Sunday, January 10, 2010

# 1 The Feminization of Fashion by Tien Dang

I'll admit to one thing. Fashion is a concept and it's not style nor is it clothes. But the question still remains. What is fashion? It is a concept, but what kind of concept? I still lack to understand. But one thing is clear to me, fashion has so much implications towards its history and meaning that fashion-ology seems to be a necessity.



The word "fashion" has female implications and is easily assumed to be a female concept. "A major reason why fashion as a social phenomenon has been treated as futile is because the phenomenon is linked with outward appearance and women" (Yawamura, 9). This is generally what women are stereotypically said to be too focused on. There is such a wide range of ads that market towards female consumers rather than male. Thus, further condemning women into a stereotype of domesticity. As fashionology is a new study, it seems to be experiencing the similar impediments that females have had to endured in the past as well as are still struggling with in the present. But what is it about concepts of change and novelty scare people so easily? Fashion is applicable to everyone and as the fashion industry is growing and marketing more and more male consumers, it is also visibly clear that there is a social change growing. Forever 21 and H&M have expanded towards male consumers as well. Although some, like my brother, may cringe at buying clothes at such "feminine" stores, it is nonetheless the reality of marketing and consumption as more and more men are appearing in the fashion world.


As learned in "The Devil Wears Prada," everyone indulges in fashion consciously or unconsciously. Because if fashion was so immaterial, then daily apparel would be unnecessary.

Kawamura, Yuniya. 2005. Fashion-ology: An Introduction to Fashion Studies. New York: Berg Publishers.

No comments: