The Purpose of Fashion

Just the other day I read this column from the Guardian website. Read it for yourself:

Apart from making a few individuals and companies obscenely rich, what purpose does fashion serve? – Pete, by email

Gosh, I don’t know, Pete. Maybe you could tell me what purpose sport serves other than making the very few obscenely rich and the masses fat and lazy from sitting all day watching pointless matches on TV? And I’ve always wondered, what’s the point of the film industry? Or art? Or fancy cars? Or anything, really, that’s not basic, boring and bland?

Obviously there’s no real purpose to fashion in the way there is a purpose to, say, water or the sun. But if one takes for granted that making life that little more enjoyable for those who like it is, in itself, a purpose, then I guess fashion does serve one. More of one for some of us than crummy cricket and flipping football; less of one for others. If you wish to go around town in a burlap sack or a beige boiler suit, by all means, boiler it up to the max. I could launch into some diatribe about fashion being a form of self-expression, art and commerce all combined in one unique form but I see no need for overcompensatory special pleading on fashion’s part. The purpose is the same as the purpose of Premier League football: to make some people very wealthy and to make others forget the pointlessness of existence for at least a few minutes a day. – Hadley Freeman

After reading it, I knew I had to make a stand for myself regarding the purpose of fashion, since I am in this very industry(or studying for it) myself. Yes, ostensibly fashion is very frivolous and seems to serve no real purpose other than the vanity of men and women. However there are many facets to fashion. There may be runway fashion collections that changes every 6 months with each season but there are also certain fashion styles that are classic and never die.

Fashion is a form of individual expression. Singaporeans may not realize this because we are generally a boring lot that grow up within high-rise buildings and grey concrete but the world is our oyster and we can dress to please ourselves, to brighten up our mood as well as others around us.

Fashion conveys attitudes and statuses. You are what you dress. Fashion serves to give you the power to dress to impress, or dress to be inconspicuous. It allows you to stand out from or blend in with the crowd.

Fashion is fantasy, joyful escapism and solid entertainment. The latest trends and vivid colours of fashionable clothes fill the pages of glossy magazines, television and websites. It pleases the eyes of girls who dream of a better life, open minds to different cultures and lifestyles, enriches.

Fashion is not only about enticing the rich to spend their wealth on the lastest “must have/IT” item. It serves the vanity and needs of the rich as well as the poor. Fashion is beauty and so much more. What’s there to not like about Fashion? 🙂

Finance assessment today. Really thankful for my friends Bini and Kat. Revised the Revision paper with them yesterday and Bini called me this morning from my deep slumber or I’d have missed the class assessment altogether! I was pretty nervous about it as it’s the first Finance paper in my life and I only started revision yesterday. 😛 But thank God it went well! I managed to balance the Trial Balance and it was really satisfying.

To remember “Asset + Expenses = Liabilities + Revenue + Capital”
just remember, “After Eating, Let’s Read Comics!” Works like a charm for me. 😀

My tutor encouraged me to sign up for Transmission Lab, an apprenticeship programme that culminates into an exhibition at the end of the year. I considered for a bit and decided to go for it so I took a while to get everything together and emailed them just now! I’m not sure how it’ll work out. I’ll be praying about it. 🙂

My job search has ceased as of the moment. The two job interviews didn’t end with an offer, most likely because I am a full-time student. I need to brainstorm more on what I can possible offer that can give me a satisfactory pay.

xoxo

One thought on “The Purpose of Fashion”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *