Fashion: A Trickle Up or a Trickle Down?

Fashion: A Trickle Up or a Trickle Down?

“A fashion is generally thought of as a prevailing custom or mannerism for specific groups. Because it is a phenomenon, located in the interstices between economics and art, psychology and commerce, creativity and banality, it has captured the attention of various commentators and theorists. They have characterized fashion as a social, economic and aesthetic force, and, more often than not, all three at the same time” (Finkelstein 1996: 5 -6).


Fashion is critically evaluated and defined by various scholars. Many of the scholars define fashion as social phenomenon leading to imitation and class distinction. (Simmel 1904; Sumner 1904[1906]; Tarde 1903; Toennies 1963[1887]; Veblen 1957[1899]). It does involve the process, Entwistle says the fashion system has various body operating within it and hence it involves the whole process of moving from production to distribution to consumption. (2002[2000]). The sociological behavior of the fashion is based on the consumption, which is argued by many scholars. But there are few scholars who have accredited the process of fashion on the basis of production and distribution of fashion, giving an economical point of view. Further in this essay the whole process of fashion system is discussed that it is a trickle down but not only the consumption point of view but also from the distribution and production. The essay talks about fashion being a social and economic phenomenon and also covering how collective tastes, haute couture, and class distinction affects fashion.


The Sociology of Fashion
The sociologist Davis describes sociological interest of clothing and fashion, as communication of some things about the people as their persons, and at the collective level this result typically in locating them symbolically in some structured universe of status claim and life-style attachments   (Davis 1992:4). Thus highlighting on the fact that it leads to class differentiation and then leading to imitation to be a part of...