Fashion is a form of imitation and so of social equalization, but, paradoxically, in changing incessantly, it differentiates one time from another and one social stratum from another. It unites those of a social class and segregates them from others. The elite initiates fashion and, when the mass imitates it in an effort to obliterate the external distinctions of class, abandons it for a newer mode—a process that quickens with the increase of wealth.

Fashion does not exist in tribal and classless societies. It concerns externals and superficialities where irrationality does no harm. It signalizes the lack of personal freedom; hence it characterizes the female and the middle class, whose increased social freedom is matched by intense individual subjugation.

Some forms are intrinsically more suited to the modifications of fashion than others: the internal unity of the forms called “classic” makes them immune to change.

See Also:

“The Logic of Fashion Cycles”
“Fashion and art cycles are driven by counter-dominance signals of elite competition: quantitative evidence from music styles”
“Why Class Formation Occurs in Humans but Not among Other Primates: A Primate Coalitions Model”
“Identifiable but Not Identical: Combining Social Identity and Uniqueness Motives in Choice”
“Up and down with ecology—the ‘issue-attention cycle’”
“Are Collectivistic Cultures More Prone to Rapid Transformation? Computational Models of Cross-Cultural Differences, Social Network Structure, Dynamic Social Influence, and Cultural Change”
“The Social Self: On Being the Same and Different at the Same Time”
“StreetStyle: Exploring world-wide clothing styles from millions of photos”
“Signaling Status with Luxury Goods: The Role of Brand Prominence”
“Optimal Distinctiveness Revisited: an integrative framework for understanding the balance between differentiation and conformity in individual and organizational identities”