Fashion is a style of dress, manners and other cultural activities that vary over time and place. Clothing and fashion tend to reflect the prevailing social trends, and styles change rapidly. Fashion is also the process by which a garment or style becomes popular. In the past, many new ideas and innovations were introduced through written media like newspapers and magazines, but now the internet and other forms of social media have greatly influenced the way people communicate, share ideas and express themselves through their personal appearance.

A fashionable garment is usually made of high quality materials with detailed finishing. It may have been made especially for the wearer, or it may be a commercially available style that has been altered to suit a particular taste. Some styles are designed for specific occasions, such as formal evening wear or sports outfits. Others are based on practical considerations, such as warmth or ease of movement.

The emergence of fashion as a distinct concept is often associated with the rise of industrialization, when the production of textiles became mechanized and mass-produced in factories. These changes allowed individuals to select from a wider variety of clothes than ever before, and many people began to follow the latest fashions as a means of expressing their personalities and individuality.

Clothes have always been important in society. They serve the utilitarian purpose of covering oneself, and they can also convey information about a person’s age, social class or occupation. Fashions have also been used as a way to demonstrate loyalty to a particular group or cause. For example, the miniskirt of the 1960s symbolized feminism and the right for women to show their bodies. Similarly, nuns and other religious figures wear cassocks to signify their rejection of vanity.

In recent decades, fashion has become a major industry and has been influenced by a wide range of factors, such as social trends, culture, and globalization. The development of mass-market retailing, advertising and celebrity endorsements has increased the speed at which new fashions are created and disseminated.

Moreover, the lines between fashion and anti-fashion are increasingly blurred, with elements from some cultures appearing in fashions originating elsewhere, such as the way that tattoos have moved from street culture to catwalks.

Despite these influences, it is difficult to predict the direction of fashions in advance. Unlike musical or literary genres, which can be fairly easily classified and labeled, fashion is a phenomenon that is very difficult to pin down. Trying to categorize it has resulted in a large number of competing theories, which are constantly being reworked and refined. To understand fashion, it is helpful to consider its underlying principles and factors.