21 Fashion
Many people , mostly women are interested in a fashion. Fashion is the styles of dress or behaviour that is common or popular at a certain time. New styles, material, shapes and patterns appear, last for a certain time, disappear an later come back a little bit changed. Many young people are fashion-conscious and try to follow the latest trends in fashion, watching fashion shows and reading fashion magazines.
Fashion styles change often. When mini-skirts first came into fashion, women they would never wear them. But un the 1960s, women started to shorten their skirts and mini-skirts were very popular for a long period. Narrow trousers were replaced by wide trousers, and flat shoes by high-heeled shoes (platforms) Later women realized that longer skirt are more practical and narrow trousers are sexier. But wide trousers have made a comeback and, after being unfashionable for a long time are fashionable and popular again.
The materials used are important and each fabric has its own special qualities. Almost everything our grandparents used to wear was made of canvas, the cotton, but later those textilies were replaced by synthetic fibres. People return to cotton for its natural qualities while silk blouses and shirts are appropriate for special occasions. T-shirts used to all be 100% cotton but today many includes spandex.
A person‘s choice of suitable clothing is also influenced by climate and weather. In colder countries, people prefer to wear clothes which protect their body from the cold. They usually wear fur coats, boots and fur caps in winter. In hot countries, people put on light clothes, use materials which allow sweat to evaporate and cool their bodies. Straw hats protect their heads against the sun‘s rays.
Casual clothes are worn for everyday purposes. People working in banks, and offices are usually more dressed up: men in suits, shirts in different colours, ties and suitable shoes, mostly black or brown leather shoes (usually pumps). For special occasions (e.g. Balls, special dinners, etc.), we usually put on something more formal: long dressed or gowns for the ladies; and tuxedos, dinner jacket, bowties and patent leather shoes for the men. Official ceremonies required that people wear gowns or robes, long loose, usually black outer garments worn by judges, lawyers and members of universities.
Most people prefer buying clothes in shops because if they suit them and fit, they just pay and leave. Some women like clothes made by dressmakers or they make them themselves. If men need suit or coast, they ask tailors to make thes outer garments for them.
Coats and other clothing made of fur are very expensive, and in the past people wore furs to show that they were rich. In many countries today, however, many people think that it is cruel to kill animals for their fur and choose to wear fake fur instead.
Colours play an important role in fashion. White is a typical for babies to wear when they are christned, and brides dress in white fore church weddings because white represents purity and virginity. In some old stories and film, especially westerns, the good guy always wears white, and the bad guy wears black. A baby‘s sex is sometimes distinguished by colours: little girls are dressed in pink and red while little boys are in blue or light-green. Today, people like to have a free choice.
Some colour suit some people more than others so people can be classified by the colours they wear: cold, and warm. While cold types prefer darker colours(grey, navy blue, grey-blue, black, etc.), brighter colours are suitable for warms types (spring and autumn types: beige, cream white, light blue, brown, etc.). Some people choose colours according to their current mood. When they are happy, the colours are bright and light, but when they are sad or bad-tempered, the colours are dark.