Clothing and Fashion

Learning about clothing and fashion is interesting not only for a fashionista who pays attention to the latest styles, but also for anyone who is interested in art, history and how personality translates to the clothes that people wear. Learning about fashion and style requires knowing a few important things about art and history.

Do you know the difference between an empire waist and a dropped waist? What about pleats? Do you know the definition of an epaulet? Knowing terms related to fashion can help you better appreciate fashion and discern between different fashion ideas and examples. Many fashions today, such as harem pants, plaid skirts or boat neck tops, come from very specific time periods in history. Learn your history, particularly the history of fashion, and you have a better sense of where fashion trends come from, and how they developed into what people wear today. Remember too, that certain fashions were revolutionary: bloomers, miniskirts, bustles and high heels all had a part in creating certain ideas about gender and place in society.

Learning about fashion takes more than just flipping through the latest issue of Vogue, but it is a worthwhile endeavor. By understanding vocabulary, history and art, anyone can get the background knowledge necessary to understand how fashion works.