Breaking Fashion Stereotypes

What do you think of when you think of high fashion? Luxurious items of fur, diamonds, and beautiful leathers? Or do you think of an industry that puts down the body image of women with models with unnaturally skinny physiques? Do you ever think of the industry as something positive or inspiring?

Clothing is a huge part of our identity and what we wear says a lot about us. When you choose to wear a certain item of clothing, it is representative of who you are whether you agree with that or not. You may not make the conscious decision every day that “I am going to wear this because I want people to think of me as fill in the blank”, but you are subconsciously choosing how you would like people to perceive you with the clothes that you wear.

I have always been fascinated by clothing. Nothing excites me more than putting outfits together because I feel like I am transported to my own creative space where I get to choose who I want to be. I find so much meaning in clothing and I attach myself to specific pieces because they represent memories of when I wore them and who I was with.

I look to high fashion for inspiration as the clothes that come out of major brands such as Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Dior set the tone for what the trends will be for the season. I can’t afford any clothing from these high-end brands, and I’m not sure if I ever will be able to, but I will always appreciate the beauty of the clothing. I don’t appreciate it just because it is high quality, but because it has meaning and a long-standing history behind it. High fashion houses have been around for decades and they value their history and traditions above anything else. They stick to the same methods that they have always since their founding. I find their respect for tradition inspiring whilst they also strive to keep things current.

I find myself going into high fashion stores and pretending like I am interested in buying items just so that I can have the salesperson explain each item to me. The sales representatives have to be very knowledgeable about the product and there is always a whole story that goes along with each garment. I admire their knowledge, but also feel a little bad about wasting their time because I am not going to buy anything. I ask for their business card and say “my birthday is coming up so I’ll be back”, and walk out of the store excited about what I just learned and ashamed that I probably can’t go back to that store again at least for a little while.

I have always been one to defend the high fashion industry as I see it under attack for being materialistic or idolizing unrealistic body expectations. I have never focused on that aspect of the industry because I think people are missing the importance of what it stands for. If people could learn about the stories behind the creative processes of high fashion brands then maybe they would see high fashion in a whole new light just as I do. Anyone can look at high fashion clothes and think they are beautiful, but it is why they are beautiful that I think we should be discussing.

It will be interesting to discuss the common critiques of the fashion industry and combat them with interesting information as to why we should look at it from a different perspective. It is an industry filled with controversy, but I think with any controversy that the devil’s advocate always plays an important role.