Features of Fashion
Features common to all fashions are acceptance and change.
Acceptance
A garment or, for that matter, anything is not in fashion till it gains acceptance by the ultimate consumer.
A button down-collar shirt is a universally accepted style; whereas, a sari is a style acceptable to the Indian population. This shows that though the acceptance has to come from a large part of the population, it may not be universal.
Acceptance of a particular style does not become a universal phenomenon due to the following reasons:
x Big city fashions are at times not acceptable in small towns
X College students follow their own fashion trends
X Fashion styles of a religious group may be limited to that sect
Acceptance also means that a fashion is considered appropriate to the occasion for which it is worn, that is, a formal attire for a formal function, a casual look for a casual get-together, and a business suit for a business meeting.
Change
Fashion is ever-changing or ever evolving, though the pace may vary. This fact is recognized in definitions of fashion by words, such as prevailing or at a given period of time.
Changes in fashion occur because the apparel industry keeps introducing new trends for the consumer to suit the changes in his lifestyle and satisfy the corresponding needs. The consumer adopts these trends, as per his requirements, which in turn makes them fashionable. The pace of change has accelerated over the years owing to several factors, such as better communication, increase in spending power, liberation of women, awareness of fitness and several other reasons.
