Many people like to wear fashionable clothes. Why do you think this is the case? Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

The

fashion

industry continues to bombard society with a non-stop stream of powerful imagery, colours, sounds and styles, in order to extort money from us. Keeping up with the latest trends may feel like a constant task, and what may be fashionable

one

minute may be out of style the next.

However

,

this

does not stop

people

from buying and wearing new and expensive items of clothing or jewellery in the pursuit of style, even if it is potentially to their detriment.

This

essay discusses why

people

strive to wear fashionable clothing, and why the pursuit of

fashion

may not always be a positive force in

people

's lives. Humans are inherently social creatures, and it has often been recognised that

people

are able to feel included if they are wearing clothes that are currently in

fashion

. For inclusion in certain socio-economic groups, wearing the 'appropriate' brands guarantees a sense of belonging and may act as a gatekeeper to membership within that group. With

this

in mind, it would be sensible to assume that* there may be strong psychological factors underlying a person's choice of clothing that may have little to do with the actual garments.

However

, as a corollary,

people

's behaviour may be strongly influenced by the perceived threat of social exclusion if

one

does not conform to accepted notions of

fashion

. In fact,

one

might assume that the endless cycle of purchasing new and expensive clothes in order to remain 'fashionable' might be detrimental both to a person's bank balance

as well as

their sense of self, if

such

behaviour is driven mainly by the fear of becoming a social outcast.

Such

behaviour is well attested in studies on* teenage girls

in particular

, for whom inclusion within a social structure is paramount to their developing sense of identity and self.

This

can cause a great deal of stress for parents who are not able to afford the latest trends and brands demanded by their children.

To sum up

,

one

might conclude that the pursuit of

fashion

may well impact negatively on society as a whole, particularly if

one

has to manage to stay in

fashion

while

on a budget. It would be preferable if

fashion

companies could promote trends that are more accessible to the wider population who may not have the time or resources to keep up with the latest trend.