Other thoughts of fashion

Kara Silverman’s article, Fragments of a Fashionable Discourse, explains and critiques the roles of fashion, feminism, and sexuality based on a person’s particular clothing. Silverman refutes Roland Bathe depiction of fashion as, “a discourse, which vehemently denies the possibility of any relation with its own recent past,” by using retro style as a counterargument (150). Since retro is a use of fashion from a certain time period, it supposedly the “antithesis” (150). Although I completely agree that fashion creates a social construction that affects gender, I disagree with the reflection of why fashion changes year by year. Fashion has no relation with the recent past because it is an effective business model. Fashion needs to change by year or every couple months to generate a new interest in the public eye in order to ensure people spend money. If fashion did not generate a new design in such a short time-span it would not effectively make profits. Fashion needs to drastically change and introduce new designs in order to make profits. The same idea revolves around the retro. The reason why retro styles are reintroduced into fashion is to generate an easy profit, without reflective innovation. Since retro styles worked in the past, it is more likely to work in the present, and guarantees a predictable reaction to people. People who continue to use retro fashions are simply secure about social trends. Therefore the article and ideas does not address the business aspects of fashion, and over-generalizes fashion trends. Although the advertisements send subliminal messages to consumers to adapt to new fashion trends.

Advertisements are employed to cause insecurity among people about fashion style influencing them to buy new fashion trends in a never-ending cycle. The advertisements utilize desire for a human image. The sub-conscious thoughts regarding advertisements help shape the sexual discourse and feminist approach of fashion as depicted by Kara Silverman. Advertisements of fashion persuade people to follow a normative design. As Silverman identifies fashion as an expression of style perpetuated by gendered views. The advertisements are responsible for the insecurity and altercations of fashion. Therefore, it is important to address the business aspects and subliminal advertisements, which have existed throughout each time period.