Fashion is a language that makes a non-verbal statement to the human eye. Everyday we see new creations of ensembles which helps us inspire the next big thing.
The more we learn about individual communities, the more tangible products we can produce to express and educate those alien to the heritage. The fashion sphere can create trends of appropriate nature to express different cultures. Putting culture and fashion together, we can learn about global consumerism's future and its effects on trends.
Fashion statement
Customers see fashion as making a statement. Your outfit choice makes a public statement which can be translated as non-verbal communication, seen as self-expression. Conveyed through a combination of clothing and accessories, fashion can portray our individual culture in a variety of ways,
Cultural changes influence how the fashion changes in each culture. For example, all over the world, there is a difference in fashion trends and styles to fit each culture, which is why when you go on holiday abroad, you may return with a new item of clothing that does not resemble anything in your closet. Culture ensures that the fashion accessories and clothes meet certain goals or objectives. It can influence design and fabric selection. For example, designers can choose from and make use of indigenous materials abundant in a particular place to create a strong local identity.
Celebrities are role models
In today's society, fashion choices can be largely impacted by celebrity fashion in the consumers' eyes. Many consumers desire to imitate celebrities they may look up to or aspire to look like who may or may not have the same cultural influences. The easiest way to look like your favourite celebrity is to study their fashion sense and reflect it in your way.
Geographical location
Many consumers tend to follow the cultural trends of their local region. What they wear and how they piece their outfits together is normally influenced by their geographical location as most shop at their local stores.
As fashion constantly changes, designers keep up with the trends, modify designs and choose fabric, colour, and texture to adapt to a certain culture (or trend) at the same time. With that particular culture in mind, designers can create fashion accessories and clothing. At the end of the day, culture influences fashion and vice versa. Designers can only move towards creating a new design based on what they know about culture.
People all around the world proudly represent their cultures through their clothing. Many do not shy away from opportunities to showcase the brilliant vibrancy of their roots. Whether a modern twist on a traditional outfit or a traditional touch to an ultra-modern dress, it's always a pleasure to wear your national attire.
Climate
Climate can influence how consumers dress, having to dress appropriately for the temperature. If the climate of an area was warm then people would dress in warm attire by wearing lighter clothes such as cotton. However, if the climate was cold then it would call for such items as padded jackets. For example, for winters in Pakistan, people wear clothes of khaddar or velvet fabric, and during the summer they wear lawn clothes. In this sense, culture influences people dressing according to climate.
Religion
Another way in which culture influences how consumers choose to dress is that people practice religion, which is also a part of the culture. Religion has a great impact on the dress code of consumers as they wear clothes that are appropriate and accepted in their religion. For example, most Muslim women wear attires in which their bodies are completely covered as ordered to by their religion. So, Muslim women wear shalwar kameez, long maxis, and burqas or abayas.
Also, the dressing is influenced by norms and ideologies which are also part of the culture. Like the Western and Eastern ideologies shape the dress code of their inhabitants to some extent. In Western cultures, the dressing is deemed as a reflection of liberalism that everyone wears in which he or she feels comfortable and good, while in eastern countries like Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran; religion and old traditions play a huge role in determining the dress code as per the rules, which can be called as a part of Eastern ideologies.
Trends are inspired by cultural heritage and differ around the world. Culture is able to be expressed through clothing as many countries have their own interpretation of what is stylish in accordance with their beliefs and heritage. New trends and styles are constantly produced and today we can see a smaller divide in differences in styles as countries trade knowledge and ideas.
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