by celebrities or those working in the world of fashion. This has now extended to people from all walks of life and the majority of us are becoming dedicated followers of fashion. There are both benefits and drawbacks of this; however, I personally feel that it borders on being more harmful than beneficial.
A prime example why this could be advantageous is that it has made fashionable clothing more affordable for the masses. Previously, owning such items meant buying overpriced designer clothes and, therefore, it was only accessible to the wealthy and the privileged. In the last few decades, however, because of increased interest in fashion, high street chains have been producing trendy clothes at affordable prices. As a result, fashion has become accessible to all, which is, undoubtedly, a positive step forward.
Despite this, it cannot be denied that this desire to be stylish has negative consequences. Firstly, it has made clothes more disposable, as outfits are produced cheaply, often using cheap or child labor, worn on a couple of occasions and, subsequently, discarded. In addition to this, there is a great deal of pressure, particularly on the younger generation, to keep up with their peers. For instance, if one of your classmates is wearing the latest Nike trainers, consequently, everyone in the class feels pressurised into having the same or equally trendy footwear.
Taking everything into account, this obsession with wearing the latest fashion trends, especially in these days of posting every single outfit worn on social media, has made clothes throwaway and not reusable. Moreover, this incessant need to have the latest must-have items puts far too much pressure on adolescents and, thus, cannot be regarded as progress.