Fashionable Clothes

Fashionable Clothes

Beauty may only be skin deep, but fashion is comprised of layer upon layer of meaning, history, and beauty. Fashionable clothes do not simply appear out of thin air. Fashionable clothes, fabulous shoes, delicate lingerie, and even eye-catching accessories all spring from the fertile minds of today's designers--minds which are very well-versed in the fashions of decades past.

A great designer is as likely to seek her inspiration from 17th century farthingales as she is to find it in 21st century gang culture, 20th century zoot suits, or even 19th century paintings or sculptures. The fashionable clothing we celebrate at Fashion TV and www.ftv.com often borrows from the lines and colors of styles past. The more you explore fashion, architecture, art work, and even music from days of yore, the more precisely you'll be able to decipher and "deconstruct" the fashionable clothes of today.

Want to learn more about the world's most important fashion designers and their sources of inspiration? If so, you'll love our in-depth, behind-the-scenes fashion features. At Fashion TV and www.ftv.com, we're known for the richness and breadth of our original programming.

You'll hear designers express, in their own words, the inspiration for and development of their current collections. One program may include an interview with Anna Sui, describing the 1960s pop inspiration of her Fall 2005 collection. Another program might include Rifat Ozbek of Pollini revealing how Truman Capote's famed Black and White Ball inspired his most recent designs

Fashion Assessoris and Regions

Fashion Accessory

Fashion accessories are decorative items that supplement one's garment, such as jewelry, gloves, handbags, hats, belts, scarves, watches, sunglasses, pins, stockings, bow tie leg warmer, leggings, necktie, suspenders, and tights.

Accessories add color, style and class to an outfit, and create a certain look, but they may also have practical functions. Handbags are for carrying, hats protect the face from weather elements, and gloves keep the hands warm.

Many accessories are produced by clothing design companies. However, there has been an increase in individuals creating their own brand name by designing and making their own label of accessories.

Accessories may be used as external visual symbols of religious or cultural affiliation: Crucifixes, Jewish stars, Islamic headscarves, skullcaps and turbans are common examples. Designer labels on accessories are perceived as an indicator of social status.

Accessories are also available in the form of bracelets, necklaces and earring.

Fashion Capital

A fashion capital is a location which is influential in fashion and in which fashion is important. A fashion capital would be the home of many top designers, modeling agencies, and the like. It is decided by the amount of business generated and influence through media in fashion.

In general, there are 4 traditional fashion capitals: Milan, New York City, Paris and London. Despite these being the stereoypical fashion capitals of the world, other cities, such as Rome, Tokyo and Los Angeles have been ranked very highly in the lists, to the point that in 2008, some of these cities ranked amongst the top 4 fashion capitals (Rome in 2008 came 2nd, beating Milan, Paris and London).

- Main Cities in fashion

Milan and New York City are considered the economic and true current media fashion capitals of the world. According to the Global Language Monitor, New York City came 1st for 5 consecutive years, yet in 2009, it was beaten by Melbourne. Despite the fact that these cities' fashion concentrates more on economic and media success, rather than beauty and elegance, both these cities have longstanding traditions of excellence and creativity in design, and have both been important historical centres of artistic fashion design for many years (especially Milanese fashion is regarded as being practical, but elegant and highly refined at the same time, concentrating more on stylish ready-to-wear clothes, rather than extravagant haute couture. This applies similarly for New York City. However, both cities also have upscale haute couture and high fashion shopping districts).

However, not from an economic point of view, Paris and London are considered the symbolic fashion centres of Europe and the world, due to them having long standing histories as a centres of art and fashion, and being home to several highly prestigious fashion houses. Yet, in the Global Language Monitor, they were beaten by more economically successful cities, such as Milan and New York. Even though these cities are both highly successful, and have established positive international reputations worldwide, they are often known more for the prestige and elegance of their fashion designs, rather than practicality and economic success (London-based fashion designs are known for their extravagant quirkinesses, whilst Parisian designs are more known for their extremely elegant and formal clothes).

The other main centers of fashion in the world are Melbourne, Rome, and Tokyo. In recent years, however, the importance of the fashion industry has grown in many other cities around the globe, such as Melbourne and São Paulo, Melbourne has always been a fashion capital, which are in 7th, 8th and 9th place.

Other top fashion capitals include Victoria, Barcelona, Las Vegas, Toronto, Shanghai, and Dubai.

