It is believed by many that designer clothing is not a necessity and that its primary functionality is to keep us warm and sheltered from harsh weather conditions. Despite the changes seen over the last 70 years, fashion is a relatively young ideology, something which is becoming even more exaggerated as we grow as a society.
Initially clothing was designed and developed out of instinct with warmth being the imperative factor. We had to stay sheltered in order to survive. However, as we have grown and our capabilities advanced, our knowing and understanding has increased dramatically. We have been able to put a lot more thought into clothing. The 'fashion' will have changed from region to region as people identified factors which would have determined the clothing to be worn. In very warm countries fewer clothes were required as individuals would need to keep cool. Some may even use head scarves to keep dust and sand out of their eyes. In colder climates, there was a stronger need to keep warm, which is why people focused more on layers.
Once this basic need had been fulfilled and we again grew and advanced as a society, a new need steadily developed. This need was focused around change and definition. People were altering their clothes as recommended by their culture as it was a way of identifying them and being distinguished from others. In addition to this, in countries where the divide between the wealthy and the poor was great, wealthy people would customise their clothes to make it different as part of a status symbol. Being able to do so was a sign of power and wealth.
Pressing forwards the world of fashion changed once more as the scarcity of materials and resources had diminished, poverty was addressed and different types of clothing became more accessible and available to the masses. From this point, people in more affluent positions needed another way in which they could define and distinguish themselves. This accentuation and stature was gained through clothing. In order to do this, the elite would make an attempt to be different and extravagant by dressing themselves in exaggerated designs. They looked to other cultures and took note of the different types of clothing worn and then incorporated these designs into a more western style of fashion. As the western culture is so diverse people accepted these designs and considered them to be trendy.
Clothing types from all around the world have been adopted by the west and then transformed into fashion items in an attempt to be the first to create the next 'look'. In many cases clothing produced may not be practical with regards to the mainstream way of life.
