Negative Aspects of Fashion

Though importance of fashion can not be neglected in todays society it has certain drawbacks too.

Moral Values: Fashion does not preach ethics. Every new fashion or trend is promoted and advertised in such a manner that people (especially teens) cannot avoid it. They don’t bother whether it is moral or immoral.

Economical: Fashion is often associated with promoting capitalism. Fashion is least rational; people buy new clothes when old are still wearable. They discard old clothes just because they are no longer fashionable.

Fads of Fashion: Most of the fashion trends are very short-living. They come and go within few months. These are called fads of fashion. The true fashion consists of style, but people who have little awareness of fashion follow fads rather than making their own style.

Harmful to Health: Certain fashion trends are harmful to health. Fashion has made teenagers extremists. What could be more shocking than a few teenagers getting strange tattoos and piercing body parts (especially the tongue or the forehead)! That pin in the tongue has to hurt. They follow such fashion blindly. Gilda Radner talking about current fashion said that “I base most of my fashion sense on what doesn't itch.”

Rebellious Attitude of Youth: Fashion has made certain teens rebellious. They are so much attracted by current fashion that they go to any length just to own that trend style or fashion. Stealing, robbing, and use of other ill means to become fashionable is not uncommon among youth today.

Non-Conforming: Fashion craze makes people non-confirmist. Just to prove them different and unique, they adopt any style.

Fashion is Outward: Albert Einstein always wore the most old and worn-out clothes. Once he said that “If most of us are ashamed of shabby clothes and shabby furniture, let us be more ashamed of shabby ideas and shabby philosophies.... It would be a sad situation if the wrapper were better than the meat wrapped inside it.” Clothes are also the wrapper of our inner self. They can project us in a negative or positive manner. Sometimes people interpret others in a wrong way because of their outward appearance.

Fashion Victims: The terms "fashionista" or "fashion victim" refers to someone who slavishly follows the current fashions. Many young girls and boys follow certain fashion in the same manner without thinking whether it looks good with them or not.

Fashion Changes: Fashion, by definition, changes constantly. The changes may proceed more rapidly than in most other fields of human activity (language, thought, etc). For some, modern fast-paced changes in fashion embody many of the negative aspects of capitalism: it results in waste and encourages people qua consumers to buy things unnecessarily. Mignon McLaughlin, in The Neurotic's Notebook, 1960 commented that, Women usually love what they buy, yet hate two-thirds of what is in their closets.”