- Regions

For 2009, the Global Language Monitor describes these as the leading fashion cities in their respective regions:- Asia and Oceania: ,Melbourne, Tokyo, Shanghai, Singapore, Bangkok- Europe: Milan, Paris, Florence, Rome, London, Barcelona, Berlin, Madrid, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, and Frankfurt.- India: Mumbai and New Delhi- Latin America: Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Santiago, Buenos Aires, Mexico City- Middle and Eastern Europe: Moscow, Krakow, and Prague.- Middle East and Africa: Dubai, Johannesburg, and Cape Town.- North America: New York City, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Miami, Dallas, Toronto, Montreal, and Atlanta.

However, Melbourne in Australia has been rated as most liveable and the main capital for sports, shopping & fashion.

For 2008, the Global Language Monitor describes these as the leading fashion cities in their respective regions:- Asia and Oceana: Melbourne, Tokyo, Shanghai, Singapore, and Bangkok.- Europe: Rome, Paris, Milan, London, Berlin, Madrid, Stockholm, Barcelona, and Copenhagen.- India: Mumbai and New Delhi.- Latin America: Santiago, Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, and Sao Paulo.- Middle and Eastern Europe: Moscow, Krakow, and Prague.- Middle East and Africa: Dubai, Johannesburg, and Cape Town.- North America: New York City, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Miami, Toronto, and Montreal.

Top Fashion Icons of the 21st Century

Top Fashion Icons of the 21st Century

In a day and age when “fashion forward” is often contradictorily defined as “fashion backward,” reverting back to the decades of style that were freakishly classical, including the rebirth of the ‘80s (it hasn’t been a full turn of the century yet), there is one woman who has been trailblazing the fashion industry forward with her own versatile style, First Lady Michelle Obama.

In a thoughtfully constructed book, Mrs. O: The Face of Fashion Democracy, Mary Tomer, considered the unofficial authority on Michele Obama’s fashion, having appeared on the Today Show and been featured in The New York Times and USA Today to discuss the first lady’s impeccable fashion choices, has put together a pictorial collage, often times using original photography to document the fashionista’s sense of style.

Fascinated, borderline obsessed with the woman who is not afraid to show a little leg or flirt with a slightly off-the-shoulder ensemble, the idea of the book first materialized as Mrs-O.org, a blog that has followed the first lady since the 2008 primaries into the White House, as well as captured her in other momentous occasions including her first meeting with the queen of England.

With a keen eye for fashion, it’s easy to see however, why Obama has only been among three first ladies considered fashion trendsetters in the course of U.S. presidential history – the other two being Frances Cleveland, wife of President Grover Cleveland (1893-1897), and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, wife of President John F. Kennedy (1961-1963) – and why everyone is captivated by her style.

Moving away from the boring, boxy and narrow dress suits that we have been accustomed to seeing for the last 48 years, the book showcases the first lady’s preference for more clean, crispier lines and her desire to play around with bold patterns, vibrant colors as well as vintage pieces that subtly show off her natural curves.

Mixing and matching not only high-end names, the book casually mentions she often wears affordable, low-price point pieces, like H&M and J. Crew, that are mainstream accessible. And supplying us the answer to the person credited for developing her keen fashion eye and her ability to pull off these ensembles is Ikram Goldman, the owner of Ikram Boutique, based in Chicago where the first lady frequently chooses from a vast selection of garments by designers who wouldn’t necessarily have found success as quickly if it hadn’t been for her sashaying in them.

Resourcefully, Tomer also includes profiles of some of Obama’s favorite designers of recent years, including Jason Wu who created the floor-length, one-shoulder, white chiffon dress adorned with organza flowers and crystals she wore at the Inaugural Ball; Maria Pinto’s open-back, teal dress she wore at the Democratic National Convention, and Isabel Toledo, creator of the gold and bronze dress with a banded empire waist she wore during the re-opening of the Ford Theatre, the site of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination.

Other added bonuses of the book include her interviews with authorities on fashion including Vogue’s Editor-at-Large Andrew Leon Talley and Booth Moore, chief fashion critic for the Los Angeles Times, the narrations on the moments surrounding Mrs. O’s ensemble of choice, as well as the mention of some of the accessories she has worn, like the metallic and black Moschino brooch, the Jimmy Choo jade pumps and the Sonia Rykiel waist belt.

