The Importance of Fashion in Modern Society

When you think of the word fashion, what do you think? Do you think about outrageous runway outfits? Cocktail dresses? Tracksuits? Whatever your impression of fashion, it is obvious that fashion plays an important role in today's society. We are judged by our clothing and appearance on an everyday basis, so why not make the most of our choices?
Everyday, we see hundreds of people. Whether we see them on the street, at work, at school, or on television, people pass through our visual field. Fortunately or unfortunately, we judge these people. It may be intentional, it may be unintentional, or it may be somewhat intentional, but we form opinions about people based on their style of dress.

For example, a man with dreadlocks and tight jeans is likely to catch your attention. This may be a positive or negative thing, depending on your perspective, but you are likely to give him a second glance. A person's personal style says a lot about who they are and how others portray them. For example, a person in a suit is more likely to be portrayed positively at a job interview than a person in a crumpled shirt and wrinkled pants. A person wearing professional makeup and a dress is more likely to make a positive impression than someone in a t-shirt and jeans at a job interview. While this is all about perception, it ties in with society's view of the importance of fashion.

Fashion is often used in two primary ways: to make someone fit in or make someone stand out. It can also play both roles. For example, a person may dress in a gothic style. In a sense, this person is standing out, but in another sense, this person is using fashion to portray group membership. In another examples, employees at a workplace may have the option to wear either work style pants of jeans to work. If a new employee comes in wearing jeans every day, it is likely that the whole workforce will follow suit in time, rather than maintaining the less comfortable pattern of wearing work pants. Or, if a