The Evolution of Fashion: Where Is it Headed?

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Some say it’s the suit that makes the man, and they might be right. Apparel has been around ever since humans put on fur to stay warm. While the prehistoric people focused more on their clothes’ practicality, clothing separated kings and queens from servants and plebs in medieval times.

Today, fashion is everywhere. In 2019, the apparel industry was worth $368 billion in the US alone. People mix and match materials, try out new looks, and shop for the most fashionable items. While humans have always loved fashion, the attitude towards clothes has changed through the centuries. So, what’s the future of the fashion industry?

The Roman Era

The clothing in this era served to express social status. Men wore sleeveless or short-sleeved knee-length tunics. Women wore a long dress called a stola. Only men who were Roman citizens wore a toga. At the time, wearing a toga was like wearing a suit today. Colours were important and were used to show social class. For example, only the Emperor was allowed to wear purple because purple dye was expensive.

Clothes continued to be similar for men and women in the middle ages and started to change slightly after the Norman Invasion. Somewhere around the 14th century, clothes started to look different for men and women.

The Renaissance Period

The aristocratic society started showing interest in fashion. The lower class wore linen, wool, or sheepskin, and the upper class wore silk, velvet, and brocade. Buttons, chains, and fur were reserved for the upper class by law.

Clothes continued to separate the wealthy from the poor, but the middle class emerged. Both men and women of power did everything they could to buy the latest piece of clothing while merchants started mimicking the aristocratic fashion in an attempt to blend in.

Fashion Between 1600 and 1900

There was no significant change in clothing during this period. Women wore gowns and men wore trousers and jackets. The Industrial Revolution brought textile manufacturing to Great Britain. Everything was handmade up until the point where sewing machines replaced the skilled hands. Fashion was more a cultural thing than the expression of personal style.

It was around the 1770s that people started changing their attitude towards clothes. This was the moment when fashion became important. Paris dictated the trends in the 1800s. At the time, women wore corsets but decided to turn towards more practical clothes in years to come.

The 20th Century

Developments in the entertainment industry made people more conscious of what they were wearing. Fashion became dependent on movies and music, and the introduction of synthetic fibres brought about a revolution.

However, with World War I, people had to give way to more practical clothing as they were forced to cut costs. The period between the two World Wars was considered to be the golden era of French fashion. Film stars, American entrepreneurs, and their wives became interested in fashion as well. Fashion styles changed fast during the 20th century, depending on income and trends.

The 21st Century

After the turbulent change in the fashion industry, the 21st century saw a mix of fashion trends popular in the past. Today, there is no strict dress code, and women make bolder fashion choices. Wearable technology has become highly available, and people are eager to use it.

The fashion industry has also faced a challenge. Brands that create clothes for only one season have started to affect the environment. Fast fashion became the reason for unnecessary waste, and companies are now doing what they can to minimize the negative effects of production.

The Future of Fashion

Technology will have an enormous impact on the fashion industry of the future. Brands are already testing how augmented reality can help consumers try clothes online. People are likely to include more technology in the fabric itself.

Back in the day, fashion designers were responsible for what people wore. Consumers weren’t questioning fashion choices, but they wore what was considered modern at the time. Those days are over because brands will leverage technology to figure out what customers want. They will monitor consumers’ buying habits and behaviour on social media to create clothing items that meet their needs.

It’s possible that changes in the fashion industry will also be related to global events, such as pandemics or political events, as they were in the past.

Summary

Fashion was and always will be a way to show social status. At the moment, there are no strict guidelines when it comes to clothes. Everyone is free to choose their favourite look and ignore fashion trends, or even better—create them. The internet gave the power to the individual to influence those around them and create their own look. The chances are that this trend will persist in the future.