But what truly gives credence to the first lady’s ability to pull off some of the most amazing outfits, as the book aptly points out, is her pleasant disposition, her ability to speak, her intellect, self-confidence and, perhaps most significant, her ability to relate to the people. And understanding that her lifelong accomplishments have helped shape the person that she is today, Tomer highlights some of the more highly regarded achievements including Obama’s graduating cum laude from Princeton, her desire to represent people who couldn’t afford lawyers after receiving her J.D. from Harvard Law School and eventually being named vice president for Community External Affairs for University of Chicago Hospitals.

Overall, the 235-page book provides a solid glimpse into the life of one of the most profound fashion icons in every possible setting. However, the only drawback is that most of the pictorials Tomer included in her book are of Mrs. Obama in outfits that the rest of the world has already seen her wear.

Top Fashion Icons of the 20th Century

Top Fashion Icons of the 20th Century

Kate Moss, Madonna, Debbie Harry and Brigitte Bardot have been named the biggest fashion icons of the 20th century.

British supermodel Kate - whose 1993 Calvin Klein advertising campaign sparked a craze for waif-like models - was crowned the best-dressed person from the 90s after polling 62.5 per cent of the vote.

Fellow models Linda Evangelista and Erin O'Connor won second and third place respectively, with former Spice Girls singer Victoria Beckham coming fourth.

Pop singer Madonna's iconic 80s 'Material Girl' look - which saw her take inspiration from Marilyn Monroe by sporting bleached blonde hair and bright red lips - was also lauded, with Britain's late Princess Diana and actress Joan Collins also receiving mentions for their fashion savvy during the decade.

Blondie singer Debbie Harry's rock-chick style received 43.8 per cent of 70s vote, beating Diana Ross and Bianca Jagger.

Former actress, singer and model Brigitte Bardot's signature doe-eyed look triumphed in the 60s category, while actresses Audrey Hepburn and Marlene Dietrich were named the earliest style icons.

Despite David Bowie being named the 70s' second best style icon, men were generally missing from the survey, with soccer star David Beckham and singer John Lennon only pulling in small amounts of votes.

The survey was conducted by Clothes Show London fashion event, with the aim of discovering which famous faces have sculpted the British fashion industry.

The poll was taken ahead of next month's Clothes Show Style Awards, which will name the top fashion stars of 2009 in categories such as Best Dressed Man and Best Dressed Woman.

Top four 90s style icons:

1. Kate Moss - 62. 5 per cent
2. Linda Evangelista - 12.5 per cent
3. Erin O'Connor - 12.5 per cent
4. Victoria Beckham - 6.3 per cent

Top four 80s style icons:

1. Madonna - 75 per cent
2. Princess Diana - 12.5 per cent
3. Joan Collins - 6.3 per cent
4. Jane Fonda - 6.2 per cent

Top four 70s style icons:

1. Debbie Harry - 43.8 per cent
2. David Bowie - 25 per cent
3. Bianca Jagger - 12.5 per cent
4. Diana Ross - 6.3 per cent

Top four 60s style icons:

1. Brigitte Bardot - 41.2 per cent
2. The Beatles - 17.6 per cent
3. Edie Sedgwick - 17.6 per cent
4. Twiggy - 11.8 per cent

Top four 50s style icons:

1. Audrey Hepburn - 58.8 per cent
2. Grace Kelly - 29.4 per cent
3. James Dean - 5.9 per cent
4. Ave Gardner - 5.9 per cent

Top four 40s style icons:

1. Marlene Dietrich - 53.3 per cent
2. Fred & Ginger - 26.7 per cent
3. Lauren Bacall - 6.7 per cent
4. David Niven - 6.7 per cent

Contents of Fashion

Areas of Fashion

Fashion as social phenomena is common. The rise and fall of fashion has been especially documented and examined in the following fields:

- Architecture, interior design, and landscape design
- Arts and crafts
- Body type, clothing or costume, cosmetics, personal grooming, hairstyle, and personal adornment
- Dance and music
- Forms of address, slang, and other forms of speech
- Economics and spending choices, as studied in behavioral finance
- Entertainment, games, hobbies, sports, and other pastimes
- Etiquette
- Fast fashion
- Management, management styles and different ways of organizing
- Politics and media, especially the topics of conversation encouraged by the media
- Philosophy and religion: although the doctrines of religions and philosophies change very slowly if at all, there can be rapid changes in what areas of a religion or a philosophy are seen as most important and most worth following or studying.
- Social networks and the diffusion of representations and practices
- Sociology and the meaning of clothing for identity-building
- Technology, such as the choice of computer programming techniques
- Hospitality industry, such as designer uniforms custom made for a hotel, restaurant, casino, resort or club, in order to reflect a property and brand.

