“The fashion industry is not simply concerned with the production of adequate or pleasant clothing but is concerned with the production of new stylistic innovations that satisfy the image of fashion… Fashion--ology suggests that any item of clothing is capable of being appreciated and turned into fashion” (Kawamura 45).
Following fashion has always been thought of as getting rid of what’s old and buying what’s new, but clothing doesn’t have to be brand new in order to be fashionable. So, how can we have fashionable clothing without buying new clothes? By making them. Or rather – by reworking what clothes we already have. If you’re like me, you probably have tons of clothes lying around that you don’t wear anymore because they’re “out of style.” With a few snips and stitches those clothing items can become something new and exciting – something fashionable.
BEFORE
AFTER
I think it’s interesting how anti-consumerism seems to exist to spite the institution of fashion. In our class we learn all about the fashion system and how much a part of our lives it is. Then we are asked to turn around and basically remove it from our lives. As a bunch of students that decided to take an Asian American Fashion class, you would imagine that most of us are fashion-followers. Novelty is a major component of fashion, so how could we possibly stay fashionable if we aren’t allowed to buy anything new? However, the definition of “novelty” includes not only newness, but originality and innovation. Kawamura writes:
Your boyfriend’s old shirt can become a mini-dress, a pair of jeans can become a bag, or some lace and buttons can turn an old skirt into something right off the pages of the latest fashion magazine. Designers like http://www.cherylfudge.com/ have based a whole business on reworking clothes. There are a lot of videos online that can show you how to do this, and even more web sites such as Threadbanger and CraftStylish that have tons of ideas and step by step instructions on reworking clothing.
It can be fun for those of you who like arts and crafts, and if you don’t know how to sew you can always take a few lessons. Sewing is always a useful skill to have. Plus, you get the chance to be a designer and create something that matches your own style. And you’ll have an item you can be sure no one else has. Your old clothes can have a new life, and you can have your own couture without maxing out your credit card.
- Carmel Crisologo
[blog #5]
WORKS CITED
Kawamura, Yuniya. Fashion-ology An Introduction to Fashion Studies (Dress, Body, Culture). New York: Berg, 2005.
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