i have had this subject on my mind for a while: the relationship of class, social status/rank, and fashion...and how fashion firms see themselves and their target demographic. as well as how the wearers of clothes, meaning, you, me and everyone else out there, really, see themselves in the (inherent?) symbolic ranking system of fashion and style. -is it really only (or should be only) for the skinny, tall, young, famous or wealthy? are those special folks the only ones who are fit or entitled to enjoy fashion, the only ones who should be allowed to wear "nice" clothes? why or why not?
-as an astute commenter mentioned on style bubble's recent post, hogg roasted, is there a certain "physical archetype" to whom fashion belongs? has this person or body type changed over time? if so, how? should they be the only ones who are "allowed" to participate in the fun of fashion, especially high or luxury-level fashion? do luxury clothing firms perpetuate this notion?
-are clothes used as class markers? that is, does the source of our clothes define which class we belong to? do expensive clothes make us look rich? do cheap clothes make us look poor? is it a matter of the hirarchy of materials (i.e., fine materials look expensive, and low-cost materials look cheap), or is there more to it than that? if so, what? do some people use clothing as a way to separate themselves from other, often lower classes, or vice versa? is this a new development in fashion, or, is it perhaps one that has been existent since humans began donning clothes (i'm going with the latter myself!)?
-how much control can a designer have over who wears their designs, and in what way those individuals wear them? or how they behave in them? is money a factor in this? does one's income determine whether they will ultimately have access to a certain type of fashion?