Of these fields, costume especially has become so linked in the public eye with the term "fashion" that the more general term "costume" has mostly been relegated to only mean fancy dress or masquerade wear, while the term "fashion" means clothing generally, and the study of it. This linguistic switch is due to the so-called fashion plates which were produced during the Industrial Revolution, showing novel ways to use new textiles. For a broad cross-cultural look at clothing and its place in society, refer to the entries for clothing, costume and fabrics. The remainder of this article deals with clothing fashions in the Western world.

Clothing

Some historians observe the frequently changing clothing styles as a distinctively Western habit among urban populations. Changes in costume often took place at times of economic or social change (such as in ancient Rome), but then a long period without large changes followed. In 8th century Cordoba, Spain, Ziryab (a famous musician of that time) is said to have introduced sophisticated clothing styles based on seasonal and daily timings from his native baghdad and his own inspiration.

The beginnings of the habit in Europe of continual and increasingly rapid change in styles can be fairly reliably dated to the middle of the 14th century, to which historians including James Laver and Fernand Braudel date the start of Western fashion in clothing. The most dramatic manifestation was a sudden drastic shortening and tightening of the male over-garment, from calf-length to barely covering the buttocks, sometimes accompanied with stuffing on the chest to look bigger. This created the distinctive Western male outline of a tailored top worn over leggings or trousers.

The pace of change accelerated considerably in the following century, and women and men's fashion, especially in the dressing and adorning of the hair, became equally complex and changing. Art historians are therefore able to use fashion in dating images with increasing confidence and precision, often within five years in the case of 15th century images. Initially changes in fashion led to a fragmentation of what had previously been very similar styles of dressing across the upper classes of Europe, and the development of distinctive national styles, which remained very different until a counter-movement in the 17th to 18th centuries imposed similar styles once again, finally those from Ancien Régime in France. Though the rich usually led fashion, the increasing affluence of early modern Europe led to the bourgeoisie and even peasants following trends at a distance sometimes uncomfortably close for the elites - a factor Braudel regards as one of the main motors of changing fashion. The fashions of the West are generally unparalleled either in antiquity or in the other great civilizations of the world. Early Western travellers, whether to Persia, Turkey, Japan or China frequently remark on the absence of changes in fashion there, and observers from these other cultures comment on the unseemly pace of Western fashion, which many felt suggested an instability and lack of order in Western culture. The Japanese Shogun's secretary boasted (not completely accurately) to a Spanish visitor in 1609 that Japanese clothing had not changed in over a thousand years. However in Ming China, for example, there is considerable evidence for rapidly changing fashions in Chinese clothing.

Ten 16th century portraits of German or Italian gentlemen may show ten entirely different hats, and at this period national differences were at their most pronounced, as Albrecht Dürer recorded in his actual or composite contrast of Nuremberg and Venetian fashions at the close of the 15th century (illustration, right). The "Spanish style" of the end of the century began the move back to synchronicity among upper-class Europeans, and after a struggle in the mid 17th century, French styles decisively took over leadership, a process completed in the 18th century.

Though colors and patterns of textiles changed from year to year, the cut of a gentleman's coat and the length of his waistcoat, or the pattern to which a lady's dress was cut changed more slowly. Men's fashions largely derived from military models, and changes in a European male silhouette are galvanized in theatres of European war, where gentleman officers had opportunities to make notes of foreign styles: an example is the "Steinkirk" cravat or necktie.

The pace of change picked up in the 1780s with the increased publication of French engravings that showed the latest Paris styles; though there had been distribution of dressed dolls from France as patterns since the 16th century, and Abraham Bosse had produced engravings of fashion from the 1620s. By 1800, all Western Europeans were dressing alike (or thought they were): local variation became first a sign of provincial culture, and then a badge of the conservative peasant.

Although tailors and dressmakers were no doubt responsible for many innovations before, and the textile industry certainly led many trends, the history of fashion design is normally taken to date from 1858, when the English-born Charles Frederick Worth opened the first true haute couture house in Paris. Since then the professional designer has become a progressively more dominant figure, despite the origins of many fashions in street fashion.

Modern Westerners have a wide choice available in the selection of their clothes. What a person chooses to wear can reflect that person's personality or likes. When people who have cultural status start to wear new or different clothes a fashion trend may start. People who like or respect them may start to wear clothes of a similar style.

Fashions may vary considerably within a society according to age, social class, generation, occupation, and geography as well as over time. If, for example, an older person dresses according to the fashion of young people, he or she may look ridiculous in the eyes of both young and older people. The terms fashionista or fashion victim refer to someone who slavishly follows the current fashions.

One can regard the system of sporting various fashions as a fashion language incorporating various fashion statements using a grammar of fashion.

Media

An important part of fashion is fashion journalism. Editorial critique and commentary can be found in magazines, newspapers, on television, fashion websites, social networks and in fashion blogs.

At the beginning of the 20th century, fashion magazines began to include photographs and became even more influential than in the past. In cities throughout the world these magazines were greatly sought-after and had a profound effect on public taste. Talented illustrators drew exquisite fashion plates for the publications which covered the most recent developments in fashion and beauty. Perhaps the most famous of these magazines was La Gazette du Bon Ton which was founded in 1912 by Lucien Vogel and regularly published until 1925 (with the exception of the war years).

Vogue, founded in the US in 1902, has been the longest-lasting and most successful of the hundreds of fashion magazines that have come and gone. Increasing affluence after World War II and, most importantly, the advent of cheap colour printing in the 1960s led to a huge boost in its sales, and heavy coverage of fashion in mainstream women's magazines - followed by men's magazines from the 1990s. Haute couture designers followed the trend by starting the ready-to-wear and perfume lines, heavily advertised in the magazines, that now dwarf their original couture businesses. Television coverage began in the 1950s with small fashion features. In the 1960s and 1970s, fashion segments on various entertainment shows became more frequent, and by the 1980s, dedicated fashion shows like FashionTelevision started to appear. Despite television and increasing internet coverage, including fashion blogs, press coverage remains the most important form of publicity in the eyes of the industry.

Fashion Editor, Sharon Mclellan said, "There's a misconception in the industry that TV, magazines and blogs dictate to the consumer, what to wear. But most trends aren't released to the public before consulting the target demographic. So what you see in the media is a result of research of popular ideas among the people. Essentially, fashion is a group of people bouncing ideas off of one another, like any other form of art."

Media, social, political, and cultural influences have a significant effect on how fashion is viewed. In the United States in 2009, there was considerable interest and discussion in the media on the clothing choices of Michelle Obama, First Lady. The majority of articles praised her sense of fashion, irrespective of how her clothing selections fit within the larger realm of current trends in contemporary fashion. The political and cultural popularity of an individual can play a role equal or greater than artistic factors in how their sense of fashion is viewed by the media.

Intellectual property

Within the fashion industry, intellectual property is not enforced as it is within the film industry and music industry. To "take inspiration" from others' designs contributes to the fashion industry's ability to establish clothing trends. Enticing consumers to buy clothing by establishing new trends is, some have argued, a key component of the industry's success. Intellectual property rules that interfere with the process of trend-making would, on this view, be counter-productive.

In 2005, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) held a conference calling for stricter intellectual property enforcement within the fashion industry to better protect small and medium businesses and promote competitiveness within the textile and clothing industries.

DEFINATION OF FASHION

Fashion

Fashion is the style and custom prevalent at a given time. In its most common usage however, "fashion" describes the popular clothing style. Many fashions are popular in many cultures at any given time. Important is the idea that the course of design and fashion will change more rapidly than the culture as a whole. Fashion designers create and produce clothing articles.

The terms "fashionable" and "unfashionable" were employed to describe whether someone or something fits in with the current or even not so current, popular mode of expression. However, more so in the modern era items termed 'not so current' may indeed fit into the term 'Retro.' Retro fashion allows rule shifts, such as 'old is suddenly new,' thus fashionable. The term "fashion" is frequently used in a positive sense, as a synonym for glamour, beauty and style[citation needed]. In this sense, fashions are a sort of communal art, through which a culture examines its notions of beauty and goodness. The term "fashion" is also sometimes used in a negative sense, as a synonym for fads and trends, and materialism.

There exist a number of cities recognized as global fashion centers or fashion capitals. Fashion Weeks are held in these cities where designers exhibit their new clothing collections to audiences. The main five cities are Tokyo, London, Paris, Milan and New York - these five are renowned for their major influence on global fashion and are headquarters to the greatest fashion companies. Other cities, including Los Angeles, Berlin, Rome, Hong Kong, Moscow, Madrid, Toronto, São Paulo, Melbourne, Osaka, Seoul, Daegu and Singapore also hold fashion weeks and are better recognized every year.

DEFINATION OF FASHION BY QUESTION

What is fashion anyway?

1. The prevailing style or custom, as in dress or behavior: out of fashion.
2. Something, such as a garment, that is in the current mode: a swimsuit that is the latest fashion.
3. The style characteristic of the social elite: a man of fashion.
4. To some, fashion is an art form. To others, it is almost a religion.

5. But for most people it is a method of utilizing clothing, accessories and hair to show or hide something about yourself.
6. You can use fashion to express yourself, to serve as an extension of your personality: goth, skater, soccer mom, professional.
7. Or you can use fashion to disguise your true self:a conservative in vamp clothing, a vamp in conservative clothing.
8. Fashion statements can be made with clothes, accessories, shoes, hair, makeup, even your cellphone.

Who decides what's in?

Designers can greatly influence what direction fashion will go in.

Miuccia Prada of Prada and Miu Miu, Marc Jacobs of Marc by Marc Jacobs, Marc Jacobs and Louis Vuitton are considered directional designers (Prada for remixing classics, Jacobs for vintage-inspired styles).

Working five or six months ahead of the season, the press attends fashion shows presenting designer collections; the media will then give editorial coverage to trends they think their readership is interested in.

Store buyers work many months in advance of the season to place orders with manufacturers for styles they think their customers will want to buy.

Celebrities and other opinion leaders (socialites and other glitterati) are usually the first to sport new looks, spurring the buying public into accepting emerging trends.

So everyone from big-name designers to celebrities may be behind influencing the direction fashion will go in.

But ultimately, it is you, the consumer, who will decide what is "in" when you choose whether or not to buy into a trend.

Where are the world's fashion centers?

New York, Paris and Milan are considered the major hubs for designers and manufacturers of fashion apparel and accessories.

London, Los Angeles, Toronto, Hong Kong, Sydney and Sao Paolo, in addition to hundreds of other smaller market areas are host to excellent designers and manufacturers.

How can I work in fashion?

Depending on what you want to do -- from designing to retailing -- there are many paths you can take to get to your destination.

Education is a vital ingredient: many universities offer excellent fashion merchandising courses.
Work experience is another necessary step to working as a professional in the fashion industry. Experience at the retail level (as a sales person in a store) is a great way to get a feel for how consumers buy, mix or reject clothing.

Many students are initially attracted to fashion because it seems like a glamorous business:to some degree it is.

But the majority of clothing and accessories that are designed, manufactured and sold have absolutely nothing to do with the glitzy shows associated with famous designers.

The majority of people working in fashion have behind-the-scenes jobs at less-than-glamorous wages. Regardless, most who work in the industry are charged by its vibrancy and creativity and get rewards other than fame and fortune (a fun job, creative outlet, etc.).

Even if you say you don't care about fashion and don't dress to make a statement, you are making a statement (that you don't care about fashion).

Why care about fashion?

Most people pay attention to fashion in small doses which is a very healthy way to approach it. They make sure wardrobes are in step with the times and even indulge in a trend or two each season.

A few reasons why fashion is still relevant:
It shows your thinking is modern and flexible (e.g. willing to accept and process new ideas).
Fashion has escapist qualities to help you deal with the pressures of the world (For example: your country may be at war, but you've "escaped" by dressing in the season's fluffy ruffles that make you look like you don't have a care in the world).

Why are most designer clothes so outrageous?

Fashion has almost nothing to do with good taste: it is a force that is beyond such practical considerations.

The clothes that are presented at the fashion shows are often exaggerations of a theme. Some designers such as John Galliano (Christian Dior) go to great lengths to present extravagant looks that no one in their right mind would wear on the street.

These collections are part marketing (to grab media and consumer interest in a designer line) and part artistic expression.

By the time they reach the stores, most looks are edited by buyers to be saleable (hemlines dropped an inch or two, elements of the original look are put onto more understandable pieces, etc.).